SEX DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING ENGLISH
This research uses some theories to find out
the pattern of correlation
and to describe the source of problem of the
research. The theories are such as
follows:
1. Sex Differences
Sex differences were being known as basic
aspect of human being. These aspects can be explored from certain points of
view in order to get focus of explanation. Besides, the term of sex differences
may be able to give impact for every
side of human widely. From this notion, this research would explore only certain points of
view related to language learning and strategy. Exactly, further explanation
would give completely explanations about several points of view such as: 1) sex
differences in biological view, 2) sex differences in cognitive view, 3) sex
differences in academically domains, 4) sex differences in language strategy
and learning, 5) sex differences in linguistic interaction and politeness, and
6) sex differences in Islam.
First , sex differences in biological term
are formulated by X (female) and Y (male). Sex differences of human are
distinguished by chromosome. Female (XX) has double X chromosomes and male (XY)
has one X and one Y chromosome[1]. Moreover,
from these chromosomes, there are also two characteristics physically of human.
An individual produces egg or ovum is female and an individual produces sperm
is male. Physically, male has copulatory organ called penis and female has
copulatory organ called vagina involving in fertilization[2].
Second , the research would investigate sex
differences in cognitive view. This notion social expectations that describes
how male and female should act, think and feel.[3] These
elements are synthesizing and concentrating into cognitive elements named five
strategies for cognitive view. They are repetition, resourcing, translation,
grouping, and note-taking. Repetition means imitate language model. Resourcing
concentrates on using target language reference materials.
After that, educators have to take focus on
translation. Translation is using the first language as a base for
understanding and producing second language.
Last is grouping and note-taking. Grouping is about reordering,
reclassifying, and labeling the material to be learned based on common
attributes while note-taking is about writing down main idea, important points
and information in writing.[4]
Third , the necessary factor to be considered
is sex differences in academically relevant domains. This factor consists of
several elements: 1) physical performance, 2) math and science skills, 3)
verbal skills, 4) educational attainment, 5) relationship skills, 6) prosocial
behavior and aggression and self regulation.[5]
From physical performance, boys are better than girls in athletic skills like
running, throwing and jumping. The reason is boys are boys are more active than
girls in term of gross motor movement. For math and science skills, boys do
better math at measurement, science and sport while girls do better math at
traditional female tasks like cooking and sewing. Sex differences also take involve at verbal
skills. Macoby and Jacklyn reported that females have better verbal skills than
boys.[6] For
educational attainment, there are various facts in any country because there is
difference in condition and involving factors. In the United States, females
are more likely than males to complete their high school. Furthermore, in the
relationship aspect, there is fact that males enjoy activity like storytelling,
joking and lecturing with information while females enjoy private talk and
conversation. Moreover, for prosocial behavior, girls engage in more porosocial
behavior than boys do. Last is aggression and self regulation, boys were
reported that they were more aggressive than girls.
Fourth, there is more specific aspect is for
male and female approach in language learning and strategy. Sex differences or
gender differences involve some different facts and evidences in language strategy. Deborah Tannenn described some facts for men
and women in language use.[7] As
early fact is men are prefer speak in private context while women like speak in
public. Next is man has characteristic for thinking and giving advice and woman
likes for feeling and understanding.
Third fact for sex differences in language
learning and strategy is males are seem to speak symmetrically while females
are seem to speak asymmetrically. Last fact for Deborah Tannenn concept is man
is more independent than women.
Fifth, deeply factor is for sex differences
in interaction and linguistic politeness. Man and woman have different style in
interaction with their own environment. In interaction of a discussion, men are
more likely interrupt women, with 96 percent of the identified interruptions being
attributed to men in one study involving American college students.[8]
Here is notion dealing with sex differences
in interaction and politeness. There are two elements for politeness for sex
differences term:[9]
1) sex differences in apologies, 2) sex differences in pay compliments. First, below are a description about two
different styles between man and woman in expressing apologies:
Example 1:
Jane is
apologizing for breaking an arrangement to meet Molly for lunch.
Oh help
I’ve double booked. I was just about to write you a note, I’ve got a
meeting.
Let’s make another time.
