6 Tips Ampuh “Menguasai” Bahasa Inggris (Pengalaman Pribadi)

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Halo teman-teman, bagaimana kabar kalian hari ini? Semoga dalam kesehatan yang baik. Aamiin.
Sebenernya sudah lama sekali saya ingin share mengenai pengalaman pribadi saya ketika mempelajari bahasa Inggris. Saya menyebut “menguasai” dalam tanda petik karena memang tidak ada seorangpun yang bisa menguasai suatu bahasa, sebabnya: bahasa akan terus berkembang dan tidak akan pernah stagnan. Dan kemampuan bahasa Inggrisku sebenarnya jauh dari kata “menguasai”, karena memang begitulah kenyataannya. “Menguasai” disini yang ku maksud adalah mengerti pola dan kunci untuk terus mengembangkan kemampuan kita dalam bahasa Inggris.
Pertama kalinya aku mempelajari bahasa Inggris adalah kelas 4 SD. Wooow...  telat sekali ya cyiiin.. Anak TK aja udah bisa conversation..

Bahasa Inggris merupakan pelajaran yang baru ada di kelas 4 saat itu. Gurunya pun baru, Namanya Pak Devi Wijaya Kusumah Afandi, guruku itu lulusan UPI(Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia), salah satu PTN Favorit di Indonesia. Yang membuat saya senang mempelajari bahasa inggris saat itu karena:
1. Gurunya ganteng (jujur aja)
2. Cara penyampaiannya mudah dimengerti dan Efektif
3. Setiap kita mendapat nilai tertinggi, guru saya selalu memberikan reward
Tiga hal itulah yang membuat saya tertarik saat itu mempelajari bahasa inggris.

Dulu, waktu SD saya sering mendengar lagu berbahasa inggris. Kira-kira bahasanya kayak gini: wzbbrrll... wuezzz wuezz..brukldl... Itulah yang aku tangkap ketika mendengar orang nyanyi dan ngomong pake bahasa Inggris.

Bahasa Inggrisku mulai kuperdalam saat aku masuk SMPN 1 WARUNGKONDANG. SMP super favorit se-kecamatan WARUNGKONDANG. Suatu kehormatan aku bisa masuk di SMP ini :D 

Pas kelas 8 kebetulan aku dapat guru mapel yang luar biasa. Beliau adalah Pak Cecep. Kurang lebih metode belajar yang diberikan sama seperti Pak Devi.
Dari situ bahasa inggrisku semakin berkembang.

Cerita dikit nih.. gpp ya :p Sejak SD sampai SMA, alhamdulillah nilai bahasa inggrisku selalu jadi yang tertinggi di antara teman-teman sekelasku, itu semua berkat guru-guruku yang luar biasa dalam mengajariku. Dan lagi, waktu SMA saya dan teman saya dipercaya oleh guru saya untuk lomba cerdas cermat bahasa inggris dan alhamdulillah dpt juara 2, terus di tahun berikutnya dpt juara 1, yeeeee. Tepuk tangan dong buat aku dkk :p Terus, aku dan teman-temanku juga dipercaya untuk mewakili sekolah dalam lomba debat bahasa inggris tingkat kabupaten yang diselenggarakan oleh mahasiswa/i Unsur (Universitas Suryakancana) dan hasilnya.. jeng-jeng Alhamdulillah ternyata kelompokku gak menang. HAHA! Gpp yaaa.. ;) maklum, baru pertama kali dan belum pengalaman waktu itu dan kurang persiapan juga.

Saya ingin semua teman-teman mengerti bahwa untuk menyenangi dan mendalami sesuatu, apalagi “menguasai” sesuatu itu dibutuhkan ketekunan, dan tekun itu memang harus dipaksa. Entah dipaksa itu karena niat membahagiakan orang tua atau karena cinta dengan bahasa inggris.  Apapun latar belakang kita untuk tekun, percayalah bahwa kitalah yang menentukan masa depan kita.

"Kita bisa itu karena dua hal, bisa karena biasa dan bisa karena dipaksakan."

