English Pronunciation Online Learning as an Effort to Optimize the Learning Process During the COVID-19 Pandemic

English is an international language used in many countries in the world. All over the world, when people from different nationalities meet each other, they have to use English as an intermediary or communication language. English is an important subject to teach because it is an international language. For one to excel in any kind of knowledge, it is very important to master the English language. The benefits of learning English are related to the development of science and technology, for example using computers, smartphones, internet, software, and other forms of technology, they are all in English. Thus, English is the most important means of communication in all aspects of life, which is why learning English has become an obligation nowadays. In the past, English was considered a difficult and scary subject, but along with the development of science and technology that demands to master English, the curriculum changes from time to time. Currently, English is not considered something foreign to students.

The growing need to learn English makes many courses develop rapidly. Formal education has also begun to design curricula for international class classes. Many parents realize how important English is for their children so they send their children to non-formal educational institutions such as courses or tutoring.

The topic of the lesson relates to the context of everyday life situations. This means that students are invited to practice interaction with their friends, so that students have no difficulty in pronouncing English. Learning English in junior high school requires a lot of practice to pronounce the pronunciation. Pislar, et al, (2009) use five traditional approaches to teaching English for: a) learning through stories, b) arousing children's interest to learn English, c) using play as a teaching method, d) introducing rhymes and songs, and e) carefully prepared worksheets. Therefore; these five approaches can help children to be actively involved in learning English. Introducing English to junior high school children will make the children know more about what the global world is like, with one language, namely English, children can travel around the world, because English has been used in many countries. Until now, there is no English course to answer the problem of English language needs, especially for junior high school children. The tutoring program launched through community service is here to provide English tutoring for junior high schools as a strategy to improve the quality of communicating in English. Learning English from a young age is important, because they are easier to absorb optimally.

The purpose of English tutoring for junior high school teenagers is to have an introduction to basic material about basic English and children are able to say basic words and sentences in English that are related to everyday life. English lessons are very important to teach at a young age because they are easy to remember lessons. As stated by Juhana (2014) that children are very active and easy to remember. Junior high school children tend to learn from the environment around them, either from their peers or from adults. Therefore, the sensitivity and enthusiasm of children to learn English is very high. Juhana (2014) stated that sharing many experiences for children in learning languages was very important.

Based on the results of field observations at SMPN 5 Tambun Selatan in the context of exploring the implementation of Community Service, there are several main problems faced, including: a) Difficulty instilling awareness of the English language. b) The discipline of English is seen as a frightening difficulties for students so that some of them choose not to speak English rather than speak English but are wrong in terms of pronunciation. c) Frequent complaints and reports from the parents of students regarding the lack of practice in using English. d) Lack of knowledge and understanding of students about the importance of learning English. Further impacts of the problems mentioned above are as follows: a) Discipline is seen only as a rule, not as a process of learning foreign languages, especially English. b) Students will tend to passively ignore English discipline when they are outside the discipline area or outside supervision.

This English learning strategy activity is carried out with the following stages:

Analysis Discussion of Necessity

This activity began with a discussion with the teacher, as well as several students of SMP N 5 Tambun Selatan. The purpose of this discussion is to collect information regarding the availability and availability of online English language training for students in this place. The characteristics and level of knowledge of the participants in this case are students of SMPN 5 Tambun Selatan classes in English language training, methods and media and training materials available and used at SMPN 5 Tambun Selatan, as well as teaching materials and media needed by students. This discussion is also carried out as a medium to equalize perceptions in determining the method to strengthen the foundation of communicative English training. To clarify the understanding of communicative skills, refer to several linguistic experts.

Communicative skills represent our abilities and self-confidence and will increase our value and respect for others. These skills affect salary advancement, responsibilities, and work paths. it also affects how we get help from others (Mohammadi et al., 2010) . From the description of the concept of communicative skills above, it can be concluded that communicative skills are the speaker's ability to understand, interpret, and realize language according to the context.

Determination of English Learning Strategy online

a. Memory

Memory learning strategies are used by learners by utilizing previous knowledge and learning experiences. This learning strategy involves a lot of memory and learning processes that use memory. For example, if the learner relates the sound of speech to things he has remembered, then he is using a memory learning strategy. Included in this learning strategy is repeating the previous lesson. Similarly, if the learner uses body movements to aid comprehension, then he or she is practicing memory learning strategies.

b. Cognitive

Cognitive strategy is a learner's behavior in the teaching and learning process related to the use of the learner's thinking power. This strategy can take the form of various activities. In one study, six kinds of cognitive behavior were determined that were expected to represent this strategy. These six behaviors are: correcting their own mistakes, using gestures, practicing saying words, writing in notebooks, reading from the blackboard, and looking at teaching media.

c. Compensation

Compensation learning strategies are used by learners who already have high enough skills. This learning strategy is usually used to overcome some limitations in language. Learners who have difficulty in explaining something in the language being studied, for example, can use definitions or translations in their words to keep the language process running. In fact, body movements can be used to cover the limitations that he faces. Included in this type of learning strategy is to determine or choose the topic to be discussed. Even avoiding difficult topics is also a strategy in this group.