(There is
no explicit apology here).
Example 2:
David
bumps into his wife Rose in the basement.
Oh that
was silly of me. Didn’t mean to hurt you!
It’s so dark down here.
(Sometimes, an apology will involve an
explicit promise that the offence will not be repeated).
Besides,
men and women also have own style in pay compliments.
Pay compliment identified some motives in
general like to express solidarity, appreciation, desire, and verbal
harassment.
Example 1:
Young
woman to her mother who is in hospital after a bad car accident
Oh mum
you’ve got you false teeth- they look great.
(The
mother had been waiting for some time to be fifted with false teeth to
replace
those knocked out or broken in the car accident).
Example 2:
Man on
building site to young woman passing by
Wow what
legs. What are you doing with them tonight sweetie.
(These serve a very different interpersonal
function from compliments between friends and acquaintances).
Last factor related to sex differences is
from Islamic side. In biological view individual identified as male symbolized
by XY and individual identified female symbolized by XX. This fact shows that
only the male member has the full complement of chromosomes carrying the micro
bio program of the species. Consequence, Allah created man at the first (Nabi
Adam a.s.).17 In Islam, male member or man got superior consideration. Allah
chooses man as messenger to tell all guidance or vision to the people. Overall,
Allah made a man as special mode of creation.
Later, Allah made female member (Hawwa) as
partner for Adam
subsequently based on holy Qur’an in the
verse of Az Zumar: 6
“He created you from a single being: then of
the same kind He made its made. He has provided for you eight heads of cattle
in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation,
passing through three stages of darkness”18
However, Islam also gave woman as female
member in the great position. According to this verse, Allah gave woman the
high position as a mother for human. Instead, Allah made man and woman as same
position
in the world. Man and woman are the parents
for their children. When man and woman have got married, they got the same
responsibility to educate their children. Allah says in the verses Al A’raf:
189 that first man (Nabi Adam a.s.) and first woman (Hawa) are the first
parents for human.
“Tell
them: I have no power to benefit or harm myself, Save as Allah pleases. If I
had knowledge of the unseen, I would have secured abundance of good, and no
harm would have be fallen me. I am but a warner and a bearer of glad tidings
for a people who believe”
2. Learning Language
Language is tool of communication. Based on
Crow and Crow’s opinion, language is tool of expression for people.20 People
can organize forms of expression in the social context. Deeply, from article
“Pinker’s Language Instinct”, we knew definition of language might have come up
with statement:
Language
is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously,
without conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness
of its underlying logic, qualitatively the same in every individual, and is
distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave intelligently.
Based on notion above, people really need
language as a conducting part to interact one to another. There are also some characteristics
of language. First is characteristic of language systematically and arbitrary.
Second is language is symbolized has vocal and visual. Third is meaning has
conventionalized which they refer. Fourth is language as tool of communication.
Fifth is operating language in speech community or culture. Sixth is
essentially human although possibly not limited for human. Last is language as
universal thing, which is acquired by all people in much same way.
As foundation of learning, at the first, it
needs to talk for definition of learning. Learning is one of basic activity of
human. Based on past notion above, learning has wide and universal
characteristics. Some linguists explained theories about learning such as
below: 1) James O. Whittaker organizes learning as process where behaviour has
appeared and has changed through trainings or experiences, 2) Cronbach gives
opinion learning is shown by change in behaviour as a result of experience, 3) Howard
L. Kingsley says that learning is the process by which behaviour (in the
broader sense) is originated or changed through practice or training, 4) Geoch
formulates learning is change is performance as a result of practice, 5)
Slameto declares his opinion that learning is process was done by individual to
get new change of behaviour comprehensively or as result of experience was done
by individual in interaction with their environment.
Second is about learning pattern. Learning
was done by individual differently. The reason is each individual has own
characteristic and type of learning. From any notion above, based on Robert M.
Gagne, there are differences pattern for males and females among signal
learning, stimulus response, chaining, verbal association and discrimination.
Signal learning gave involve that mastery of basic pattern of behaviour
involuntary. Deeply, if we talk stimulus response and chaining, we will talk
about trial recognition and S-R response concept (Stimulus-Response concept). While
for verbal association and discrimination, it is related to description about
generalization, rule and law.
