ADAPTING 1st LEVEL CONVERSATION CLASS SYLLABUS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS USING LEARNING-CENTERED APPROACH

Abstract

This study focuses on adapting syllabus of 1st level conversation class for higher education students based on the learning-centered approach at ‘Albibek Smart in English’, an English course located at Tembalang, Semarang. This study uses triangulation method as the way of collecting data. The data are collected from questionnaires distributed to 50 college students, related literature, and the results of focus group discussions. These sources are useful to employ needs analysis and situations analysis for adapting syllabus. These analyses particularly learning needs analysis are the main characteristics in learning-centered approach. Furthermore, in order to receive feedback from students, there was also second questionnaire distributed to 10 college students of 1st level conversation class in which the new adapted syllabus based on learning-centered approach is applied. From that class there are two findings: (1) the increase of Student Talking Time (STT) particularly in “Engage and Study” session, (2) equality of talking time between learners and the teacher in ‘off-class conversation’ indicating what McCarthy (1991:19-20) considers as one of the characteristics of ‘a real world of conversation’. On the other hand, seen from the second questionnaire, the 10 students gave positive response to this class.