berbagi cerita

CERITA TERINDAH

(21 November-05 Desember 2011)

Labaikal laahumma labbaik. Labbaika laa syariika laka labbaik. Innal hamda wan ni’mata laka wal mulk laa syariika lak.

Kupenuhi panggilan-Mu ya Allah…

Kupenuhi panggilan-Mu…

Kupenuhi panggilan-Mu…

TIDAK ADA sekutu bagimu…

Kupenuhi panggilan-Mu…

Sungguh segala puji, nikmat dan kekuasaan

Adalah MILIK-MU

TIDAK ADA sekutu BAGI-MU…

****

# Menembus impian

Pergi ke Tanah suci bersama adalah impian kami sejak kami merintis sebuah rumah tangga. Do’a dan ikhtiar untuk menginjakkan sepasang telapak kaki ditanah yang tiada duanya itu, tak pernah luput disetiap nafas kami. Itulah azzam yang selalu menyelimuti relung hati ini selama puluhan tahun.

Akhirnya…

Allah menjawab do’a kami….

Allah memanggil kami untuk singgah di Baitullah…

Tetes air mata terjatuh kala Allah memenuhi janji-Nya…

Sungguh Allah memang tak pernah ingkar untuk mengabulkan permintaan hamba-Nya yang bersungguh-sungguh.

Ya Allah Ya Rabbi….kami datang memenuhi panggilan-Mu…

Ya Allah Ya Rabbi….jadikanlah semua ini sebagai pemupuk iman kami.

#Meninggalkan mereka sejenak hanya untuk menemui-Mu.

Malam itu, pukul 02.00 dini hari, kami berdua sudah sangat siap untuk meninggalkan rumah dan anak-anak kami tercinta. Walau terasa sedikit khawatir untuk meninggalkan mereka, apalagi putri ketiga kami sedang dalam keadaan sakit. Namun mereka pula yang meyakinkan kami bahwa semua akan baik-baik saja. Do’a dan support dari keluarga, sahabat, dan para tetangga terus mengalir tanpa henti. Mereka senantiasa menemani kami hingga matahari meninggalkan peraduannya. Terima kasih yang sangat mendalam untuk keluarga, sahabat dan para tetangga yang telah memberikan do’a dan support pada kami, semoga Allah senantiasa melimpahkan nikmat-Nya kepada saudara-saudara sekalian.

#Dari sepeda ontel hingga Garuda Indonesia

Dulu, saat awal kami berumah tangga, hanya sepeda ontel yang selalu menemani kami berdua. Beberapa kali kami bermimpi naik sebuah pesawat dalam perjalanan haji. Kami tidak menganggap hal tersebut adalah sebuah hal yang lucu, yang bisa dipakai untuk guyonan. Kami menganggap itu adalah mimpi kami berdua. Dan ternyata…mimpi kami menjadi nyata. Garuda Indonesia membawa kami dalam perjalanan yang sangat indah. Pesawat yang biasa mengantarkan ratusan jama’ah haji itu sangat bersih dan nyaman. Beberapa pramugari yang ramah dengan telaten membimbing kami dalam perjalanan, menawarkan makanan dan minuman kepada kami, seolah-olah mereka tidak rela jika kami merasa lapar dan haus. Sungguh mulia jasa para awak Garuda Indonesia, semoga Allah selalu melindungi.

#Atmosfer Kota Terindah

Untuk pertama kalinya, kami berdua menginjakkan kaki ini di tanah yang terlihat gersang, namun sebenarnya menyimpan sejuta keajaiban. Bola mata ini memandang kesetiap inchi kota Jeddah dari Bandara King Abdul Aziz pada sore hari itu. Subhanallah…indah sekali

Biasanya mata kami berdua disuguhi dengan bunga berwarna-warni dan pepohonan yang rindang serta sawah hijau yang membentang. Pemandangan di kota ini sangatlah berbeda. Perbedaan itu membuat kami bertambah yakin bahwa Allah Maha Luar Biasa. Sang Maha ini mampu mengemas berjuta keindahan dalam satu bumi yang tersebar disetiap belahan dunia. Sungguh, raga kami terasa sangat nyaman berada disana.

#Mekkah yang menakjubkan

Pada pagi itu, kami disuguhi pemandangan yang tidak biasa. Saat kami berada dirumah kami, ketika kami membuka pintu dipagi hari, matahari pasti menyapa dari arah timur. Sangat berbeda dengan di Baitullah. Matahari tidak tepat disebelah timur, tetapi lebih condong kearah tenggara, yakni berada antara timur dan selatan.

