What is the PIE Method? And How it Changes the EFL Teaching

Teaching foreign languages to students is not always an easy experience. Not all students suit one style or way of teaching. It also works with teaching English as a Foreign Language or EFL. Nowadays, the ability to speak English is a skill that is needed in this globalization era. English is really important and it can be said that the ability to speak English is a key to international society. Learning English should start at an early age in school children such as in Elementary or Secondary school. At this age, they expected it to be easier when learn new languages. However, teaching English as a foreign language for children of this age is also not an easy thing to do, it needs to be fun learning but students manage to learn new things. And how to do it? Are there any specific methods for that? The answer is yes. The PIE method is one of the most suitable methods for EFL teaching. These methods use students as the center of the learning process, students need to actively participate in the process of learning. So, what are PIE Methods? PIE is short for Personal Input, Interaction, and Engagement. Here, this writing will explain each alphabet's explanation.

Let's start with "P" for Personal Input. Personal Input is how to encourage students to learn more using their personal experience or their personal ideas. Connecting students' own experiences to the learning material will make students feel the connection between themselves and what they are learning. Personal input can be their experiences, hobbies, favorite things, etc. This personal input can be the learning material for students so it will make learning new languages also relate to language as self-expression. A tip called "Use it, Not Lose it!" also can be used for personal input, this involves stories, disagreements, sentences, conversations, questions, stories, and so on.

Next is "I" for interaction. Interaction is about creating more interaction between the teachers and students in the process of learning a language. Interaction can be built by using a lot of media to get the attention of students. Media such as playing a game together relating to the learning material, showing pictures or videos, and also using flashcards. Students' interaction with the learning material is important because it shows how students understand or are more interested in the learning material. Interaction usually needs communication or conversation between the teachers and students or students and students. This communication can be a response, follow-up question, or closing. Gestures and expressions are also highly recommended to be involved in Interaction.

The last is "E" which stands for Engagement. Engagement is also related to interaction because engagement also needs the students to actively participate in the learning process. To create engagement it can be achieved by creating teamwork for the students, challenge for the students, and showing students achievement. Engagement is important, as well as student involvement, good balance of activities, games, and competition, brain breaks, good balance of activities, teacher presence, movement, and roles/responsibilities.

Those are the explanations of PIE Method, one of the best methods teachers can use to teach EFL. PIE Methods also require some materials such as productive possibilities, think it as PIE, using the same materials in multiple ways, teamwork, encouragement, curriculum into students' world, enjoy and proud yourself as a teacher. By using the combination of PIE Methods and those relevant materials it is hoped that students can easily understand EFL to rock the world.