English Language Teaching In Indonesia

by Unknown Mei 23, 2017 0 komentar

1. Introduction

Since long time ago until nowdays English is a tool to communicate with people or as a bridge into the international world and it has been well eccepted everywhere. At the present and the future, many contend that English language is an international language (Graddol, 1997). As the result, english usually become second or third language beside mother tongue because people are familiar to listen and speak using the language. Even though, according to Dardjowidjojo (2000) “English was the first language obliged to be taught at junior and senior high school as determined by central government policy sinc independay in 1945. It is prioritised over other foreign languages such as, French, Chinese and others. Therefore, Many people learn English and improve it time by time considerately.

Nevertheless, there are several problems in English Language Teaching in Indonesia, those are curriculum changed and lack of students’ motivation. Beside that, in learning English also have several challenges that students faced to learn, those are quality of teachers, English language teacher, and impact of internationalization and globalization. Meanwhile,  if people mastered in English, they can have higher salary in the future and have better opportunities (Julia, 2014, p. 23). Hence, English is very benefit for successful because every people do needed for English proficiency. Emphasizing English to implemanted from beginning level is useful. In brief, teachers need to use the whole English when they are teaching in order the students automatically improve their English because they always hear it from the model of learning and can communicate fluently with others.

This paper attempt to discuss several problems, challanges and prospect in English Language Teaching in Indonesia context.

2. Problem

2. 1. 1.The changes of Curriculum

                In education, curriculum is one of important part. Because of that, government with all stakeholder  always review to improve it to be better in the next day because education must follow the world which stabilized to change. Consider as an agent to apply the content of curriculum, teachers must be really professional and creative. As Priestley (2011) says that “teachers have been acknowledged in policy as key agents of change.” English as a foreign language will be better acquainted in teaching and learning process from the lower level of primary school until all level of school such as from elementary school. Although the curriculum of KTSP 2013 is still implemented and designed to improve the quality and standar of English Language Teaching (ELT) exactly in Indonesia, but there are several problems are existing. Nur (2004) points out five common problems : first, big class sizes. Second, teachers with low level of English proficiency. Third, the low salary of government English teachers which encourage encourage or even force many to moonlight. Fourth, the lack of sufficient preparation to teach the new curriculum. And fifth, to accept or to adobt the new role of facilitator.

     

2. 1. 2. Lack of Motivation

            Motivation is one of factor that stimulate desire and energy to be continually interested and committed to something such as a job, study, role or to make an effort to attain a goal. In teaching learning process of English Foreign Language in Indonesia, good teachers have a strategies to understand students’s individual in their study. As Marcellino (2005) States that “teachers still cling to the old paradigm, in which they play a significant role in class as a model”. Students in Indonesia viewed that learning English is only important when they need it, because of that their motivation to learn English is low (Bradford, 2007). For example, most of students want to study hard and force themselve to learn English just when they would face examination. However, teachers are obliged not only to be knowledgable of the teaching topics but also to be skillful to create a learning strategy creatively to attrack student’s interest for learning. Those show how motivation influences the spirit of students to learn. According to Kamarul Shukri, et.al. (2009) says that “motivation and learning strategies have a major role in language learning process in which can influence the outcome of language learning.” In addition, Studies by Oxford and Nyikos (1989) showed that the degree of motivation is the most powerful influence on how and when students use language learning strategies. Students who lost motivation will fail the target of EFL. That is way motivate and understand student’s individual differences is really important to do to reach the goal.

2.2. Chalanges

2. 2. 1. Quality of teachers

            The achievement of educational goal sometimes depend on the quality of teachers.  Hattie (2003) stated that “teachers make the second most significant constribution to students achievement.” It is because teachers are held responsible for the success of teaching learning process. Teaching as a profession is not easy as our imagine, they are demanded to be a professionalism, innovative, and creative. According to Hamied (2009) a profession must maintain a significant social function in communities and its members must have expertise which is gained from accountable education or training.

            Professional teachers have own characteristics that distinguish with ordinary teachers. Brown (2001) points to four categories: technical knowledge, pedagogical skiils, interpersonal skills, and personal qualities. First, technological means about system where the teachers must be able to transfer knowledge in teaching-learning process and connect between language and culture because that it is one of the purpose of education. Second, pedagogical skiils points to how far teachers can treat the learnes in comfortable situation for studying by making a good interaction both of them. Third, interpersonal skill shows teacher personality such as patience, positive habit, refers to McGroarty (1996) Positive attitudes of the English Language is also an important factor for EFL teachers and critical thinkers, refers to Fogarty & McTighe (1993) professional teachers must promot critical thinking.  And the last is personal qualities where teachers must have a good control and well organized the classroom. Well, it is chalanges for teachers to improve their personality to be a professional. Whitehurs (2002) states that “one of the aspects that influences the success of teaching is believed to be the teacher’s general knowledge ability.”

