Teaching of English

I was pleased to see the teaching of English in Indonesian schools, particularly the communicative approach, get such a good airing in Setiono's piece Flawed system in English teaching in the Dec. 28 edition of The Jakarta Post. I would like, however, as a proponent of the value of the communicative approach provided that it is used properly, to counter a number of the assertions made by Pak Setiono.

Pak Setiono suggests that the communicative approach is not easily implemented with large classes. Although, to maximize student talking time, small classes are of course ideal, if one of the basic features of the communicative approach is, as Setiono states, "to provide the leaners of English with the ability to communicate in an appropriate situation as well as in an actual and purposeful context", then I would maintain that with good preparation and lesson planning this is equally possible with larger classes. Later in the article, Setiono makes a number of very questionable assertions about the communicative approach per se, rather than the way in which the communicative approach has been interpreted in Indonesian schools.

The communicative approach per se does not overemphasize the teaching of such language functions as greetings, asking information etc., and, if well applied, certainly does not neglect the development of an awareness of linguistic forms. Nor are language functions taught as "frozen forms" with the learner being required to memorize them.

Maybe then Dr. A. Chaedar Alwasilah is not so wrong in his original assertion (Dec. 8) that one of the problems encountered in the teaching of English in Indonesia is that many do not really understand what the communicative approach really entails. Please let us not throw out the baby with the bathwater! The communicative approach has a lot going for it and should not be abandoned by the curriculum developers before they have examined everything that can be achieved under this methodological umbrella. All of which, I would maintain, is very relevant to Indonesian learners of English as we approach the millennium.

GILL WESTAWAY

Manager English Language and Arts

The British Council

Jakarta