Di kota inilah kami akan melangsungkan ibadah haji kami. Kami disana melakukan sederetan ibadah seperti thawaf dan sa’i. Setiap hari kami berlalu lalang ke masjidil Haram, sebuah masjid yang luar biasa megah. Desain exterior dan interiornya yang sangat khas timur tengah membuat kami tak henti mengucap subhanallah karena takjub dibuatnya.

#Wukuf di Arafah

Inilah puncak ibadah haji yang harus kami lalui, wukuf di Arafah. Saat wukuf di Arafah, kami serombongan tinggal dalam satu tenda yang luas, bersama-sama memohon dan melantunkan do’a pada Sang Pencipta Maha Karya. Sungguh ibadah kami terasa amat hikmat disana. Merasakan nikmat yang diberikan oleh Allah. Tetes air mata jatuh di pipi semua jamaah. Mengingat dosa-dosa yang pernah diperbuat, mengingat mimpi-mimpi yang ingin dicapai, mengingat keluarga dan sahabat di tanah air. Air mata tak terbendung dalam memohon ampunan-Nya. Ya Allah, terima kasih atas segala nikmat yang kau beri, ampunilah segala dosa-dosa kami, berikanlah kami petunjuk ketika kami kehilangan arah. Ya Allah hanya kepada-Mu kami menyembah, dan hanya kepada-Mu-lah kami memohon pertolongan….

#Lempar Jumrah

Kami melakukan perjalanan dari Mina ke Musdhalifah malam itu. Udara dingin merasuk kedalam tulang rusuk kami. Namun, itu bukanlah hal yang patut dikeluhkan. Kami justru menikmati suasana malam itu. Ditengah dinginnya malam di Musdhalifah, kami mencari batu-batu kecil untuk kegiatan Lempar Jumrah pada tanggal 10 hingga 13  dzulhijjah.

Inilah tempat kami melempar jumrah, Jabal Rahmah. Pembangunan yang terus dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Arab Saudi memudahkan para jamaah untuk melakukan deretan kegiatan ibadah haji. Tahun-tahun sebelumnya, tidak jarang jamaah haji wafat saat berdesakkan dalam ibadah lempar jumrah ini. Sangat berbeda dengan kondisi saat, system berubah, jadwal lemparr jumrah diprogram dan bangunan pun bertambah luas. Luar biasa….

#Bukti Cinta Terindah

Kami menyaksikan bukti cinta Adam dan Hawa, yakni di Jabal Rahmah, ya, sebuah bukit dengan tugu diatasnya. Konon, dahulu Adam terpisah dengan Hawa dari surga turun ke bumi. Setelah mereka saling mencari, akhirnya mereka dipertemukan di Jabal Rahmah, di padang arafah. Kami pun ingin mengikuti jejak mereka, kami ingin nantinya ketika kami terpisah karena kehendak Allah, kami ingin surge menjadi tempat pertemuan kami.

#Pernak-Pernik Mekkah-Madinah

Menurut sebagian jamaah, ibadah haji rasanya tak akan afdhal jika kita tidak jalan-jalan, mengunjungi tempat-tempat bersejarah, dan membeli kenang-kenangan. Yah itulah pendapat beberapa Jamaah. Bagi kami, itu kegiatan hiburan, jika memungkinkan untuk dilakukan ya why not? Namun kami pun tak memaksakan diri.

KBIH Ahmad Dahlan, memang sangat canggih dalam membimbing kami. Mulai dari pembekalan hingga serba-serbinya. Ketika kami disana (Mekkah-Madinah) di ajak jalan-jalan mengunjungi tempat-tempat yang sangat menarik. Mulai tempat penyembelihan unta, laut merah dan masjid quba, buki barisan disana…gunung magnet maksudnya….dan masih banyak lagi…sungguh jalan-jalan yang paling menarik…menikmati pemandangan bersama-sama para sahabat seperjuangan...

Tak lengkap rasanya, jauh-jauh ketanah suci kalau tidak menikmati kulinernya. Namun ya disesuaikan dengan kondisi isi kantong…hehehe… disana kami sempat mampir ke sebuah kedai bakso, Bakso Si Doel namanya. Bakso ini memang milik pengusaha Indonesia yang tinggal disana. Yah…bisa menjadi pelepas rindu pada tanah air…

Bukan hanya itu, kami juga sempat menyicip kurma segar, menikmati padatnya pasar souvenir, dll.

Kami sangat bersyukur diberi kesehatan dan kelancaran dalam melaksanakan ibadah haji disana. karena memang tak sedikit jamaah haji asal Indonesia yang berbaring di balai pengobatan saat beribadah haji.

