Teacher’s Strategies in Addressing Students’ Difficulties in Learning English at SMP Negeri 1 Tanjung Bunga
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61231/asrzmz80Keywords:
Teacher's Strategies, Learning Difficulties, Rural Education, Classroom Agreement, Communicative LearningAbstract
This study aims to identify the English learning difficulties encountered by seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 1 Tanjung Bunga. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative research design, this study gathered data through systematic non-participant classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers and students, and field notes during the learning process. The findings reveal that seventh-grade students experience complex learning difficulties, including vocabulary limitations, phonological interference from their mother tongue that hinders pronunciation, speaking anxiety, low learning motivation due to a lack of language exposure outside the classroom, and limited learning resources. To overcome these challenges, the teacher implemented integrated strategies encompassing Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) by linking materials to East Flores local wisdom, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), language games, the use of physical gestures and vocal variations as substitutes for digital audio media, and the co-creation of a "Classroom Agreement" to foster a safe classroom culture free from peer ridicule.
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