Cukup ya untuk muqodimahnya, saatnya saya berbagi Tips Ampuh “Menguasai” Bahasa Inggris. Check this out

Baca Kosa Kata (Vocabulary)
Tidak perlu waktu betahun-tahun atau berbulan-bulan belajar bahasa Inggris. Cukup tahu nama-nama benda atau kosa kata bahasa Inggris yang berhubungan dengan rutinitas kalian sehari-hari. In shaa Allah, kalau kita ada kemauan pasti bisa. 

Dengarkan Lagu berbahasa Inggris
Tidak perlu sulit-sulit pergi kelab bahsa Inggris tiap minggu untuk mendengarkan listening bahasa Inggris. Kalian cukup mendengarkan lagu berbahasa Inggris. Dengarkan lagu-lagu yang menurut kalian enak untuk didengar. 
Untuk melatih kemampuan kemampuan Listening saya, saya biasa melakukan hal ini.
Untuk pemula saya sarankan untuk mendengar lagu di bawah ini:
John Legend – All of Me
Kalau kalian ingin tahu lagu-lagu apa saja yang sering saya dengarkan untuk belajar bisa klik di sini.
Dengarkan dan nikmati lagu  sambil membaca liriknya sambil sesekali ikut bernyanyi, hal ini akan melatih kemampuan Listening sekaligus Pronunciation(Speaking) kamu. 

Tulis Semua Hal dalam Bahasa Inggris
Apakah kalian masih malu-malu menuliskan sesuatu dengan bahasa Inggris? Jika kalian malu-malu, maka sampai kakek nenek pun tidak akan bisa. Coba dari hal yang simple hingga yang rumit. 
Misalnya kalian menulis perkenalan diri dengan bahasa Inggris, lalau mengetik SMS dengan bahasa Inggris, menulis surat cinta dengan bahasa Inggris, bahkan status di media social dengan bahasa Inggris.
Saya sendiri mulai bisa berkomunikasi secara tulisan itu sejak kelas 9 SMP. Waktu itu saya mulai chatting-an dengan teman facebook saya orang Palestine. Dan waktu itu saya baru bisa What’s your name, where do you live, how do you do, dll. Sampai sekarang saya punya banyak teman bahkan sahabat yang sering saya ajak curhat. Sampai saat ini saya sudah punya banyak teman orang bule. Di antaranya dari Nepal, India, Pakistan, Palestine, Amerika, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Syria, Turki, dll. Tapi kebanyakan  dari Nepal. Tidak saya sangka ternyata orang-orang Nepal (Nepalese) hampir semua pelajarnya fasih berbahasa inggris, baik lisan maupun tulisan. Kalau kalian ingin chatting denganku boleh lewat fb : Rida Nadiatul Huda

Berbicara dengan bahasa Inggris
Untuk melatih kemampuan berbahasa inggris kalian diharuskan untuk banyak-banyak praktek. 
Menurut saya, di Indonesia, kita dituntut untuk menjadi seorang ahli grammar, sedangkan untuk prakteknya sendiri kurang, itulah sebabnya kenapa orang indonesia walaupun sudah 9 tahun belajar bahasa inggris tetapi kemampuan masih segitu-gitu aja.. orang indonesia mempelajari bahasa inggris hanya pada saat pelajaran b. Inggris saja. 
Coba praktek berbicara bahasa Inggris dengan full kepada siapa saja dan dimana saja. Anggap saja orang disekitarmu adalah bule yang tidak menggunaklan bahasa Indonesia. Dan kamu diwajibkan berbicara bahasa Inggris. Lakukan hal ini bahkan ketika kamu berbicara di dalam hati. 

Menonton Film
Masih menonton film barat dengan subtitle bahasa Indonesia? Atau bahkan tidak suka film barat? Nah inilah saatnya hidupmu penuh dengan bahasa Inggris. Tontonlah film barat berbahasa Inggris tetapi tidak menggunakan subtitle Indonesia. Jika kesulitan, pelajari gerak-gerak bahasa Tubuh dari si actor pemeran di film tersebut.

Karena kamu di kehidupan sehari-hari ketika bertemu bule tidak akan melihat subtitle dibawah bule tersebut ketika dia berbicara. Latihlah terus menerus, hingga kamu mengakap point kalimat yang diucapkan.

Lakukan berulang-ulang
Intinya belajar bahasa Inggris itu untuk berkomunikasi di kehidupan sehari-hari.
Lakukanlah secara berulang.