Perjalanan ini sungguh perjalanan yang teramat indah.

Ya Allah, terima kasih atas kesempatan yang Engkau berikan.

Terima kasih atas panggilan-Mu…

Kami berharap Engkau tak bosan menyilakan kami untuk mampir kembali di Baitullah…

Ya Allah Ya Rabbi…

Jadikanlah kami dan para sahabat kami menjadi haji yang mabrur

Yang bisa menjadi contoh teladan yang baik bagi orang lain

Jadikanlah kami hamba-Mu yang bertaqwa

Yang selalu lapang dada, rendah hati, sabar dan menolong sesama dalam kebaikan

Ya Allah Ya Rabbi…

Ku tunggu panggilan-Mu kembali…

Ku tunggu panggilan-Mu kembali…

Ku tunggu panggilan-Mu kembali…

                                                                                      To be continued…

GO RECYCLING TRASH

            When we go to Jakarta, we will not difficult to find the dump of trashes. It is common scenery in Jakarta. It iscaused by the ignorance of society to keep the environment clean. They do not throw the trash to the trash bin, but to the rivers, side of the streets, and others. They do not also recognize that trash can be recycled. Recycling trash means that the trash is reproduced become new product. It will give some advantages for the government, the society, and the environment.

            First, recycling trash can help the government decrease the unemployment. In Jakarta, there is the trash bank program that was initiated by the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency in cooperation with PT Unilever Indonesia. This program needsmany people to be its member that have duties to collect,process and manage the trash. This program requires the members to separate non-organic and organic trash and campaign it to the society around them. After that, the members recycle the non-organic trash become souvenirs like bags, wallets, frames, and other bric-a-brac, meanwhile, the organic trash is processed into compost. Because of this program can make opportunities for employment, so the society can get job from it and they will not the unemployment anymore.

            Second, recycling trash can give income for the members of trash bank through its products. After the trashes are recycled become souvenirs, the souvenirs will be sold to the market or distributor. Money from trash can be given to chief of trash bank after that the chief give it to the members. The return might not be much, but it could buy some supplies for her family, said Sumini, the member of trash bank at The Jakarta Post. “We never knew before that the trash could be so valuable. It is like money waiting to happen,” said Sariyem, one of locals who contributed to the trash bank program. It is clear that recycling trash make the society get income from the products such as bags, wallets, and other bric-a-brac.

            Third, recycling trash can make Jakarta clean. Based on The Jakarta Post, Jakarta produces around 6,000 tons of garbage a day, 4,500 tons of which is dumped into BantarGebang landfill in Bekasi. Imagine, how dirty Jakarta is, so many people produce trash in a day. If it is ignored, Jakarta will be fulfilled of trashes and cause disasters. Therefore, the government should make the society aware that trash can be recycled and produce money. Therefore, the people will not throw their trash but process it to be valuable products. If the society recognize and do it, Jakarta will be clean from trash.

            Finally, from the explanation above, it is clear that, the recycling trash give some benefits. It helps the government to decrease the employment, give income for the society, and make Jakarta clean. The government should dothe campaign of the recycling trash, in order to the people in Jakarta recognize about it.

by: Anne

(Source: The Jakarta Post, March 3^th, 2011)

Language Testing

REFLEXION OF LANGUAGE TESTING SUBJECT

Lecturer:

M. Ashuri, M.Pd

By:

ENI TRIMAWATI

09050118

V.B of ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

SEKOLAH TINGGI KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN

MUHAMMADIYAH PRINGSEWU LAMPUNG

(STKIP MPL)

2012

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

            Language Testing is one of the subjects that should be taken by the writer in studying at STKIP MPL. It began held on September 29^th, 2011. It discussed about how to make, give, and score the test of language correctly. The purpose of the writer makes this paper is for reflecting or reviewing what these lecture activities are like.

There are three problems in joining this lecture that faced by the writer. First, the writer always felt that language testing is a very difficult and serious subject. It made the writer bored to study hard in this subject even read the references with its high level English. Second, the writer thinks that not all of the students understand what the lecturer discussed about. It could be proved in the first quiz which a lot of students who did not get good enough score. Third, the class activities were dominated by lecturer. It made the students passive then did not take a part of the class activities. It is clear that there are three problems of the writer in joining the language testing class.