d. Meta-cognitive

Meta-cognitive strategy is a learner's behavior related to the technique or way of the learner to deal with and manage teaching and learning materials. In this study, meta-cognitive strategies are manifested in various activities that can be included in the following three categories: deciding attention to planning and organizing teaching and learning activities, and evaluating the teaching and learning process. It can be emphasized that all of this must come from and be done by the learner.

e. Affective

Affective strategy is a learner's behavior related to the attitudes and feelings of the learner in dealing with the learning process. This strategy is further divided into two: positive affective and negative affective. Positive affective strategy is a learner's behavior that shows that the learner accepts and appreciates the teaching and learning process. Negative affective strategy is a learner's behavior that shows that the learner accepts and appreciates the teaching and learning process. It should be noted that the term “negative” as used here does not have a bad or bad meaning. The rejection of the learner towards the teaching and learning process must be seen as a "neutral" attitude, which is not related to good or bad grades. Positive affective strategies are represented by four behaviors: laughing by showing pleasure or satisfaction, smiling showing satisfaction and showing pleasure because funny things are fun. Negative affective strategies are represented by five behaviors: showing confusion, complaining, not paying attention to the teacher, talking to classmates outside of learning relevance, and showing indifference.

f. Social

Social strategy is a learner's behavior related to the cooperation of the learner with his peers in achieving learning goals. This strategy is realized in six activities: talking to classmates about the lesson, helping friends according to teaching and learning activities, asking friends for help, giving compliments to friends, harassing or cheering friends and disturbing friends.

Training Implementation

Communicative English training activities for students are planned for 3 days. Training activities will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning from 09.00 – 11.00. Where for activities on Friday and Sunday the training is carried out using the Whatsapp group while for Saturday the training is carried out using the zoom application. The method used is learner-centered learning and active learning. By using these two methods, students are expected to be able to master the material presented well. Student participation in this activity is in the form of:

1. provide the necessary information,

2. provide a place and help the team prepare the class for training

3. Coordinate students to attend training according to schedule.

The description of the schedule of training activities can be seen in Table 1.

Evaluation of Training Results

During the training, evaluation will be carried out to see the achievement of targets and expected outcomes. There are two types of evaluation to be carried out. First, evaluate the understanding of the material provided. Second, evaluation of the training activities in working on the questions for the pretest and posttest in the English test. The data obtained will be analyzed quantitatively to see the improvement in understanding and skills based on what they have acquired during the training activities. From the results of data analysis, the proposing team will evaluate the sustainability of the program and identify the needs of other partners to improve the quality of partner resources and improve partner's English language skills for the following year.

Statistics to analyze data

Training was conducted to provide an overview of how data was collected and for further analysis. For analysis purposes, Microsoft Excel software were used.

This community service activity is carried out based on the results of an analytical study through interviews and observations with partners, namely SMP N 5 Tambun Selatan. Based on the results of the situation analysis, the implementation team identified several problems faced by partners. English language training activities are a solution for improving the basic English skills of SMP N 5 Tambun Selatan students and to prepare them to enter the world of work. The initial step taken by the implementing team was to coordinate with partners and agree on several things, namely

1. Collecting data on the number of members who are willing to take part in training activities,

2. Preparation of training schedule (days),

3. Provision of training facilities and infrastructure,

4. Evaluation of activity results.

Partners play an active role in coordinating partner members to attend training according to schedule. Broadly speaking, there are 3 (three) main activities in community service, namely:

A. Activity Preparation Stage

Training Preparation for English language training activities begins with team coordination with partners to prepare activities. The preparation includes setting the schedule and identifying the tools and materials that will be used in program implementation. Furthermore, the team carried out internal coordination to prepare tools and materials for training, including learning media. Materials for training are also prepared by conducting a study of several related literatures and compiling materials according to the needs of partners. As material for evaluation, the team prepared 2 (two) test materials for pretest and posttest.

B. Implementation of English Training

The training was carried out for 3 meetings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 09.00 – 10.30. At the first meeting, the pretest was carried out to analyze the participants' initial abilities. The second meeting focused on providing material to participants intensively. After that, the team carried out an evaluation of the participants' understanding through a posttest at the third meeting. They are very enthusiastic about participating in the training and hope to gain more experience and improve their English skills. The results of the pretest and posttest analysis showed an increase in the average learning outcomes of participants. This shows that there is an increase in learning outcomes which can also be interpreted as an increase in understanding of the material. The enthusiasm of the participants in participating in this training was very high. This is evidenced by the high average attendance rate of participants at each meeting. The number of participants who are willing to take part in the training is 40 people and the average attendance at each meeting is 93%.

C. Evaluation

After the training is completed, the team evaluates the implementation of the activities internally and then with partners. The evaluation was carried out to analyze the success of the program and identify the program's sustainability plan based on the test results of attendance rate.

From the comparison table above, it shows an increase in the average value of the pre-test and post-test. The table states that the result of the pre-test score is 72.80 and the result of the post-test score is 79.48. It can be concluded that the results of the post-test scores which are higher than the pre-test scores indicate a significant increase between the pre-test scores and the post-test scores.