Pesan saya untuk teman-teman yang kesulitan dalam bahasa inggris.
Jangan jadikan bahasa inggris sebagai pelajaran di sekolah saja, tapi jadikanlah bahasa inggris sebagai kebiasan. 
Selalu ingatlah pada peribahasa “Ala bisa karena biasa.”

Mungkin hanya itu yang bisa saya sampaikan, terima kasih sudah berkunjung ke blog saya dan membaca artikel ini.
Semoga artikel yang saya buat bisa bermanfaat.
Oh iya.. Jangan lupa tinggalkan jejak berupa komentar ya ;)

Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

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Personal Blogging Tips

Personal blogs, like professional and business blogs, require some thought before you jump in and start throwing words on the screen if you don’t want your blog to be a flash-in-the-pan. While many bloggers are itching to start creating content (Hey isn’t that why you want to blog?), there are factors to consider first to ensure you don’t get blindsided once your information’s publically available. Here are twelve such factors.

1. Host your own blog. While there’s a cost to this approach, it can help you in the event that your blog grows into something bigger. Understand that no matter how stable a blog hosting platform is now, it can disappear. A self-hosted blog (on your own URL) enables you to broaden your audience and gives you greater control. You own the content you create and have greater freedom to publish what you want.
2. Anticipate and budget for technical support. Regardless of what you think when you start, there’ll be something you want to do requiring more technical experience than you have. Therefore, create a small budget for this purpose.
3. Brand your blog. Before you tell me you’re not a company or organization, understand that if you don’t brand your blog that will be your brand. Determine blog formatting, color use, typefaces, media, voice and other elements to ensure they’re consistent.
4. Set blog category structure. What major topics will your blog cover? Think in terms of the keywords your audience will use to search for your content. Stay away from cute titles don’t mean anything to robots.
5. Plan for your blog’s future. Where do you see the content on your blog leading? Think 1 year, 2 years, 3 years out, while this may seem like the distant future, time passes quickly. This influences what you’re writing. Even if it’s only for one short term event such as your wedding, training for a marathon or dealing with a disease.
6. Determine terms of use. How are you going to allow others to use your blog content? Many people assume anything that appears on the Internet can be freely reused. (In reality, this isn’t the case.) So it’s best to protect yourself and make your terms of use public.
7. Watch your language. This isn’t restricted to four letter words but also encompasses your grammar and usage. It’s important because it reflects on your blog and brand.
8. Take the mini-skirt approach to blog post length. Blog posts should be long enough to cover the topic but short enough to stay interesting. (Here’s the research on blog post length.)
9. Don’t forget the blog eye candy. Think beyond text. Use photos, graphics, video, audio and presentations. These formats are often at the heart of personal blogs. Make sure you have permission to use photographs of people you know. This is particularly important when it comes to children.
10. Publish consistently. Remember that a blog is a media entity. Before you remind me that it’s your personal thoughts, it’s important to think about your readers. To this end, mind your editorial calendar. Research has shown that it’s best to publish two to three times a week. If you don’t do this, at least be consistent in when you publish.
11. Be selective in where you share your content. Don’t’ plaster your posts on every possible social media platform. Give thought to who’s on each platform and their interests. Consider where your topic makes sense.
12. Determine how you want to handle comments. Do you want them closed, moderated or open? When you start getting comments is too late to get a policy out. (Need help? Here are blog comment guidelines.)

Remember blogs are a lot like children, once they come into being they have a life of their own you can’t necessarily plan. That said, you can ensure you make a good first impression and lay the foundation from which to grow and learn.

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6 Tips for Getting into the “Write” Mood

1. If You’re a Writer, Call Yourself a Writer

Go back right now and reread the first paragraph of this post. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.

Ah, you’re back. Did you see the answer to the confidence problem? It’s in the first five words of the very first sentence: I am a freelance writer. A ton of material has been written about speaking things into existence. It’s powerful. The concept of visualization is often used in sports to improve athletic skills.

Writers are no different. If you’re going to be a writer, then call yourself a writer. Go ahead, say it out loud: I am a freelance writer!

New writers start out excited about making a living with their words. However, doubt sets in and confidence wanes, smashing their dreams to pieces.

I know. This is one hurdle I had to clear myself.