In order to overcome these problems, the writer defines that there are three ways to solve the main problems in joining the language testing class. First, the students should have much motivation either from internal or external side. Internal motivation means that the motivation is from the students themselves. They should aware that this lecture is very important to the future when they become an English teacher or a team of testing specialist. On the other hand, external motivation means that the motivation can be built by the lecturer. The lecturer should give motivation to the students in every meeting, so the students will be motivated to study hard and enjoy read the references. Second, the lecturer should give post test after giving the material. It will show the comprehension of the students in receiving the material. If the students do not answer the questions of the post test correctly, it means that there something wrong whether from the lecturer explanation, students concentration, or the class situation that do not support the class activities. Third, the lecturer should as maximal as possible give chance to the students to be involved in the lecture activities. That is all the solutions that can be done by the lecturer and the students to make enjoy but focus in joining the language testing subject.

CHAPTER II

THE MATERIAL ACQUIRED

During joining the language testing subject, the writer got many materials that give benefit, at least in expanding knowledge about the testing. There are materials are:

      Purposes and Method of Language Testing

      Teaching and Testing

      Kinds of Test and Testing

      Testing Grammatical structure

      Testing Writing

      Testing Listening

1.    Purposes and Method of Language Testing

It is the first chapter that is discussed in Language Testing lecture. It discussed about what the test make for does and what the method that used are. From this chapter, the writer knows that there are two types of the tests. First, teacher made test. That is, the test that is prepared, administrated, and scored by one teacher which uses course objective and specific course content. Otherwise, there is the standardize test. It is a test that is prepared, administrated, scored and interpreted by a team of testing specialists. This test also does not give chance for the examiners to test the examinee directly.

This chapter also discussed about the principal educational uses of language tests. That is the categories of the tests that is consisted of aptitude, general proficiency and achievement tests.

      Teaching and Testing

Inaccurate test

Teaching and Testing

Backwash

Beneficial

Harmful

 

            Teaching and testing is a unity. They can not be separated. If there is a teaching, a testing should be done, and otherwise. In fact, there are problems that are related to the teaching and testing. Sometimes, there are a language teacher who teaches but do not give testing anymore. It is of course become a big problem. On the other hand, there is a language teacher who always gives testing whereas that is not suitable or appropriate with the materials that is given.

In testing there is called backwash. That is the effect of the testing on teaching. Backwash is divided into two types. First, harmful backwash, if there are the incoherence between teaching material and testing techniques. For example is testing speaking through multiple choices. It is possible to be done but the test does not accurate with the objective course. Another example is, there are the ambiguous questions that can make the examinees confuse to answer.

Second, beneficial backwash, it means that when the testing contents were taught before the test is done. For example, when a teacher wants to test his students about writing a descriptive paragraph, he should teach adjective, present tense, conjunction and others before giving them testing. Then if the result of the testing is better that before, it means that the testing gives good effect or beneficial backwash.

      Kinds of Test and Testing

KINDS OF TESTS

            There are fours type of the tests and testing. They are; proficiency, achievement, diagnostic, and placement test. All of them have their own purpose and place.

First, proficiency test, it is made for measuring the examinees’ ability. This test is usually used in a particular purpose such as SNMPTN and the job vacancy test.

Second, achievement test, this test is for measuring the ability of the examinees in holding the objectives of the teaching. This test is divided into two types, there are final and progress achievement test. Final achievement test is a test that is made in the last session of the course. For example is the National Examination. Meanwhile, the progress achievement test is a test that needs the progress of the score in the next term. For example is TOEFL test.

Third, diagnostic test is a test for knowing the strength and weaknesses of the students. After a teacher knows the weaknesses of the students, he can improve his teaching method to make the students have good progress in the next term.

Fourth, placement test, this test is for placing the examinees in the appropriate class. In this test, there is not fail and pass, because of this test in only take part in placing who should be in A, B, or C class as the description.

That is all about the kinds of the test, all of them can be done in appropriate needed. To getting the maximal result, there are two approaches in holding the tests. Those are direct and indirect tests. Direct test means that the examinees should meet or face the examiner directly. It is often called as interview test. Meanwhile the indirect test is the test that does not require the examinees to meet or face the examiner. For example is TOEFL test. After knowing about direct and indirect test, we should consider about the discrete and integrative testing. Discrete testing means that the materials are tested in chapter by chapter like quiz. Meanwhile, integrative test is a test that requires all of chapter in one occasion like national examination.

      Testing Grammatical structure

There are seven items types in testing grammatical structure. They are; completion, sentence alternatives, sentence interpretation, scrambled sentence, completion, conversion, and the last is paraphrase.

