OBSESI

Semalam kita masih berbicara tentang indahnya masa depan dalam genggaman obsesi. Itulah yang penting untuk kita jelaskan terlebih dahulu, obsesi. "Apa yang telah tuan maksud?", pertanyaan itu menyentuh dinding pertama dalam kisah yang sudah kita bangun. "Obsesi itu, hm.... oke.!, begini saja!" axis tidak bisa berdiam dalam tulang punggungnya, sehingga darah bergegas ke bagian kepala. "Apa tuan mau minum dulu?" perempuan itu bertanya hendak berdiri mengikuti maksudnya. "Terima Kasih.." jawabnya memelan.
Begini saja, obsesi itu adalah wujud keinginan yang begitu besar sehingga alam mimpi butuh ikut serta untuk menampung, karna terlalu besarnya. Aku sedang berobsesi, tidak juga sama dengan aku sedang bermimpi. Eh.. tapi bisa saja kadang dibilang begitu. "Ah... Kepalaku jadi sakit" dia meraba bagian keningnya, mengusap hingga jari-jarinya bertumpuk di tengah kening.
"Minum lah dulu tuan" perempuan menggeser posisi duduk hingga senyumnya menyempurnakan penampilan perempuan elok.
"Tapi tuan, kenapa kita bisa terobsesi?" bibirnya kemudian mengeluarkan suara.
"Ini merupakan kajian yang mendalam, dinda!" apa yang dia pahami kemudian tergambar dari kerut keningnya.
"Lalu?" perempuan memajukan badannya kedepan, kemudian matanya bersinar dan bertanya-tanya. Laki-laki malah menyandarkan punggungnya, kadang-kadang menatap langit-langit.
"Sudahlah dinda, aku sajalah yang menjadi obsesimu, dan kau lah obsesi ku"
"Obsesi, tuan?" perempuan merapatkan kakinya.
Tidak perlu lagi aku jelaskan apa itu obsesi, batasan hingga fungsinya, tapi kau telah merasakannya di hati mu. Engkaulah obsesiku, aku yang merasakannya. Ku tahu hati mu tak bisu.
"Tuan, apakah obsesi itu Cinta yang bergerak maju?" perempuan memegang tangan sang Tuan.

Beri aku kepercayaan

Sudahlah, aku sangat mengerti dengan semua aturan moral dan aturan religi. Akulah orang yang begitu paham dengan maksudku dan apa yang sedang terbakar dihati ku.... Sesungguhnya aku sangat suka merenung dan sangat suka berfikir berulang ulang tentang apa saja secara empirik. Latarbelakang dan disiplin yang kita punya sedikit berbeda sehingga pasti ada perbedaan dalam sisi liat dan tanggap terhadap apapun di dunia ini. Tolong beri aku kepercayaan sedikit saja! Karna aku sangat tahu apa yang sedang aku fikirkan dan apa yang harus aku lakukan. Berhentilah untuk curiga, dan berfikirlah sejenak. Maksud baik kalian tidak lah baik apabila caranya tidak sesuai dengan cara ku. Hati ini milik ku, gaungnya boleh kalian ambil.....

The dropping line

Those few days in the middle of September, the sky was so blue and its tonal said different kind of stories to remember. What to remember is just knocking heaven to a single choice. I look forward to it. She. I never went so far to an expectation, but it tooks deeper into a dismiss, then hanging high.
It has been several unorganized frames created since the first touch I made. Some lies some tricks, so it is me who really want to fix them up. Bridge of hope is all i need to take this serious feeling to the cross boarder of her condemnation.
I am the line collector, but i drop it again...

Teaching Literature

Literature in ELT
The use of literature in the ELT classroom is enjoying a revival for a number of reasons. Having formed part of traditional language teaching approaches, literature became less popular when language teaching and learning started to focus on the functional use of language. However, the role of literature in the ELT classroom has been re-assessed and many now view literary texts as providing rich linguistic input, effective stimuli for students to express themselves in other languages and a potential source of learner motivation. On this site you can find a range of literary texts and supporting classroom materials, on the BritLit pages.

What do we mean by literature?
John McRae (1994) distinguishes between literature with a capital L - the classical texts e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens - and literature with a small l, which refers to popular fiction, fables and song lyrics. The literature used in ELT classrooms today is no longer restricted to canonical texts from certain countries e.g. UK, USA, but includes the work of writers from a diverse range of countries and cultures using different forms of English.

Literary texts can be studied in their original forms or in simplified or abridged versions. An increasing number of stories in English are written specifically for learners of other languages. The types of literary texts that can be studied inside and outside the ELT classroom include:

1 Short stories
2 Poems
3 Novels
4 Plays
5 Song Lyrics

Why use literature in the ELT classroom?
Literary texts provide opportunities for multi-sensorial classroom experiences and can appeal to learners with different learning styles. Texts can be supplemented by audio-texts, music CDs, film clips, podcasts, all of which enhance even further the richness of the sensory input that students receive.