Start calling yourself a writer at every opportunity. Get some business cards that say so. When people ask you what you do, tell them you’re a writer. Hey, they won’t laugh; they—ll believe you. In fact, they—ll probably ask what you write. If you still have job, mention it last, if at all. The more you call yourself a writer, the easier it gets.

And you’ll begin believing it as well!

2. Start by Writing Something Fun

Sometimes you’ll get up and tell yourself that you don’t feel like writing. What you probably mean is that you aren’t ready to get started on your paid writing gigs. No problem; start by writing something fun!

I’d recommend that every new writer start a blog on something they enjoy. I have blogs on gardening and computers, two of my passions. I get up every Monday morning, go out to the garden, take some veggie photos and then usually write a blog post. This gets my creative juices flowing, and viola:

I’m in the mood for words,
simply because they’re near me!
Funny, but when they’re near me,
I’m in the mood for words.

(Sorry about that; I’m an old song buff too.)

Sometimes, I’ll get really sneaky. I pull up several documents that need written, and then I’ll open up my browser in front of them. I write the blog post and when I close the browser the articles are there, waiting for me.

For new writers, there’s an added benefit in having a blog. I post on one or the other of my blogs once a week. That comes out to 52 articles a year. If you don’t have clips yet, use these posts. In fact, the back of my business card says this:

Take a break and visit these sites for some of Steve’s writing samples.

The computer site and gardening site addresses are listed so the reader can go there and check out my writing.

3. Don Your Writer’s Clothes

Business coaches tell you to dress for success. This carries over into freelance writing as well. I enjoy working from home because I can work in my, uh, pajamas. That doesn’t mean I should, though.

I have four nice shirts and a pair of penny loafers that constitute my writing wardrobe, along with a pair of nice jeans, of course. When I wear them, I’m magically transformed into Super Writer-Man. Try it yourself. Sounds corny, but it works.

(Cape not included.)

4. Create a Place for Your Writing

Create an office for your writing. It could be a spare room in your house, or as simple as a corner of the living room. Teach yourself, and your family, that when you’re in your “office,” it’s writing time.

We converted our carport into offices several years ago. My office holds my computers, books and other writing paraphernalia. Mary’s is a combination sewing/laundry room for her seamstress business. When I’m off to write, I let her know that I’m going to “the office.”

Remember the part about visualization, speaking something into existence? Even if it’s just a corner of a room, start calling it your office. Make it hallowed, sacred ground: “Creativity lives here.”

Before long you’ll have a real office, if you want it.

5. Set a Time for Your Writing

Having an established time (or times) for your writing helps, but keep some flexibility. In fact, you might find that you’ll break up your schedule into movable blocks of writing time. You can’t do that with a job, but you can with your writing.

My first block usually starts around 4:30 in the morning. I’m an early riser, so I write while the rest of the household is still asleep. Around 6:00, Mary wakes up and starts getting her child care brood. I take a break, eat a little breakfast, play with the kids, maybe take a shower and then get back to writing.

The rest of the day sometimes varies with the activities we have planned. If I’m in the zone, I might be researching and typing all day. Sometimes the evening works out better for writing. I’ve often taken my laptop out under the stars to our picnic table and written deep into the night. By the way, a fire-pit adds terrific ambience. I know; I’m a little weird.

That brings us to the last tip.

6. Change Your Location to Change Your Mood

Sometimes you can get out of a writing slump by changing your setting. Like I said, the picnic table in the yard is my outdoor office. However, I’ve traveled to other exotic locations as well: various McDonald’s diners, the Village Inn restaurant across town and the Fayetteville Public Library.

All right, they all have free Internet access, but there are other reasons too.

A change of scenery often sparks creativity. Watching people going about their daily activities gives you a different perspective than sitting in your office all day. In fact, it just might give you some ideas for spec articles.

For example, we were traveling back home from Indiana last week and stopped at a diner in Missouri. I had my laptop out to check email and do some writing. A guy in the booth across from us had his computer out too. We chatted about computers, and soon I asked him if he was from around there.

It turns out that he’s a professional griller, commissioned by a major food brand. He was on his way to cook for a charity event. Hmm, article idea there? Not only that, but it turned into an impromptu interview and I got the contact information for the company. People love to talk about themselves, so start asking questions!

Delicious; a burger with a side order of ideas!

Now, Get into the Write Mood!

Thanks for reading!

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