Two Benefits of Skout
for English Learners
Kartika Sanda Kirana,
06011381520039
Faculty of Teacher Training and
Education, English
Study Program.
Sriwijaya University, Palembang.
e-mail: kartikasandakirana@gmail.com
How technology will shape learning,
this is very interesting thing to be blown into the minds of the all who are
learning with the technology, and those too, who wants to learn through
technology by social media. One of social media is Skout. Skout is the
developer of a location-based
social networking and communicate
with others by sending message and recording. This social media was
released first time in 2007 and Nicklund states “Over 500 million connections were made
using its app in 2013 and it is available in 180 countries and 16 languages.” Skout
was one of the first mobile people discovery applications to emphasize
generalized user location and the application also allows users to instant
message or send virtual gifts to one another. Niklas Lindstrom (2009) states that
over 80% of site’s users of communicating tools is known by the network people
application discovery similarily, more than 10 million members had gain that
announced by SKOUT.
Currrently,
Skout is being used by many people. By seeing the amount of its users, many
reasons why people use this application. In relation to education itself, two
benefits of Skout are as an multicultural education and practice speaking
ability.
First of all, it is used as a multicultural education.
This app provides a service that allows account holders to create unique personal
profiles and communicate with other members by send messsage based on location.
The location is created or set by the users which country will users use to
communicate.
By chatting with other people from other
country, it can develop student’s knowledge about the world. This app allows
users to set which country will be choosen, that’s why students will learn how
to adaptation, socialiszation, and get feedback after interact each other. For
example, when students get communicate with new people by sending message, it
will develop student’s mind to interact which try to ask or tell about that
person life, country, and so on. Skout states “More than a million
messages are sent to its users daily, and spends 40 minutes a day using the
service.”
Second, Skout helps students practicing their speaking ability by recording
in order to communicate. Thus, speaking skills are a vitally important method of
communication.The four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and
writing are all interconnected.The capacity to put words together in a
meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the speaker
with these important advantages:Paul Seligson (1997) states “Very few students will become fluent speakers but they can probably
speak more than they do now [and] they can easily be made to feel more
comfortable.” This idea that teachers expectations
of their learners is unrealistically high could, in fact, be a barrier to our
helping them to improve. Therefore, speaking with people from other country is the best method that
students use to develop their ability.
In
conclusion, two benefits of Skout for English learners are as
a multicultural education and as a place to practice speaking ability. Social media itself, will
give good impact for the users as long as it is used wisely and properly. By
these two reasons, then Skout usage will be more helpful for learners, because
they read, see, speak even listen the message while communicating. Users will
think critically by sending or recording message. Users also will be motivated
to practice their ability such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing.
REFERENCES
Nicklund (5 May 2014). "Mobile
Social Networking App Skout Acquires Nightlife App Nixter". TechCrunch. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
Lindstrom, N. (3 April 2009).
"Location-based
flirting app Skout hooks up with Andreessen Horowitz, scores 10 million". The Next Web. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
Seligson, P. (3 April 1997). "Skout
finds a way through fluent speakers ". San Francisco Business
Times.
Retrieved 5
July
2014.
http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/skout.com.html
Here is my SELF COMMENT
BalasHapusIn my perspective, the fourth draft of writing essay written by me is quite good. In terms of the essay organization, there are some good things about the essay. Starting from the introduction, the introductory paragraph contains both general sentences and a clear thesis statement. The general sentences provide some general information relating to the topic, while the thesis statement is located at the end of the paragraph and it is clear enough. The body organization of the essay is also appropriate for this essay. The paragraphs are arranged well since the essay is begun with introductory paragraph then followed by developing ideas mentioned in the thesis statement. Moreover, the content paragraphs are related to what is written in the thesis statement and support it. In the last paragraph, there is a concluding sentence which is a paraphrase of thesis statement written in the first paragraph. This concluding sentence begins with “in conclusion.” In addition to its essay organization, the paragraph organization of the essay is also quite good. Each paragraphs of the essay has topic sentences containing the controlling ideas. The topic sentences are mostly located at the beginning of the paragraph. In the second paragraph, for example, the topic sentence is "Currrently, Skout is being used by many people. By seeing the amount of its users, many reasons why people use this application.” The controlling idea of the topic sentence is "The amount of users". Each paragraph has supporting sentences which flow smoothly. Besides, the supporting sentences also contain some concrete supports, such as experts’ statement, research finding, and statistic data. Those concrete supports support the ideas elaborated in the topic sentences. The transition signals are used in appropriately in hardly all paragraphs to make the sentences flow smoothly. Finally, it can be said that this paragraph has a good unity. Moreover, this essay has some concluding sentences in almost all paragraphs. However the essay has unclear sentence, for example, a sentence in second paragraph, “Two benefits of Skout are as an multicultural education and practice speaking ability.” It will be better if the sentence is changed into "Two benefits of Skout are as a multicultural education and practice speaking ability." At last, the essay contains mistake in grammar, for example in the second paragraph, the sentence is "Two benefits of Skout are as an multicultural education and practice speaking ability." It should be "a multicultural." Overall, the essay is quite good although it still contains an error. To be honest, writing an essay is quite difficult.
Well, I would like to give my comment about Kartika's essay. In my view, her essay is good enough because in the introduction she already explained what the topic sentence in the essay and also the thesis statement is, so it cover the whole text, and then she puts an appropriate example and statistic data, also the sentence is easy to understand. However, there are several weaknesses that I found. First, to many direct quotation rather than indirect quotation in her essay, which is that is wrong way in writing essay. Second, in indirect quotation is not paraphrasing yet. Third, to many repetation in the conclusion, e.g. "By these two reasons, then Skout usage will be more helpful for learners, because they read, see, speak even listen the message while communicating. Users will think critically by sending or recording message. Users also will be motivated to practice their ability such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing." Thats all about my comment. Thankyou.
BalasHapusWell, I would like to give my comment about Kartika's essay. I think she already did it well.
BalasHapus