Literary texts offer a rich source of linguistic input and can help learners to practise the four skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing - in addition to exemplifying grammatical structures and presenting new vocabulary.

Literature can help learners to develop their understanding of other cultures, awareness of ‘difference' and to develop tolerance and understanding. At the same time literary texts can deal with universal themes such as love, war and loss that are not always covered in the sanitised world of course books.

Literary texts are representational rather than referential (McRae, 1994). Referential language communicates at only one level and tends to be informational. The representational language of literary texts involves the learners and engages their emotions, as well as their cognitive faculties. Literary works help learners to use their imagination, enhance their empathy for others and lead them to develop their own creativity. They also give students the chance to learn about literary devices that occur in other genres e.g. advertising.

Literature lessons can lead to public displays of student output through posters of student creations e.g. poems, stories or through performances of plays. So for a variety of linguistic, cultural and personal growth reasons, literary texts can be more motivating than the referential ones often used in classrooms.

What are some of the challenges to be faced when using literature in the classroom?
Literary texts can present teachers and learners with a number of difficulties including:

• text selection - texts need to be chosen that have relevance and interest to learners.
  linguistic difficulty - texts need to be appropriate to the level of the students' comprehension.
• length - shorter texts may be easier to use within the class time available, but longer texts provide more contextual details, and development of character and plot.
• cultural difficulty - texts should not be so culturally dense that outsiders feel excluded from understanding essential meaning.
• cultural appropriacy - learners should not be offended by textual content.

Duff and Maley (2007) stress that teachers can cope with many of the challenges that literary texts present, if they ask a series of questions to assess the suitability of texts for any particular group of learners:

• Is the subject matter likely to interest this group?
• Is the language level appropriate?
• Is it the right length for the time available?
• Does it require much cultural or literary background knowledge?
• Is it culturally offensive in any way?
• Can it be easily exploited for language learning purposes?

Duff and Maley (2007) also emphasise the importance of varying task difficulty as well as text difficulty:

• Level 1 Simple text + low level task
• Level 2 Simple text + more demanding task
• Level 3 Difficult text + low level task
• Level 4 Difficult text + more demanding task

How can literary texts be used?
Teachers can exploit literary texts in a large number of ways in the classroom. Classroom work with literary works may involve pre-reading tasks, interactive work on the text and follow up activities.

Pulverness (2003) provides some useful advice: Maximise pre-reading support.

Teachers can introduce the topic or theme of the text, pre-teach essential vocabulary items and use prediction tasks to arouse the interest and curiosity of students.

• Minimise the extent to which the teacher disturbs students' reading.
• Draw attention to stylistic peculiarity.
• Help students to appreciate the ways that writers use language to achieve particular effects.
• Provide frameworks for creative response.
• Invite learners to step into the shoes of the writer or invite them to modify, extend or add to a text.

In the rest of this section you will find ways in which you can develop your ability to use literature in the ELT classroom through reading articles and books, attending workshops and courses, visiting websites, and joining Special Interest Groups and discussion forums.

References
Duff, A & Maley, A (2007) Literature (Resource Books for Teachers), Oxford University Press.
Maley, A (2001) ‘Literature in the language classroom' in The Cambridge Guide to Teaching ESOL, Cambridge University Press.
McRae, J (1994) Literature with a small 'l', Macmillan Education.
Pulverness, A ( 2003) ‘Literature' in English Teaching Professional, October, Issue 29, Modern English Publishing

www.teachingenglish.org.uk

What Do You

What do you know about a nation? A piece of land where people live together under one flag which bring them into one struggle to get the vision. Or sometimes, some give different meaning of a nation. A unity of tradition which bound all of the ideology into one movement which sealed by the system of governance. You may have your own definition to describe what you feel about your nationality.
Citizen who have been living in that piece of land since the first cry they made may have no idea about a notion or a nationality. What they know is just where they are living and what they name their land. Is it a nation?, or just regulation.
A nation is then what we have to do when you enroll a nightmare become a prosperity.

