English not spoken here<\/p>\n
I am responding to Mr. Dady Wijaya's letter The importance of
\nEnglish (Aug. 4).<\/p>\n
Mr. Wijaya, I would join you in deploring the decision to stop
\nteaching English were it not my unfortunate experience to have
\nlearned this may be the lesser of two evils. Two of my children
\nhave been through the educational system here. The oldest one has
\nattended Ora et Labora and is currently at Trisakti. The younger
\none has been to two BPK Penabur schools and Pembangunan Jaya.<\/p>\n
In the case of both of my children, I have been forced to
\nengage in a fairly fierce battle to excuse them from their
\nEnglish classes, or in protesting materials and tests which are
\ngrammatically incorrect or worded so abstrusely that they are
\nimpossible to understand. I have gone head to head with the
\nEnglish teachers, most of whom are anything but competent in
\nEnglish.<\/p>\n
I understand why those Indonesian teachers who have excellent
\nskills in the language aren't teaching. It is an economic
\nproblem. Frankly, if I were Indonesian, with my level of English,
\nthe last thing I would consider is teaching at the salary levels
\noffered.<\/p>\n
Teachers are ill-prepared because they are too busy dealing
\nwith private students after working hours. They have to do this
\nto make ends meet. But this is no excuse for the blind leading
\nthe blind. I would rather deal with a zero beginner than a false
\nbeginner any day.<\/p>\n
I am currently employed in a pre-departure program for
\ngovernment sponsored students. All of them are S-1's (university
\ngraduates). They are the end product of English language
\ninstruction through junior and senior high school, as well as
\nuniversity.<\/p>\n
I wish they had never seen the language before they came to
\nus. You are sorely missed, I am sure. I wish competent people
\ncould afford to teach!<\/p>\n
G. MORGAN CHAMBERLIN<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/english-not-spoken-here-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }