1.
INTRODUCTION
Everybody realize English is the most
succesful language spread around the world. The importants of English as an
International language is widely acknowledged (Naisbitt and Aburdene, 1990) and
context of English used in the third world, although with strong evidences
brought by the notion of English a part of imperialsm strategy of the
dominating super power (Rahmad Yusni, 2013). Phillipson (2008) later claims
English as a neo-imperial language. The needs of English in the periphery
countries are ubiquitous. Because of that, the number of English speakers
increased rapidly. As of 2005 the estimation of the learners was between 840
million to 1,34 billion. The number was the sum of both the number of learners
who speak English as second language.
On the other hand, Indonesia, unlike
other southeast countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philipines, has a
little exposure on English due to never become regulated under the British
collonial. Hence, English has never been widely spoken in the Indonesian
society (Rahmat Yusni , 2013). In contrast, looking at ELT in Indonesia,
English is taught in Indonesian schools as a compulsory subject start form grade
7 of secondary school to University levels and about more 10.000 students
graduated from English Department each year but only few of them able in
teaching English (Minister of National Education, 2015). Those are become
serious problem in English Language Teaching in Indonesia. Further, English as language requirement on many job
vacancies could be a challenge of English language teaching. In this
globalization era, English proficiency is one of keys of improving career for
somebody. Students and Teachers can get opportunity for higher education and
any scolarships to overseas through English. Therefore, this essay is conducted
to provide an insight of English language teaching in Indonesia into some of
problems, challenges and prospects.
2.
DISCUSSION
2.1
Problems
2.1.1
Unfavourable Learning Habit
A
number of students think that English is a difficult subject. According to
Himpun Panggabean ( 2007, p 160) “Why Indonesian
learners find it difficult and take a very long time to acquire English is
because they don’t make using the language a habit”. In fact language
competence is attained from habit formation. Moreover, Indonesian learners of
English spend very little time in practicing and thingking in English. Mostly
they use English twice a week only when the classroom learning activities
occur.
Then,
the teachers teaching English in traditional method. The oldest method in
English language teaching is Grammar translation Method (GTM) and 60 % use frequently by English teachers in
Indonesia (Aan Subekti, 2011) . When I was in Junior High School, the teachers
also used GTM in teaching of grammar material all the time. In fact, we
understood the material at that time, but when the teacher provide exercise in next meeting, we answer the questions
difficultly . We forget of what the teacher said because during the class held,
teacher talked and students only listened to the teacher. Then, in vocabulary
material, the teacher gave the paper which contain a thousand of vocabularies
to students and asked them to memorize all vocabularies stated on the paper. The impact of its for my
classmate and I as student, it has delivered us into stressed and bored
atmosphere. In some condition, it may not involve the stundents in learning English
profoundly.
The
most troubled learning habit in ELT in Indonesia is the teacher consider too
much punishments and low reward to students. For example, teacher give a lot homeworks and assigments from different
subjects, if the student do not those homeworks and assigments correctly or
they do not bring it to the class, the teacher will get angry to the student
and get them out of class. Moreover, the student who do the homeworks and
assigment correctly only get score, no more reward than number of “70” to “100”. Graham (2003) has
argued that rewards and punishments are
only effective when applied to the tediousness of everyday activities because
“when an extrinsic reward is offered for doing something that is already interesting
in itself, intrinsic motivation actually decreases (Chapter 16, section 7,
para.5).” Unfortunately, it make student more stress when the punishment is
more than reward. Daniels (2010) posited that one reason for this is increased
stress in students who often find such systems lacking in meaning. Although
rewards and punishments are effective at managing classroom behavior, such
methods “do not…foster an intrinsic, long-term desire to learn, behave, and
achieve” (Daniels, 2010, p. 29).
2.1.2
Teacher Professionalism
According to the laws of Indonesia, the teachers
called the professional teacher is when they get certification. One of ways to
get the certification is the teacher should do teaching minimal 24 hours a
week. Regarding to this requirement, the teacher who do not have enough time of
teaching will complete it by searching of empty schedule where another teacher
do not attend in the class, so he or she will replace it to teach the student
without care of wether he or she able in the subject or not.
Unfortunately, according to teacher
competency’s standar, generally they will called as professional teacher when
the teacher can make the student understand and comprehend of what the teacher
give no matter he or she has gotten certificate or not. In fact, nowday there
is few teacher can reach the teacher compentency’s standar who is really needed by students. With 65% of
the total number of 2,7 million teachers in Indonesia are not meeting the
requirement as professional teacher (Jalal, 2009). At the moment the focus of
the government is still on the quatity of teachers rather than on quality. The
practice of English teacher education, not just in Indonesia but also in many
other developing coutries, has only develop to fulfill the need of quantity instead
quality (Chodijah, 2015, p 42)
2.1.3
The Cultural Issue in Learning
Language teacher
education can never be rigid and perspective as the demand of the modern world
are changing fast, particularly as they are mostly unpredictable (Kariman,
2005, p 121). In addition, it is also culture bound, so it is difficult to
“prescribe” principles, which would be applicable universally. It is commonly
accepted that language is a part of culture and it plays a very important role
in it. Language simultaneously reflect culture, and is influenced and shaped by
it. Brown (1994, p 165) describes the two as follows : A language is a part of
a culture and culture is a part of language ; the two are intricately
interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing the significance
of either language or culture.
