Learning English Through ‘PALP’(Peer Assisted Learning Program)

Abstract

Peer Assisted Learning Program or PALP is one of the featured programs in English Education Department of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. This program is initiated by the English Education Department attention to the students’ needs. The condition of English Education Department heterogeneous. The students come from a wide range of input from the high school level. It is cause of variation in the level and students’ English proficiency. PALP is trying to offer a solution through activities such as mentoring to English learning along with integrated materials with classroom learning in the learning method assistance through mentor to mentee. This study uses the R and D (Research and Development), where the development of a program using a groove that starts with knowing the needs of the students (need analysis), program development, implementation, and evaluation of the whole process involved in the program component of PALP. Development programs are implemented in two steps. The results obtained from the first phase of this study are: 1) PALP is one model of learning that can be applied in teaching English, 2) The components of PALP are good mentor, mentee, and material interlinked inside all of them, it makes PALP as an excellent program in English Education Department to improve English proficiency for students effectively.