First, completion, this type of testing is in multiple choices. It provides a sentence which one or more words are missing. For example:

      Victor ____ Sydney with his parents last week

a.       Go to

b.       Goes to

c.       Went to

d.       Has gone to

Second, Sentence alternatives (multiple choices), in this type, all of the alternatives are written completely then the examinees should choose which one is the correct answer. For example:

      Which one is the correct answer

a.       Victor goes to Sydney with his parents last week

b.       Victor went to Sydney to Sydney with his parents last week

c.       Victor has gone to Sydney with his parents last week

d.       Victor will go to Sydney with his parents last week

Third, sentence interpretation, in this type of question, requires the examinees to interpret the answer. For example:

      “Kalpana is a title of one of the best Indian movie in 2010. It involves Amir Khan and Kareena Kapoor as the main character” it refers to

a.       Kalpana

b.       India

c.       Amir Khan

d.       Kareena Kapoor

Fourth, scrambled sentence, this is the most difficult question either in making or answering. Look at the question below:

      “When the teacher explain about photosynthesis, rio whisper to his close friend who sit down in front of the teacher who wear glasses…”

Who use glasses…

a.       Rio

b.       Teacher

c.       His close friend

d.       Both his close friend and the teacher

Fifth is completion (supply type) which requires the examinees to complete the sentence by writing. For example:

      Complete the sentence by rewriting a form of verb in the bracket

Victor …(go) to Sydney last week

            Sixth, conversion (supply type) that is, the question that requires the examinee to convert the form whether from singular to plural, active to passive and so on. For example:

      Change this sentence into passive voice form

Sarah, the president of Glow tv legalized the new local station in Borneo

Seventh, paraphrase, that requires the examinee to write down an equal meaning by considering to the sentence that is given.

      Testing passive, past future tense

After my father arrived at home, he would invite me to go to cinema when Bruno was not at home

When Bruno was not at home and after my father arrived at home, I…

      Testing present perfect with for

It is It have waited you for three months

   Testing vocabulary

     Synonym

     Definition

     Completion

     Paraphrase

   Testing oral ability

     Dialog

     Context

     Ideational meaning

     Interpersonal meaning

      Testing writing

Testing writing is the test that requires the examinee to write.  There are there parts of general form of testing writing. First, we have to set writing tasks that are properly representative of the population of tasks that we should expect the students to be able to perform. Second, the tasks should elicit samples of writing which represent the students’ ability. Third, it is essential that the samples of writing can and will be scored reliability

In testing writing we should consider to five general components of writing test:

1.      Content: the substance of the writing; the ideas expressed

2.      Form: the organization of the content

3.      Grammar: the employment of grammatical forms and syntactic patterns

4.      Style: the choice of structures and lexical items to give a particular tone or flavor to the writing

5.      Mechanics: the use of the graphic conventions of the language

Comparison of Composition and Objective Tests of Writing

1.      Composition tests require students to organize their own answer, expressed in their own words. Thus composition tests measure certain writing abilities. (e.g., ability to organize, relate, and weigh materials) more effectively than do objective tests.

2.      Composition tests motivate students to improve their writing; conversely, if examinations do not require writing, many students will neglect the development of this skill.

 

 The specification of content in writing tests

       Operations: expression of

•      Thanks 

•      Requirements

•      Opinions

•      Comment

•      Attitude

•      Confirmation

•      Apology

•      Want/need

•      Information

•      Eliciting :

§  Information

§  Directions

§  Service

§  (and all areas above)

      Text Type

Form

·         Letter

·         Postcard

·         Note

·         Forms

Type

·         Announcement

·         Description

·         Narration

·         Comment

holistic or analytic?

•      The choice between holistic and analytic scoring depends in part on the purpose of the testing. If diagnostic information is required, then analytic scoring is essential.

•      The choice also depends on the circumstances of scoring. If it is being carried out by a small, well-knit group at a single site, then holistic scoring, which is likely to be more economical of time, may be the most appropriate.

•      But if scoring is being conducted by a heterogeneous, possibly less well trained group, or in a number of different places, analytic scoring is probably called for.

•      Whichever is used, if high accuracy is sought, multiple scoring is desirable.

      Testing listening

    Content           :

a.       macro skills     :

-     Listening for specific information

-         obtaining gist

-         following direction

-         following instruction

b.       micro skills      :

-          interpretation of the intonation

-         recognition of function of structure

-         distinguishing the similar phonemes

      Type of text: monolog, dialog, multi participant, announcement, talk or lecture, instruction, direction.

      Scoring the listening test

In listening the comprehending of grammar is not necessary, the important thing is the ability of the examinee to understand the meaning and can response what they heard.