2. 2. 2.  English Language Teacher

            Government has been trying to develop all aspect of education including teachers. They have been trained through various programs to achieve good quality teaching as well as developing learning materials in the form of textbooks or online access. In the other word, so much effort has been devoted to improve English language teachers capacity and students knowledge. In the real classroom techers should use the foreign language for habituate the learners skill of English especially listening and speaking and invest confidence in themselves although they make mistakes in every sentences because teachers can correct the wrongness. As Lai (1994) mentions “In particular problems happening in the classroom such as limited time to use the language and lack of students confidence to speak in English. ( self esteem, language anxiety and lack of opportunities).

2. 2. 3. Impact of internationalization and globalization

            English as the most important global language has become a compulsory subject in developing countries such as Indonesia (Yuyun, 2013, p.2). The impacts of internationalization and globalization can be seen in several things. First, many foreign schools and universities have been established and have opened their branches in some provinces in Indonesia. It will give a great chance for foreign investors to invest in Indonesia by offering various programs. Second, It has given many opportunities for Indonesian students, teachers and lecturers to study abroad because most of them obtain a full scholarship. Third, Ministry of Education and Culture has greatly encouraged all schools to use digital technology devices such as use computer, internet access, and e-learning. According to Edwards and Tudball (cited in Arber, 2009) a school can be said to have an internationalized curriculum if the curriculum entails such the specific subjects like international studies or global educations and its contents and ideas are broadened internationally. The contents of curriculum do not only provide students with particular subjects but it also includes global issues such as global warming, climate change, food, economic recession, deforestation, poverty, unemployment, nuclear, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, human trafficking, drug abuse, conflict, terrorism and so forth. That is way it is challenges for teacher to protect the learners from bad impact of foreign cultural.

2. 3. Prospect

2. 3. 1. Tourist Guide Job

            Communication tool have been enhanced all over the world, as a result capable of using foreign language as an important medium of international tourism communication is offered to have a great job as a tourist guide. Because of that is a great job for the future, English foreign language learning is useful in Indonesia to implemented. Consider Indonesia as one of the emerging tourism countries has set up tourism industry as one of the priorities for its national development sector. Damayanti (2004) “The Indonesian tourism industry seemingly has not achieved its high momentum, albeit being one of the promising tourism destinations in the world. It is a fact that by the end of 2004, the foreign tourists visiting Indonesia only reached 5.4 million of 6.8 million targeted.”

1. 3. 2. Teachers training

            Teachers training is beneficial for the development of good teaching habit and establishing confidence in new methods. At the same time the strategies is used in the school setting and effect the quality of teaching learning process. If the BSNP standards for teachers are used as a basis for an analysis of  the content and methodologies used in teacher training courses in existing public, private and distance education training facilities, signifi cant weaknesses will be identified. Preferred content and methodologies based on these standards and international best practice can be explored. Elements such as the quantity and quality of practicum experiences, expanded links to model schools, and regular return of university faculty members to classroom teaching can then be explored.

1. 4. Conclusion

            Even though curriculum always review and change to be efective, but English language teaching in Indonesia still have several problems. For example, the lack of motivation of students is hampered in developing their ability because motivation seems like spirit that push themselves for learning frequently, the real impact of lack of motivation is most of them are passive in teaching learning and there is no good interaction between teacher and student. Not only that, curriculum which always change becomes a problem, especially for implementation of 2013 curriculum because the students have inadequate time for learning English in the classroom and teachers do not have opportunity to create their own syllabus based one national curriculum.

            Moreover, teachers are held responsible for the success of teaching learning process. That is way quality of teachers is very needed in teaching learning process. The quality of teacher can produce quality students, teacher as a model imitated by students and it is affected for students success. Besides, English language teacher is very determine in improving students in English language. In teaching-learning process teacher have to use English frequently, If the teachers rarely speaks English in the classroom the students not familiar to listen the foreign language even to use English correctly. Learning foreign language also learn about foreign culture, teacher obligated to make them understand about the differences between own culture with foreign culture, students must to protected from bad impact of globalization.

            Nevertheless, learning English is very benefited for people’s life exactly in successful because English is a tool for doing everything. Many kind of requirements of job is can use English. For example: tourist guide, banker, translator, and ambassador. Commonly be able in using English language will direct toward getting a great job easily. Therefore, the problems and challanges need to evaluate and upgrade as the world growth  in order students to get better in English. So that their outcome is good and have many occassion for looking job in their future life.