In this digital era, most people are familiar with Google. Google
is a search engine which can be applied to find a variety of information such
as websites, pictures, maps or even a difficult question that people want to
know. In asking a question, it's easy for us to just simply speak to one of the
services that Google provides, it is Google Voice Search. Google Voice Search
allows users to use Google Search by speaking on mobile phone or computer. The
simplicity that Google Voice Search offers make the life of people becomes
easier, including of English learning activity. The Teacher can use a game
called ABC Ok Google as a medium to help students increase their English
Skills. In this essay, there are some usages that Google Voice Search gives to
students, they are triggering their willingness to speak, improving their
listening skills and enhancing their reading skills.
First, it can trigger students’ willingness to speak. In order to
trigger them, we use ABC Ok Google. Before playing this game, the teacher has
to prepare the mobile phone with a good internet connection, so that the game
will not meet its obstacles. In this game, the students will show their fingers
to start the game. The total of fingers they show will represent the alphabet.
For example, when the total fingers are ten they have to think of the object
that is begun with the letter ‘J'. Every player has three chances to speak. If
the player can answer it Then, Google Voice Search will recognize the word and
show the object that has been described.
Second, it can improve students' listening skill. In the second
game, the teacher will divide students into pairs. In conducting this game, the
teacher has to prepare pieces of paper. Each paper consists of a name of an
object. It can be a name of public figures, animals, things the students bring
to school and so on. The first step is to decide which pair should play first.
After that, students have to decide which one of them will be the first person
who picks the paper and describe it, and which one the second person who will
be the listener. The first person will describe the name in the paper
meanwhile, the second person will listen carefully. After getting the word, the
second person has to pronounce the word on Google Voice Search. If it can
recognize the word, then they will get the point.
The last, it can enhance students’ reading skills. Reading is one
of the activities that students rarely do. Some of them only read for pleasure.
It is hard to find a student who read to get the information because they feel
bored when they do it. Using Google Voice Search game as a medium can make the
reading activity to be fun. Before starting the game, the teacher will prepare report
text or narrative text from the student's textbook. Students are given time to
read and once they finish, the teacher will raise a question according to the
text. Then the student who knows the answer can use Google Voice Search to
answer it within a full sentence. If the result that Google Search gives is
same as the answer, then we have found the winner.
In short, Google Voice Search can be a medium in English learning
that has at least three benefits on students’ English skills. Those benefits
are triggering students’ willingness to speak, improving students’ listening
skills and enhancing students’ reading skills.
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