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THE ROLE OF SEARCHING INTERNET IN LEARNING ENGLISH

By
Mohammad Agus Salim El Bahri

ABSTRACT

English as international language has been realized by people as a vital


medium of communication. In international congress and gatherings, English is
more often used than any other languages. Globalization era and revolution in
communication are now on the way. What is now happening at one place in this
world will be heard and known by the people in far a way of place.
The development of technology has given advantages for human life, such
as – internet, television, radio, and hand phone, etc. Everyone can use the
technology and take and give information.
Nowadays, Globalization era has been in our surrounding, we must be
brave to face it. The role of foreign language has been important at the time,
especially English language as international language. We are encountered with
condition that force us to be more transparent in understanding what is taking
place on the other side of the earth. We are competing with the fast growing
technology, while the distance among the countries is practically gone. There is
nearly boundless relationship between two countries, what is happening now at
one place in this world will be heard and known in seconds by the other people in
far a way place. It means that we are facing hard competition and we may be not
left behind.
Internet as one of proves of modern technology has given many
advantages for human life. By searching internet, people can know everything
about news, entertainments, etc, in far away place. And internet has also become
an effective medium to transfer knowledge, information, and culture, habit even
life style.
Most people in our environment think that development technology has
brought more negative effect than the positive one, such as – television, internet,

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and VCD/DVD player. Through this paper the writer wants to tell the readers to
see the positive side of internet in learning English
The technology development has been on its way right now. It can
influence on human life at all sectors. Information of technology has been used
from education sector to business, much information intellectual, practical,
technical, and entertainment, are available in websites.
There are many benefits that can be achieved through searching internet.
The first, searching is something enjoyable, moreover if we understand about it.
By searching internet people know the current things. Nowadays, searching
internet are developed a lot and known in Indonesia because of the effect of
globalization era on information sector.
The second, searching internet is very advantageous for English students,
not only as something enjoyable but also as motivation to learn English. Finally,
the students can also learn a lot of things from searching internet such as –
grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, style, intonation even culture, habit, etc
from the sources directly.
A. Definition
1. Habit
As human being, we always get in touch with other people such as- our
parents, friends, teachers and any body else wherever and whenever even
foreigners. We will find diversity of culture, habit, character, behavior and
even language. Diversity makes us know how to adapt and to make
relationship with other people. The important thing in diversity is how to
respect each other and mutual understanding.
Everyone has different habit. It is easy to make social conflict, if there are
not mutual understanding and tolerance each other. One of the ways to get
mutual understanding and tolerance is learning a habit in environment, such as
- daily language which is used as tool of communication. Habit can be caused
by environment, life style, etc. In this chapter there are many definitions of
habit:
According to Professor Sir Randolph (1987; 469) in Longman Dictionary

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of Contemporary English said that:
“Habit is a tendency to behave in particular way or particular thing,
especially regularly and repeatedly over a long period “.

While in http://www.bartleby.com/61/habit (120107)


a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is
acquired through frequent repetition.
b. An established disposition of mind or character.
According to As Hornby (1995; 533) in Oxford Advanced learner’s
Dictionary said that:
“Habit is a thing that person does often and almost without thinking”

While in http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/habit (120107)


“A prevailing disposition or character of person’s thought and feeling:
mental make up”
Based on the definitions, it can be concluded that habit is all activities
that done repeatedly for a long time without thinking.
According to J.D.O.Connor (1967; 01) in Better English Pronunciation said
that:
“Language starts with the ear. When a baby stars to talk he does it by
hearing the sound his mother makes and imitating them “.
So, it can be concluded that Language is habit:
a. Speaking is mouth-action: so, you must use your mouth.
b. Reading is mouth and eye-action: so, you must use your
mouth.
c. Listening is ear-action: so, you must use your ear.
d. Writing is hand-action: so, must use your action.
Someone can speak depend on hearing, but just hearing, it is not enough,
she or he must listen to it, and it is not for the meaning but for the sound of it.
It means that language is habit. Make it habit, she or he will get it. If she or he
wants to speak fluently she or he must have habit in speaking. Speaking is

