English in schools 'misses mark'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nicky is now in her final year of senior high
\nschool, which means she has been studying English for more than
\nfive years.<\/p>\n
But the 17-year-old giggled nervously when asked: "Do you
\nspeak English?"<\/p>\n
"Bahasa Indonesia saja (Let's just speak Indonesian)," she
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
It is not that Nicky does not understand any English at all.
\nShe is, after all, product of the national education system in
\nwhich English is taught beginning in the first year of junior
\nhigh school. Many private elementary schools even include English
\nin the curriculum, and young students supplement their learning
\nat one of the numerous English courses.<\/p>\n
But it seems that most high school students, like Nicky, do
\nnot have a comprehensive grasp of English, or at least how to
\nspeak it. Their English is just enough to pass their school
\nexams.<\/p>\n
Ari, 15, said she is not interested in studying English
\nbecause the lesson was boring.<\/p>\n
"It's about grammar and grammar again. When the teacher is
\nexplaining in front of the class, we are busy chatting among
\nourselves," she said.<\/p>\n
Ari, in her first year of senior high school, said students
\nwere more interested in practicing conversation. "But the teacher
\ndoesn't encourage us to speak in class."<\/p>\n
"When he asks me a question in English, I understand, and I
\nknow the answer, but I just can't say it," she added.<\/p>\n
Two-hour English lessons are scheduled twice a week in the
\nhigh school curriculum. Ari said this was the same duration as
\nclasses when she was in junior high.<\/p>\n
Nisrina Nur Ubay, an English teacher at English Express
\nLanguage Institute, blames conventional teaching methods in state
\nschools as the main factor behind students' inability to speak
\nEnglish.<\/p>\n
This inflexible teaching method places too much emphasis on
\nrote learning of grammar, which is boring for students and
\ncontributes to them losing interest in studying the language, she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"English lessons would be more effective if the teacher
\nactively encouraged students to actually speak English," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She advised high school teachers to move away from the
\ntraditional focus on grammar and shift instead to using
\nconversation.<\/p>\n
The boring content of most school lesson plans and failure to
\nlearn to speak proficiently are among the reasons many students
\nturn to private English courses.<\/p>\n
"There is an increasing number of high school students who
\ntake an English course," she said. "They are looking for one
\nwhich can provide a teaching method enabling them to speak
\nEnglish better."<\/p>\n
Purwanto, principal of Pangudi Luhur high school in South
\nJakarta, dismissed the idea that students were not interested in
\nstudying English in school.<\/p>\n
"They have enough interest in studying English (at school),"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He conceded that the English lesson in schools concentrated on
\ngrammar and was deficient in conversation. This is why students
\ndissatisfied with the lessons at school enroll in an English
\ncourse, he said.<\/p>\n
"Some take a course because they want to study aboard, the
\nothers to improve their school grade or to better their
\nconversation skill," he said.<\/p>\n
H. Nu'man, principal of Al Azhar high school in Lippo
\nCikarang, Bekasi, said students did not lack interest in studying
\nthe language.<\/p>\n
He said that as Al Azhar was a boarding school, few students
\nleft the premises to take English courses.<\/p>\n
"But we provide extra hours for students who want to improve
\ntheir English. We also try to improve the teaching method by
\nencouraging students to speak English."<\/p>\n
He said these activities were designed to enrich the students'
\nvocabularies through practice.<\/p>\n
Future plans include organization of an all-English day, when
\nboth students and faculty members will be obliged to speak the
\nlanguage in all their interactions. (09\/sim)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/english-in-schools-misses-mark-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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