THE AVAILABILITY OF ENGLISH SELF-ACCESS CENTRE TO ENHANCE THE

ENGLISH SKILLS FOR ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS

As we know that in the State
University of Malang, there is one of the best
departments in Southeast Asia, namely
English Department. There are so many
students from various regions in Indonesia and even
from outside Indonesia who continue to
study in this department. It is no doubt if in
this department there are a lot of producing students who have the abilities to speak English
in a variety of skills and even more employment opportunities when they graduate as soon as
possible. In English Department itself, there is one of central facility to accommodate the
skills of students in this department. The central facility itself is English Self-Access Centre.
ESAC is equipped with an audio-computer room, reading room, TV or Media room,
Speaking Corner, and Conference Room. These facilities are aimed at developing of
electronic and non-electronic learning materials for many English skills, to enhance of
independent learning materials, and also for enjoyment themselves within some facilities
interestingly.
First, with the ESAC in this department, students can take the time to improve their
skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, test, grammar and vocabulary. Besides that,
they can use the space that has been provided in accordance with necessity they want. If they
always take the time to use the facility, learning in courses they are guaranteed will not run
into problems, especially if they are always diligent in practicing. Just as when lecturers held
a quiz especially when midterm test and final test take place, they will understand the
material that has been taught by the lecturers if we repeat the material and hone those skills in
ESAC facilities. Although reading and listening materials can be the most interesting and
useful for students in the long term if they are guided carefully to the right material, in the
short term the books that are likely to get the most use are the ones on EFL exams like
IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC. Students can use the corner to improve speaking skills speak
English fluently even interact with other; they can also apply it every day and will not have
trouble speaking when subjects take place. Not only that, they also can use the reading room
to practice reading and knowing the type of literary books by category. Their ability to learn
grammar, listening, and reading can be developed with practicing independently with their

tests and scoring that has been provided as well start from the intermediate level to the
advanced level. Therefore, students can determine the extent that they have owned so they
could measure the extent of their
capabilities.

By

knowing

the

capability itself, students can

continue to learn and practice
until it reaches a maximum in
learning.
ESAC itself also instill reflective independent learning habits in students without
being dependent on the presence of lecturers and classroom routine activities. They will get
used to independent learning and creative. In addition they also had the initiative to allocate
time

between study and practice in ESAC. But you

don't need to accept the whole philosophy.
On one level you could say that a selfaccess learning resource allows your
students to do extra work on their own in
order to develop their skills, to revise
aspects of their work, and to undertake
remedial work when faced with problems in
their language development. How free will learners are to undertake their self

access work programmed independently? This will depend on the teacher and teaching
establishment. How far are they prepared to encourage the idea of independent learning? It
will also depend on the actual provision of self-access resources and the degree to which
these resources are integrated into actual teaching syllabuses. And you don't always need
class sets of these books. Some materials are photocopied, and others can be cut up and
laminated to form hard-wearing worksheets, which can be used over and over again. Or you
can make your own worksheets. The central to that framework is the self-access centre,
where learners can help themselves to learn the language.
To maximize learning, ESAC is artistically designed. Providing comfort with a
carpeted floor and air conditioned rooms. In addition to learning things, ESAC is also a very
pleasant place. They will make friends of the interaction around it. Moreover, in speaking
corner ESAC providing that there are facilities such as Monopoly and Scrabble games
magnetic board which can train their brains and balance. Their minds will be refreshed with

their entertainment, such as movie

room that provides a wide range
of movies for them to watch. In
these facilities also include an
internet connection sites that can
be used for online activities for
language learning. The best things
to watch for language learning
purposes are DVDs with English
subtitles and language learning videos. If you can provide worksheets for the DVDs and
select movies and comedy programmes that are suitable for various levels, this adds real
value above and beyond what the students could do for themselves in the video rental shop.
These things are already done for English language learning videos, but they can tend to be a
bit dull and are not as motivating as working your way up to understand a Friends video.
There are many very successful self-access centre and self-access courses already
developed. These, however, could still gain from developing principles as suggested above
and then using them to evaluate their current practice and materials. New centre and courses
could gain a lot from developing their principles and then using them to drive the
development and subsequent evaluation of their practice and materials. She quite rightly
insists that criteria for evaluating self-access materials should be based on such core
principles as the ability to interest and engage learners, to be meaningful and challenging
and to have a sustained positive impact (Cooker, 2008, pp. 128-129).

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