Some people say that
the language is the mirror of culture where people can see a culture through
its language. Every language form being used has meanings, carries meanings
that are not in the same sense because it associated with culture. Peole of
different cultures can refer to different things while using the same language
forms, for example, the word “dog” in English and “gou” in Chinesee refer to
the same kind of animal, but most English people associate dog with “a good
friend “ while Chinesee with “watchdogs” (Kariman, p 122). So, cross cultural
understanding will be an important subject to be taught in order to appreciate
culture and language.
2.2
Challenges
2.2.1
English as Language requirement
Nowdays in business world, a number of companies has
provide English as main requirement of job vacancy. Thus, there are
insufficient employees with sufficient good English to fill jobs that require
little more than rudimentary English language proficiency. Employees in
departement stores, shops, customer services, and even hawkers in metropolitan
cities like Jakarta find themselves learning broken English by trial and error
out of neccessity. This is no to stress the shrtage of English language
proficient employees in the increasing number of multinational corporations
established in the Asian regions. One can imagine the required number of
employees in this globalization era with excellent English speaking ability
(Kariman, p 122).
In addition, English also requirement for student
from non-native contries who want to study abroad. The student will be accepted
in universities abroad such as in USA, Australia and United Kingdom if they has
passed the test called TOEFL or IELTS. Student need minimal 550 scores of TOEFL
to pass of screening in the universities in USA or Australia, and minimal 5 or
6 scores of IELTS to study in universities in United Kingdom.
2.2.2
English as International Communication Tool
The view of
English as being useful as a window to the international world or as a tool, a
convenient tongue for international communication, has been well developing its
reach in a dramatic fashion. Using channels of international business and the
open acceesibility of gaining knowledge from the multimedia and virtual world,
the language is breaking free and becoming a genuine world language (Kariman,
121). Thus, knowing English language
mean we will able to understand and address the pressing international problems
facing organisations and communities today including climate change, conflict,
poverty and inequality.
At present and future, many contend that English is
an International language. It is not because
it is most widely spoken nature language in the world since by most
estimates Mandarin has three times as many nature speakers as English, but
rather because of growing number of speakers who are acquiring some familiarity
with English as their second or third useful tool and less concern about the
diffrerent accents (Graddol, 1997).
2.2.3
Globalization Effect
In this Millenium era,
social context is globalization. The needs of mastering English grow up
sharply, especially as a common medium of communication due to the rapid growth
of businesses and increased occupational mobilities ( Kariman, 120). English
Language Teaching (ELT) can be a vital weapon to make this half-consious
society to provide agency service for the imperial competitors economic power
benefit. The original identity can be bought by the dominant societies, and
fulfill the hidden agenda of the neoliberal empire (Pieterse, 2004, as cited in
Philipson, 2008).
In addition, ELT
practitioner in Indonesia are required to be neutral; not to oppose and feel
guilt of the profession. Language teachers must be able to filter any contest
that might harm the integrity and identity. Although Canagarajah (1999) pointed
out that “ people are not always passive
or blind to be converted heart and soul to new discourses.” In contrary,
foreign language curriculum should be in line with national foreign language
policy that fosters Indonesian society in resisting the hidden agenda in the
dominant discourses. All local ELT teachers need to be trained and informed
about the challenge of globalization. Therefore, ELT in Indonesia will have a
committed to benefit the local society to bea ble take active part in the
continuing globalization positively (Rahmat Yusny , p 95).
2.3
Prospect
2.3.1
English as Opportunity for Higher Education
The United Nations (UNO) has given English the
status as of an official language. It is not just because it is one of the most
widely spoken languages, but also because the use English has made the social
and economi exchange between people of different communities and
culturepractically possible it is well recognize that English-speaking persons
can be traced in All continent of the world and is the reaseon for its
importance in the incompulsory education of many countries accros the globe
(Thrope , 2014).
IF some postgraduaters want to continue their study
to take magister abroad, it will be a good news for those who get English
proficiency very well. Because the universities abroad will ask for certificate
of TOEFL or IELTS. As i have stated
before, The student will be accepted
in universities abroad such as in USA, Australia and United Kingdom if they has
passed the test called TOEFL or IELTS. Student need minimal 550 scores of TOEFL
to pass of screening in the universities in USA or Australia, and minimal 5 or
6 scores of IELTS to study in universities in United Kingdom.
2.3.2
Working at Journalism of Foreign Multimedia
There are many Institution
of foreign Multimedia for Journalism that will accept somebody who has English
proficiency. For example, In United Kingdom they have BBC which focus on News
TV, online news and newspaper. In Hongkong, they have NHK World TV channel who
embrace in sector of news and sosio-cultural. The point is, whoever want to
work at those foreign multimedia as a journalist, they have to be able in
English beside the baground of study also must be from Postgraduate or magister
of Communication and Information. Moreover, some peole can work at the foreign
multimedia even just able in English
Proficiency , not only for those who graduated from major of Communication and
Information.
3.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, ELT in
Indonesia has numerous of problems, chalenges and prospect. In problem case,
things that must be more improved by government and Instiution of Education is
English language in Indonesia still provide unfavourable learning habit, Lack
of Professional teacher and the cultural
issue in learning. Thus, English as language requirement, Globalization effect,
and English as international communication tool make English Language Teaching
is more challenging. Last, Student and Teacher can involve their higher
education and somebody can start their career as a journalist in foreign
multimedia if they has English proficiency.
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