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mouth-action, being fussy will make better in speaking.
It is also needed more practice and a great deal of patience in learning
English as foreign language. Environment has important role to be success in
learning language, because a good environment is not a luxury, but a necessity.
It means that learning language needs a habit in environment. So, to be
successful in learning language, we must live in area in which the language is
used.
2. Internet
Internet as electronic communications has many benefits for human life,
because communication is a systematic attempt to formulate in rigorous
fashion, the principles by which information is transmitted and opinions and
attitudes are formed.
By searching internet people can take and give information, on the internet
all information can be found. People can look for all information through the
web sites in which they are searching such as – yahoo (www.yahoo.com),
Google (www.google.com) and others. Even people can watch movie through
internet. So, the function of internet as information sources or electronic book,
because on the internet there are many reference books that are not available
in book stores or libraries.
On the internet information is not only national but also international
information. So, people can enjoy the information by searching internet and
they can communicate in far away place. All people know about internet, but
actually what is the meaning of internet:
http://www.webopedia.com./TERM/I/internet.htm
“A global network connecting million of computers, more than 100
countries is liked into exchanges of data, news and opinions”.
http://www.britannica.com
“A system architecture that has revolutionized communications and
method of commerce by allowing various computer networks around the
world to interconnect.”(Encyclopedia Britannica)
http://www.m-w.com/internet

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“A computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer
networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data
transmission and exchange”
Based on those definitions, it can be concluded that Internet is a tool of
communication and information sources that use computer facilities as
network to global connection.
By internet, people will get much information, such as - news, business,
science, technology, entertainment, etc. By using the facilities of websites
through internet, information can be known fast, people also get job vacancy,
partner, even pair of couple, because many web sites offer them. On the
internet there are facilities which can be used or offered, such as e-mail,
chatting and also web sites. So everyone can do transaction and
communication through the facilities in internet.
According to Helen S. Solórzano (2006:10) in North Star: Building Skill
for The TOEFL IBT, High Intermediate said:
“Due to the development of technology such as satellite
communication and internet, people in 21st century are better informed
about world events than ever before. We no longer have to wait until the
evening news hour or publication of the daily newspaper to find out about
current events. Instead, we can get updates on the latest breaking news
stories as soon as they happen via 24 – hour cable TV broadcasts and
internet news sources. You can even subscribe to services the send news
directly to your email address or cell phone. As a result, we can always be
informed about important events. In additions, news coverage is no
longer limited by geography and distance. Modern internet and satellite
technology allows broadcasters to send video and audio reports around
the world, so event that were once local now have global audience, and we
can learn about breaking news in every corner of the world “.
In this era, internet has been mass media, because in sort time, the role of
internet has influence on the way of people’s thinking; include public opinion
to interest industrial products. Since the facilities on internet are more

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interesting, so many people spend their time to search it and use it as tool of
communication. Finally, internet will influence on people’s attitude, behavior,
and the way of thinking.
The functions of mass media according to Dr. Harold D. Laswell (2007;
32-33) in Televisi Sebagai Media Pendidikan said there are many main
functions of mass media:
a. The surveillance of the environment.
b. The correlation of the parts of society in responding to the
environment.
c. The transmission of the social heritage from one generation
to the next. (Harold, D. Laswell, 1948; 38)
Based on Dr. Harold D. Laswell, it can be concluded that the function of
mass media are:
a. Mass media as giving information about something unusual on
public.
b. Mass media to do selection, evaluation and interpretation
from information.
c. Mass media as media to convey moral value and heritage
from one generation to the next generation. It means mass
media as educational function.
While according to Charles R. Wright (2007; 33) in Televisi Sebagai Media
Pendidikan said:
“Communicative act primarily intended for amusement irrespective of
any instrumental effects the might have “(Charles R. Wright, 1959; 38 in
Mass Communication A Sociological Perspective)
According to Wilbur Schramm (2007; 33) in Televisi Sebagai Media
Pendidikan said mass media as promotion media:
“To sell goods for us”
Based on those opinion above, Drs. Darwanto, S.S (2007; 34) in Televisi
Sebagai Media Pendidikan, concluded that mass media has functions. As
follows:

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a. As news and providing information media
b. As educational media
c. As entertainment media
d. As promotion media
Internet as entertainment, educational and information media has influenced
on society life. They get many things such as – habit, culture, knowledge, and
style, etc
Many universities or institution use the facilities of websites online to
access data and to offer or to promote to students to study in their university
online (internet). The students can register without going to campus (face to
face), either national universities or international universities.
Internet as an educational media has many advantages to students to
learn any things such as – English, biology, physic, mathematic, and etc,
beside that the students use it as reference to get more complete information.
Searching internet is very advantageous for English students. It is not
only as something enjoyable in getting a lot of information but also as
motivation to learn English
According to Dwi Heriyanto (2005:57 – 58) in Belajar dan Mengajar
Bahasa Inggris Dengan Menggunakan Teknologi Modern Audio dan
Multimedia said, there are many facilities internet to offer for students in
learning English online such as:
http://www.tbi.co.id
http://www.indo.net.id/acl/alc.htm
http://www.english-in-oxford.com
http://www.english.bham.ac.uk/
http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/
http://www.shef.ac.uk/english/literature/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/intenet-grammar/

