Indonesians struggle to master English<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
While English is taught at most elementary school, some parents
\ntry to give their children a head start by encouraging them to
\nmaster the basics -- numbers, familiar objects and the like --
\nbefore enrolling them in international kindergartens.<\/p>\n
For the majority of students though, learning English is a
\ntough task, and one that they readily complain about.<\/p>\n
\"Er... I learned English, yes, but I don't feel confident. I
\nfeel weird every time I try to speak English,\" said Toto, a
\ngraduate of a private university in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Toto blamed his high school English teacher for failing to
\nencourage him. He likened his teacher to a robot.<\/p>\n
\"He said the same sentences every time he entered the
\nclassroom,\" Toto recalled. \"Open your textbook. Read the text.
\nGood -- those were the words that came out of his mouth.\"<\/p>\n
An English teaching expert said Toto's experience was quite
\ncommon here.<\/p>\n
\"English classes in the country are considered rather boring,
\ncertainly they don't inspire a love of the language,\" said Arief
\nRachman at a seminar held by the Indonesian International
\nEducation Foundation (IIEF) recently.<\/p>\n
IIEF organizes English tests for applicants for scholarships
\nto study at overseas universities or attend fellowship programs
\nabroad.<\/p>\n
Arief, who was also executive chairman of UNESCO's Indonesian
\nNational Committee, said about 80 percent of English teachers
\nhere taught in an authoritarian way.<\/p>\n
When it came to textbooks, Arief said, they were dry and
\nlacked material that was relevant to daily life.<\/p>\n
Participation is the best way in which to stimulate children
\nwho are studying English, Arief said.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe we should learn from kindergartens,\" he said. \"The
\nlearning process should be made fun and interesting for students.
\nMore activities such as a role-play and games, and the use of
\ncomputers, would surely make learning fun.\"<\/p>\n
Students should aim to master reading, speaking, audio-lingual
\nand written skills, according to Arief, who hosted an English
\nprogram on television station TVRI in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
\"On average, Indonesian students' (English) reading ability is
\nabout 70 percent, listening 80 percent, speaking 5 to 10 percent
\nand writing 3 percent,\" said Arief.<\/p>\n
He said only about 40 percent of English teachers in the
\ncountry could really communicate in English.<\/p>\n
\"Our English teachers may understand theory, but they do not
\nknow how to use the language,\" said Arief.<\/p>\n
Separately, director of the IIEF Irid Agoes told The Jakarta
\nPost that no trainer of high school English teachers she observed
\nexceed the standard score of 500 in their Test of English as a
\nForeign Language (TOEFL).<\/p>\n
\"If the trainers are of that standard, can you imagine the
\nskill of the teachers they train,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Irid said writing was not a habit among most Indonesians,
\nincluding lecturers.<\/p>\n
\"Why? Because they are afraid of making mistakes,\" said Irid.<\/p>\n
Cultural factors also prevent some Indonesians from speaking
\nEnglish.<\/p>\n
\"Some people think that speaking English is too Western,\" said
\nIrid. \"In fact, their fear (of being too Western) causes them to
\nmiss out on the opportunities that a good grasp of English would
\nbring.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesians-struggle-to-master-english-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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