Reflection of English Language
Teaching in Indonesia
Diana Kurniawati / 111214002
English language is
considered as foreign language in Indonesia but not the second language
(Rajagompalan, 2004). Basically, foreign language and second
language has different meaning. Foreign language is a language which people
learnt, but did not use it in daily life. While second language is a language
which people learnt and used it in daily life but it is not the first language
or local language. English language has been taught in Indonesia since 1967 in
line with the decision of Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture. Then English
language officially became the main subject in school since 1994 (Ma’mun, 2012
). Bahasa Indonesia is still used as
united language in Indonesia and most of Indonesian people use it as daily
language. Bahasa Indonesia has
function as the medium of instruction in educational institution and local
language is considered as local identity for supporting culture. The language
policy in Indonesia stated that English is considered as first foreign language
that is taught started in elementary school (Soro, 2012). Indonesian children
in some region have been learning English since in elementary school and using Bahasa Indonesia and local language as a
language of instruction and in the learning process of English.
I have been learning
two languages; Bahasa Indonesia and Javanese Languages, when I was child. My first language that I learned was
Indonesia. My parents always used Bahasa
Indonesia to communicate with their children so that I always used Bahasa to make a daily conversation with
my family and others. Thus, I usually used Bahasa in my daily life and other
people who I spoke with. Then, when I was in kindergarten, I started to learn
and know my local language from my grandmother. She taught me Javanese language
and told me about how to use it because it has its own rule. She also told me
about Javanese culture, belief and habitual in ancient time. I became know and
understand about Javanese from her. Besides that, when I talked to my friends
with Bahasa I felt too formal and I
seemed unable to blend with them. Then, I think I had to speak Javanese because
most of my friend spoke Javanese. It made me familiar with Javanese language. I
always speak in Javanese language with my friends and sometimes with people who
older than me.
My third language is
English. I started to learn English when I was in fifth
grade of elementary school and I could enjoy it. My English teacher taught me
English with Bahasa as language of
instruction to give explanation to his students. It helped us to understand and
memorize the materials easier. My teacher also used some media like picture,
props, music, and song to increase our attractiveness in learning English. However,
I learned English just for two hours every week because it was still the local
content (muatan lokal) in learning
system. English language started to be the main subject when I was in junior
high school. In junior high school my English teacher started to ask me and my friends
to memorized vocabulary in English. I started to learn English through
listening and speaking in second grade of junior high school. From those activities,
I think it was useful for me because I could increase my English skill. After I
graduated from junior high school I decided to study in vocational school
tourism because I wanted to have ability which was focus on one field. In
vocational school, my English learning process was not maximal because I just
had four hours a week and I could not understand my teacher’s explanation in
class because he just gave speech and did not give us examples or exercises. My
teacher could not increase his students’ interest to learn English. Thus, when
I was in third grade I decided to learn English in English Course to help me
faced National Exam. In that course I learned more in speaking and listening
rather than in reading and writing. Joining English course made me enjoyed to
learn English and made me decided to choose English Language Education Study Program
in Sanata Dharma University.
From my experience I
have learnt three languages and I have to increase my skill on those languages.
I enjoy my process to learn those languages until now. I enjoy to apply my
English skill although I prefer to speak Bahasa
and Javanese language in my daily conversation because those are my language
identity.
References
Ma’amun,N (2012) Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris bagi
Anak Sekolah Dasar Lewat Lagu dan Permainan.
Retreived from http://publikasiilmiah.ums.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/1704/Nadiah%20Ma%27mun.pdf?sequence=1
on May 1, 2013.
Rajagopalan, K (2004) The concept of
‘World English’ and its implications for ELT.
Soro, S.H (2012)
Language Policy In Indonesia.
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