This research analyzes pronunciation errors of English words containing silent letters made by the first-year students of English Education Study Program at Tadulako University. The methodology used in this research is qualitative descriptive studies. The sample was selected by using purposive sampling techniques in which one class out of five parallel classes was chosen intentionally for research participants consisting of 37 students. Data were collected through test, in-depth interview, and questionnaire. In this research, the researcher found that the student commonly made pronunciation errors in three types; they are pre-systematic error, systematic error, and post-systematic error. The dominant type of students' pronunciation error is systematic error. It can be proved by seeing the data that 21 students were in the range between 31%-70 % of the percentage of error. It is followed by post-systematic errors in which 9 students made errors in the range between 0%-30%. The last is pre-systematic error in which the students committed errors in the range of 71%-100%. The researcher concludes that the students made an interference error due to the influence of other languages; first language acquisition or mother tongue. Students' first language acquisition with dialect, accent, and culture had influenced their performance while pronouncing English words containing silent letters.

The state and condition of Indonesian teachers have gradually changed to a better nuance due to the compensation of teacher certification program (TCP). The program has conceivably raised the status of the teachers in social and economic lives. However, the impact of the program on the improvement of overall teacher‘s quality—teaching performance as mandated by Teacher and Lecturer Law remains questionable, and the big question is what and how teachers perceive and act in response to the objective of the program. The program aims not only to increase the teachers‘ salary, but also to improve the quality of their teaching performance based on the teacher standard competence, that is pedagogical, personality, social, and professional competences. Therefore, the study explore and describe certified EFL teachers‘ perceptions concerning benefits of the program on thier social and economic lives, improvement and quality of their teaching practices; perceptions on the ways management ran the program; and expectations for better services of the TCP management.

The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of applying a scientific approach to improve recommended competencies of English junior high school teachers. A quasi-experimental design was employed with the use of convenience sampling techniques to select research subjects for control and experimental groups. The 30 items test was developed and used in pre-test and post-test for collecting data. The data were analyzed using t-test analysis to measure mean differences of the data sets from control and experimental groups. The result of data analysis indicates that the mean score of the experimental group, 77.19 is greater than the control group 61.15. This result shows the use of the scientific approach to teach research subjects in an experimental group has an effect in improving their competence on the recommended competencies mandated by the Law and regulations.

This article is to develop argumentative writing test needs thoroughly analysis to have appropriate test which possess high quality of validity and reliability. Writing test which has been developed in this study is argumentative writing test which is so-called Test Development Plan. The test was designed and developed on the basis of general objective of the course "Writing IV" of English Study Program Universitas Tadulako. Aspects of the test were developed systematically including critical revision, reformulation, and justification of the test format to come up with general and specific objectives of the test draft. Then, the draft was subsequently developed by setting up criteria, prompt, and scoring guide for designing and producing an appropriate format of argumentative essay writing test. The developed fomat test was tried out by asking students to write argumentative essays based on the topics assigned. The students' essays were graded by two raters to have scores for analyzing its validity and reliability. After analyzing scores given by the two raters, the developed test indicates to have high validity and reliability. Furthermore, the test has fulfilled standard of argumentative essay test and it is applicable for measuring and grading students' skill in writing argumentative essay.

The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of applying a scientific approach to improve recommended competencies of English junior high school teachers. A quasi-experimental design was employed with the use of convenience sampling techniques to select research subjects for control and experimental groups. The 30 items test was developed and used in pre-test and post-test for collecting data. The data were analyzed using t-test analysis to measure mean differences of the data sets from control and experimental groups. The result of data analysis indicates that the mean score of the experimental group, 77.19 is greater than the control group 61.15. This result shows the use of the scientific approach to teach research subjects in an experimental group has an effect in improving their competence on the recommended competencies mandated by the Law and regulations.