English proficiency needs new teaching setting<\/p>\n
By Sugeng Susilo Adi<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE, Australia (JP): Older Indonesians, particularly men,
\noften criticize members of the younger generation because they
\ncannot speak English fluently despite having studied English
\nformally for six years in junior and high schools. Members of the
\nolder generation boast that they speak fluent Dutch even though
\nthey never studied the language formally.<\/p>\n
Most probably, the older generation's competence in Dutch is
\nno better than the younger generation's proficiency in English.
\nThe difference is that the older generation studied Dutch in the
\n\"natural laboratory\" created by Dutch colonialism. Young
\nIndonesians have studied English in a formal atmosphere, with a
\nlack of opportunities to express themselves orally in the
\nlanguage.<\/p>\n
The poor English proficiency of Indonesian students, both in
\nhigh school and university, is mostly because the country's
\nsystem of teaching English still focuses on studying about a
\nlanguage rather than studying how to use the language. Ideally,
\nsix years of studying English at high school should be enough to
\ncreate fundamental communicative competence. Students should, at
\nleast, be able to speak basic English conversation.<\/p>\n
In two earlier articles in The Jakarta Post on the English
\nteaching system in Indonesia, Iwan Jazadi highlighted the failure
\nof teaching English in the country, both at the classroom level
\nand the macrosocietal level. At the classroom level, he
\nattributed the failure primarily to the inconsistency of the 1994
\nnational curriculum which, although touted as based on a
\ncommunicative approach, still relies on documents emphasizing
\nreading skills.<\/p>\n
The next problem is the national examination system (Ebtanas),
\nwhich is based on multiple-choice type questions using reading
\ntexts, leaving students without opportunities to practice
\ncommunicating in the target language.<\/p>\n
What are the practical suggestions to cope with the problems,
\nespecially at the classroom level, more specifically on the
\npossible role played by Indonesian English teachers?<\/p>\n
Of particular urgency is the need to a create a fitting
\nenvironment of teaching -- and studying -- English in a natural
\nsetting, through implementing a communicative language teaching
\n(CLT) classroom. Accordingly, there are, at least, three
\nimportant key principles suitable in the local context.<\/p>\n
The first is the learner-centered principle which demands
\nteachers put their learners into divisions based on their own mix
\nof variables, such as cognitive learning style, resources or what
\nthey are able to do, and social maturity. Teachers need to
\nconsider the learners' differences, and treat them individually
\nbased on the distinctions.<\/p>\n
Since the students generally have the same purpose in studying
\nEnglish -- passing the national exam -- their needs and interests
\ncould be their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps it is difficult
\nfor high school teachers to treat their students according to
\ntheir own needs and interests because they have to teach large
\nclasses; some have 40 students or more. However, it may be
\nhelpful for them to plan for a small number of subgroups, based
\non the most common learner differences.<\/p>\n
The second is the active involvement principle. It means that
\nlearners will learn how to use the language only when they are
\nprovided a variety of opportunities for its use. The principle
\nimplies a need to promote genuine communication, provide a
\nvariety of activities using spoken and written communicative data
\nsuch as songs, games, stories and role play, as well as
\nencouraging the active involvement of learners in communicating
\nand self-discovery, and encouraging interaction between the
\nlearners, teachers, materials and the learning environment.<\/p>\n
This principle seems particularly important because the
\nproblem of teaching English in Indonesia centers on the lack of
\nopportunities for the students to communicate in the target
\nlanguage. Teachers need to provide more opportunities for their
\nstudents to communicate in the target language, both inside and
\noutside the classroom, because development of communicative
\ncompetence requires realistic interaction among learners using
\nmeaningful and contextualized language.<\/p>\n
It is thus the teachers' responsibility to creatively modify
\nthe application of the national curriculum to be more flexible
\nbecause expecting the administration to change the curriculum is
\ntoo much.<\/p>\n
Last is the responsibility principle, which starts from the
\nfact that learners learn a language best when they are provided
\nwith opportunities to manage their own language. It implies a
\nneed to increase learners' responsibility for their own learning,
\nsuch as to learn how to learn, and to learn how to use a
\nlanguage. Helping students learn how to learn is as important as
\nhelping them to learn how to use the language.<\/p>\n
For the time being, what happens is merely \"spoon-feeding\"
\nwhere the teacher gives rules and materials, and explains many
\nthings. The reason is cultural. The teacher is viewed as a source
\nof knowledge, with the authority to choose materials and select a
\nteaching method without negotiating with the students.
\nConsequently, the students never learn how to learn.<\/p>\n
Using the simple suggestions above would be an interesting
\nchallenge in the classroom for Indonesian English practitioners,
\nboth in developing themselves and in coping with the anticipated
\nproblems in the country's English teaching system.<\/p>\n
The writer, a lecturer at Surabaya Wijaya Kusuma University,
\nis currently studying at the University of South Australia in
\nAdelaide.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/english-proficiency-needs-new-teaching-setting-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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