Learning English through internet makes students understand easily

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whatever they learn like grammars, structures, or pronunciation, because the
students are taught by sources directly. They can download the websites or
surfing the address such as – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/. This
website learns grammar through internet which is guided from College
London University.
Newspaper and English magazine are needed to help students or costumers
in reading ability and improving knowledge about the problems of world. We
need newspaper and magazine as learning media. But we must pay attention,
if we are students, we need the kinds of magazine which sort contains, so
besides getting knowledge, it is also useful to make the readers are not bored,
because the problematic in learning language is being bored.
Newspaper has equal function with magazine, but the language of
newspaper is more complete. Beside that, the contents of newspaper are up to
date. In internet there are many newspapers and English magazines. According
to Dwi Heriyanto (2005:66 – 68) in Belajar dan Mengajar Bahasa Inggris
Dengan Menggunakan Teknologi Modern Audio dan Multimedia said, there
are many newspapers and English magazines offered online such as :
http://www.washingtonpost.com
http://www.latimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.theherald.co.uk
http://www.elsmag.com
http://www.cnsmag.com
http://www.harvard-magazine.com
On the internet there are also many online dictionaries. Online dictionary
is needed to get many dictionaries easily for costumers, because online
dictionary gives the meaning and explanation of words easily, it is more
complete than book dictionaries.
According to Dwi Heriyanto (2005:61 – 62) in Belajar dan Mengajar
Bahasa Inggris Dengan Menggunakan Teknologi Modern Audio dan

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Multimedia said, there are many online dictionaries offering for students in
learning English online such as:
http://www.onlinedictionary.datasegment.com
http://www.m-w.com
http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/
http://www.lowcomdom.com/dictionary/index.shtml
http://www.global-language.com/century/
http://www.kamus.web.id/

B. Function
Language is very important for human life. English language is one of
the tools of communication in international community. Therefore, English is
needed here because not only English is used to communicate in international
community, but also the fact that this language is mostly needed in transferring
the knowledge of modern technology, scientific publications, books,
newspapers and magazines.
Learning English needs some good ways to understand more easily. There
are many ways to study English language; one of the ways is by searching
internet. Through internet the students or costumers are guided directly by the
sources and internet as sources of information will give easy way to learn
English. Guided by native speaker or sources, we get used to with
pronunciation, vocabulary and also grammatical structure of sentences. So, the
students or costumers are expected to imitate what the native speaker taught.
The web sites of learning English online
(Internet).
Internet as a source of information has many websites which will help people
who want to take and to give information.
According to Dwi Heriyanto, (2005; 57-69) in Belajar dan Mengajar Bahasa
inggris dengan technolgi modern audio, video dan multimedia, there are many
websites in internet which help in learning English well, they are:

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1. English education
a. The British Institute Indonesia.
(http://www.tbi.co.id/)
This institute gives international English course and has been built
1984, the located in Indonesia now at Bandung.
b. American Language Center
(http://www.indo.net.id/acl/acl.htm)
One of English course which serve to practice English online
c. Effective English Conversation Course
(http://eecc.ourfamily.com/)
This institution gives English course, at Pare Kediri, east java.
d. English In Oxford For Professionals
(http://www.english-in-oxford.com)
This website serves English practice for individual and group
e. English Faculty at Birmingham University, UK.
(http://www.english.bham.ac.uk/)
f. Language and Literature Faculty at Oxford University
(http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/)
g. ELS Studies
(http://www.els.to/)
This web site serves online course.
h. Literature faculty at Sheffield University, UK
(http://www.shef.ac.uk/english/literature/)
i. Englishtown.Com
(http://www.englishtown.com)
English learning centre and completed with native speaker.
j. English language faculty at Liverpool University.
(http://www.liv.ac.uk/english/)
k. BBC English
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtm)
Learning English from BBC

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l. PeakEnglish.Com
(http://www.peakenglish.com/index.jsp)
English learning web sites which give additional knowledge about
English such as – slang in English.
m. Internet Grammar
(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/intenet-grammar/)
Learning grammar online, this is guided by University of College
London.
n. English-Express.Com
(http://www.english-express.com/english/home.htm)
This website serves in learning English online.
o. EnglishPage.Com
(http://www.englishpage.com)
English language for learning ESL/EFL
p. English-At-Home.Com
(http://www.english-at-home.com)
It is learning English grammar, vocabulary, verbs, and speaking with
several games.
2. Online Dictionary
a. Datasegment.Com
(http://www.onlinedictionary.datasegment.com)
It is not only dictionary, but also bible from old and new agreement
b. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
(http://www.bartleby.com/61/)
It is a complete dictionary which presented online.
c. Merriam-Webster Online
(http://www.m-w.com)
There are games of words which easy to add vocabulary.
d. Foldoc Dictionary Online
(http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/)
e. The LowComDom Online Dictionary

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(http://www.lowcomdom.com/dictionary/index.shtml)
f. Wordsmyth
(http://www.wordsmyth.net)
It is dictionary and thesaurus for education.
g. Computer Dictionary
(http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm)
The websites contents computer word or language.
h. Online Dictionary
(http://www.online-dictionary.net)
The websites give serve about kinds of dictionary.
i. The Century Dictionary
(http://www.global-language.com/century/)
The website serves dictionary with picture and explanation.
j. Kamus. Web
(http://www.kamus.web.id/)
The website gives serve dictionary facilities for Indonesian – English
and English – Indonesian.
3. Newspaper and English Magazines
a. The Washington Post
(http://www.washingtonpost.com)
It is a newspaper from Washington DC. United state, which can be read
online
b. Los Angeles Times
(http://www.latimes.com)
The online newspaper from one of famous city in united state of
American, Los Angeles
c. The New York Times
(http://www.nytimes.com/)
d. The Washington Times
(http://washtimes.com)
e. The Sydney Morning Herald

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(http://www.smh.com.au/)
It is a famous newspaper from Australian country.
f. Times Online
(http://www.timesonline.co.uk)
One of newspaper from British
g. The Herald
(http://www.theherald.co.uk)
The biggest newspaper in British which can find the factual news
h. TV Guide Magazine
(http://www.tvguide.com)
English magazine which relationship with program and films on
television
i. ESL Magazine Online
(http://www.elsmag.com)
It is online magazine for English education.
j. C’n S Magazine
(http://www.cnsmag.com)
English magazine of Indonesia country
k. Harvard Magazine
(http://www.harvard-magazine.com)
It is English magazine of Harvard University.
4. Literature of English - America
a. An Online Library of Literature
(http://www.literature.org)
The website serves the biography and famous authors such as – Charles
Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Mary Shelley, etc.
b. Great Authors of 19th Century Literature
(http://www.2020site.org/literature/)
The website gives information about biography of the authors at 19th
century such as – Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne
and etc.

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c. 16th Century Renaissance English Literature (1485-1603)
(http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/)
The website gives information about the biography of the authors at 16th
century.
Using modern technology as educational media will get many advantages
and will make students enjoy studying. Radio, television and internet as
products of modern technology have given easy ways to teachers and English
students. By using the technology, learning methods and English lessons are
not boring

Reference lists:
Azwar Saifuddin, MA, 2005” Metode Penelitian” Pustaka Pelajar, Yogyakarta
Connor J.D.O, 1967 “Better English Pronunciation” Cambridge at the
University Press
Darwanto, SS, Drs, 2007 “Televisi Sebagai Media Pendidikan “Pustaka Pelajar,
Yogyakarta
Harnby As, 1995 “Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English
“Oxford University press
Heriyanto Dwi, 2005 “Belajar Dan Mengajar Bahasa Inggris Dengan
Menggunakan Teknologi Modern Audio, Video Dan Multimedia “Pustaka
Widyatama, Yogyakarta
Sir Randolph Quirk Professor, 1987 “Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
English “Longman Group UK Limited
Solórzano Helen S, 2006 “North Star: Building Skills for the TOEFL IBT, High
Intermediate “Pearson Education, Icn, Pearson Longman
http://www.bartleby.com/61
http://www.m-w.com
http://www.webopedia.com
http://www.britannica.com

Presented by MOHAMMAD AGUS SALIM EL BAHRI

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Now, he is studying at Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University of Yogyakarta
Indonesia. He comes from Madura Island East Java Indonesia

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