Third, learning also has taken in formal
activity like observation. There are several factors and element need to
conduct like mode possesses characteristic, mimic, attention, retention, and
last factor is motivation. Specifically, the most aspect observed in this
research is attention, retention, production and motivation. Attention refers
to emotional arousal while retention is described as structure or information
easily remembered form or to mentally or physically by subject of the research.
Besides, production explained as capable of producing the act. Last is
motivation refers to some motives or reason to do by learners.
Fourth factor is theory of learning. Based on
Saljo, there are some main categorizes for students’ respond in learning
activity. The problem is about students’ respond to what they learned. Saljo
described several factors as learning theory such as: 1) learning as
quantitative increase in knowledge, 2) learning as memorizing or storing
information can be reproduced, 3) learning as acquiring facts, skills and
method that can be retained and used, 4) learning as making sense or
abstracting meaning, 5) learning as interpreting and understanding in different
way. All these factors are concentrated and focused into theory of
learning.
Fifth , there are personality factors involve
learning. These factors such as the affective domain, self esteem inhibition,
risk-taking, anxiety, empathy, extroversion, character types, and motivation. The
representative of affective can be emotional side of human behaviour. Self esteem
is the most pervasive aspect of any human behaviour. Next, inhibition refers to
build sets of defenses to protect the ego and risk taking while anxiety is
description about feeling fear. Then, empathy is ability to reach beyond the
self to understand what another person is feeling. Furthermore, extroversion is
the extent to which person has deep-seated need to receive ago enhancement,
self esteem and a sense of wholeness from other people. Besides, character
types are determined based on psychologically students’ character and last is
motivation which is determined as extrinsic or intrinsic motives from learners
to do something.
While in Islam , learning has close relationship
with knowledge. People can know everything about knowledge by learning. In
Islam, knowledge and its acquisition got considerable importance. As the fact, Allah
gave the first firman to Rasulullah Muhammad SAW in the verses Al Alaq: 1-5
“(1)Read! In the Name of Your Lord, who has created (all
that exists), (2) has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated
blood), (3) Read! and Your Lord is the Most Generous, (4) who has taught (the
writing) by the pen [the first person to write was Prophet Idrees (Enoch)], (5)
has taught man that which He knew not” 2
In this verses, Allah command people to learn
as well as the word “Read” has mentioned for two times. That is the fact that
people have to conduct learning in their life. The reason is Allah created
great knowledge in the world for human according to verses Al Luqman:
“and if All the trees on the earth were pens
and the sea (were ink wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to
its (supply), yet the Words of Allâh would not be exhausted (in the writing).
For Allah is Exalted in Power, full of wisdom”
In this verse, Allah says that He created
incredible knowledge for people because He is source of knowledge. So, we have
responsibility to discover as possible as we can to look for and to learn
anything as evidences of existence of Allah.
[1] Richard
C. Labarda, Foundations of Developmental Psychology , (United Sates of America:
Academic Press of University of South Florida, 2010), p. 77.
[2] David
Shier, et. al., Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology , (New York: Mc Graw Hill,
2004), p. 830.
[3] John
W. Santrock, Educational Psychology: Classroom Update: Preparing for Praxis TM
and Practice , (United States of America: Mc Graw Hill Company, 2006), p. 154.
[4] H
Douglas Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching , (San Fransisco:
Longman, 2000), 4 th Ed, p. 5.
[5] John
W. Santrock, Educational Psychology: Classroom Update: Preparing for Praxis TM
and Practice, p. 157.
[6] John
W. Santrock, Educational Psychology: Classroom Update: Preparing for Praxis TM
and Practice, p. 157.
[7] Deborah
Tannenn, “You Just Don’t Understand; Six Contrasts of Gender in Language Use” ,
http://www.teachit.co.uk/armoore/lang/gender.htm , retrieved: December 19,
2010.
[8] George Yule, The Study of Language , (New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2006),
p. 225.
[9] Janet
Holmes, Women, Men and Politeness , (England: Pearson Education, 1995), p. 8
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