Teaching of English
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