Acquainted with the Night

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain-and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-by:
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night

(Robert Frost)

Westron wynde when wyll thow blow

westron wynde when wyll thow blow
the smalle rayne downe can rayne
Christ yf my love wer in my armys
and I yn my bed agayne

Green Day — Know Your Enemy

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Violence is an enemy
Against the enemy
Violence is an energy

Bringing on the fury
The choir infantry
Revolt against the honor to obey

Overthrow the effigy
The vast majority
Burning down the foreman of control

Silence is the enemy
Against your urgency
So rally up the demons of your soul

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

The insurgency will rise
When the bloods been sacrificed
Don't be blinded by the lies
In your eyes

Violence is an energy
From here to eternity
Violence is an energy
Silence is the enemy
So gimme gimme revolution

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy

Overthrow the effigy
The vast majority
Burning down the foreman of control

Silence is the enemy
Against your urgency
So rally up the demons of your soul

LUHAK LIMA PULUH KOTA

Luhak Limo Puluah Koto disebut Luhak Nan Bonsu. Wilayah yang termasuk Lima Puluh Kota terdiri empat bagian. Keempat wilayah tersebut adalah:

a. Sandi

Daerahnya dari Bukit Sikabau Hilir sampai Muaro Mudiak, Nasi Randam hingga Padang Samuik ketepi yang meliputi Nagari Koto Nan Gadang dan Koto Nan Empat sekarang ini.

b. Luhak

Luhak daerahnya dari Mungo Mudiak hingga Limbukan Hilia, Mungo, Koto Kaciak, Andaleh, Tanjuang Kubu, Banda Tunggang, Sungai Kamuyang, Aua Kuniang, Tanjuan Patai, Gadih Angik, Limbukan, Padang Karambia, Limau Kapeh, Aia Tabik Nan Limo Suku.

c. Lareh

Yang menjadi wilayah lareh sejak dari Bukik Cubadak sampai mudiak hingga Padang Balimbiang Hilir. Pusatnya di Sitanang Muara Lakin. Perkembangan dan perpindahan penduduk selanjutnya lahir nagari-nagari Ampalu, Halaban, Labuah Gunuang, Tanjuang Baringin, Kurun, Labuak Batingkok, Tarantang, Sari Lamak, Solok, Padang Laweh.

d. Hulu

Yang termasuk wilayah hulu dalam Luhak Lima Puluh Kota adalah yang “Berjenjang Ke Ladang Laweh Berpintu Ke Sungai Patai, Selilit Gunuang Sago, Hinggo Labuah Gunuang Mudik Hinggo Babai Koto Tinggi”.

Dari Luhak Lima Puluh Kota perkembangan selanjutnya ke Muaro Sungai Lolo, Tapus Rao Mapattunggal, Kubu Nan Duo, Sinuruik, Talu Cubadak, Simpang Tonang, Paraman, Ampalu, Aua Kuniang, Parik Batu, Sasak, Sungai Aua, Air Balam, Sikilang Aia Bangih.
Dari Niniak Nan Balimo (nenek yang berlima) yang meninggalkan rombongan telah membuat tempat kediaman baru yaitu Kuok, Bangkinang, Salo, Rumbio, Aia Tirih. Sebagai daerah Luhak Lima Puluh Kota adalah Kabupaten Lima Puluh Kota sekarang.

5. Kepribadian Masyarakatnya

Kepribadian masing-masing luhak juga diungkapkan dalam bambo, dengan perumpamaan, yaitu Luhak Agamdikatakan buminya-panas, airnya keruh, ikannya liar. Perumpamaan ini ditafsirkan bahwa penduduknya keras hati, berani dan suka berkelahi. Luhak Tanah Datar dikatakan buminya lambang, airnya tawar, ikannya banyak, dengan penafsiran masyarkatnya ramah, suka damai dan sabar. Sedangkan Luhak Lima Puluh Kota dikatakan buminya sejuk, airnya jernih dan ikannya jinak yang artinya bahwa masyarakatnya mempunyai kepribadian berhati lembut, tenang dan suka damai.

Prof. Hamka mengatakan, sifat ketiga luhak ini surang cadiak, surang pandeka, surang juaro tangah balai. “pendekar luhak tanah datar, juara tengah balai Luhak Agamdan cerdik luhak lima puluh kota.

Disamping perbedaan kepribadiannya juga warna tiap-tiap luhak saling berbeda yang mungkin ada kaitannya dengan kepribadiannya tadi. Warna kuning untuk Luhak Tanah Datar, warna merah untuk Luhak Agam dan biru untuk Luhak Lima Puluh Kota. Sedangkan tiap luhak mempunyai perlambang yang diambil dari hewan. Luhak Tanah Datar hewannya kucing. Sifat kucing yang jinak dan penyabar tetapi bila habis kesabarannya baru dia memperlihatkan kukunya. Luhak Agam lambang hewannya harimau. Harimau sebagai perlambang sikap berani dan pantang menyerah. Luhak Lima Puluh Kota lambang hewannya kambing. Kambing walaupun jinak tapi tidak bisa ditarik begitu saja, dia mempunyai kepribadian yang kokoh dan tidak mau cepat terpengaruh. Perumpamaan-perumpamaan diatas dikaitkan dengan sifat kepribadian masing-masing luhak. (palantaminang)

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