Christine ManaraPayap University, Chiang Mai

“Being able to speak English is not the same as being an outsider”: narratives

of complexities of ELT and the maintenance of Indonesian language

and identities

1. Introduction:

2. Globalization and ELT in Indonesia

3. The study

4. Analysis and Discussions

5. Closing remarks

Outline

Birch (2009, p. 8):

The expanding interdependence or interconnectedness among people, institutions, and organizations across the globe and the repercussions of that interdependence

What is globalization?

Globalization flow is more intensified by digital technology development (Canagarajah, 2006).

Languages and cultures contact or interaction is natural.

English (at the moment) is used as the lingua franca for this globalization process.

“Languages, communities, and cultures have become hybrid” (2006, p. 24).

It creates complex, fluid, and tense multidimensional relations between the local and the global.

Globalization and English

English is often positioned as the lingua franca for this globalization process.

It is used in intercultural communication with speakers of various backgrounds;

It has gone through localization and hybridization in different contexts to serve their local needs and purposes;

A shift of paradigm in ELT that includes the complexities of global and local inter-relations

English in Indonesia

English has no official status; English status in Indonesia: high

exposure (English learned as an additional language) to very low exposure to English (English learned as a Foreign Language);

English is a required subject starting from grade 7,

Since the mid 1990s, English is allowed to be taught as an elective subject at the elementary school level (Kasmaini, 2009).

English in Indonesian Education system (cf. Coleman)

English as the first foreign language to be taught at schools (1950s) (Buchori, 2001)

Language of instruction: Bahasa Indonesia

Dardjowidjojo (2000): English is allowed to be used as a medium of instruction in classroom

EMI boom: National plus and international schools (late 1990s)

(R)SBI boom (early 2000’s/2003 – 2012)

General Research Questions: How do teachers’ understand the

interdependency of globalisation and English? ( and how do they feel about this?)

What are the teachers’ opinion of how English should be taught in today’s globalized era in their specific context?

What are their idea of a competent English user in the globalized era?

What are other related matters that the teachers consider important in ELT today?

The Study Participants: 5 teacher educators 13 English language educators (primary

to tertiary school levels) who are studying at the MA in English applied Linguistic Program in a private university in Jakarta

Teaching experiences ranging from 3 – 25 years

Teachers teaching context: Jakarta (the capital city of Indonesia)

The study

- Based on a larger qualitative narrative-based study

- In-depth and individual interviews; each interview was 45 – 60 min.

- Participants were interviewed in the language they chose (English; a mixture of English, Indonesian, and occasionally local Jakartanese dialect)

Analysis

- Interpretive framework (Denzin, 1989)

- Interview responses as narrative accounts

- A discussion on commonalities and diversities of ideas, teaching beliefs, issues, and imagination (Wenger, 1998)

Data analysis and Discussion:

Participants show high awareness of the strong current of globalization in their local context;

English is often perceived and positioned as the lingua franca of globalization;

The urgency of mastering English is heightened in almost all sectors (education, economic, politics, social, technology, etc.)

Data analysis and Discussion:

Education institutions offering programs with EMI (English as the Medium of Instruction) is increasing.

At primary and secondary school levels, this has often been done through monolingual approach in practice.

Imported curriculum is depicted as more prestigious than the national curriculum

The marketization of “English as the global currency”

Excerpt 1:

Globalization in Jakarta can be seen from the mushrooming of national plus schools. I remember seeing a real-estate advertisement in one of our local TV that is selling their residency by saying “we also have an American Style school”. So, as if it is promoting, “We are local no more, come and live here because we have an American-based school” (Melati).

Excerpt 2

Perhaps, this is at pre-school level so their English ability is not yet developed. But at the first grade primary level, it [student’s English use] is more obvious. So, please excuse their Bahasa Indonesia [laugh]. So when it’s Bahasa Indonesia lesson, it seems like a foreigner learning Bahasa Indonesia. This is in the international school setting [I taught]. …So there are subjects like Bahasa Indonesia, citizenship, so these subjects still use Bahasa Indonesia as the medium of instruction. These are still under the national curriculum, but other subjects are following imported curriculum like Cambridge for example. …They still have to take UAN [National Final Examination], like for the primary school level, this is the context I know so well. At grade 4, 5, and 6, Bahasa Indonesia subject will be given. So all together maths, Bahasa Indonesia, English and social science. (Widya)

 

Excerpt 3

…the school usually asks the parents “which scheme they would like to take for their children after finishing primary level: “Are you planning for international scheme?” So the certificate will be Cambridge certificate, or both: national and international because sometimes parents haven’t got a clear picture yet, “Are my children going to study abroad, or at the international or national school in Indonesia?” So, I feel sorry for the children. I mean they study all the core subjects in English, and have gotten used to it. Then, they have to switch to Bahasa Indonesia because the national exam is using Bahasa Indonesia. This also means that the teachers have to work extra hard [to prepare the students for the exam]. (Widya) 

Data analysis and Discussion: Monolingual (English) practice:

English is used as the medium of instruction (MOI) since the earliest level.

positioning English as the language of educational setting (inside and outside of the classroom)

English as the common discursive practice at school --- Indonesian as the uncommon one (MOI for the non-core subjects, introduced at a later level)

Excerpt 4:…when I attended an education expo and saw the presentations by different schools in Jakarta, it was so horrifying to me. For example, there’s a national plus school in South Jakarta. And the presentation said something like “we, here, teach your children to sharpen their soft skills that has never been offered in other local Indonesian schools before, such as problem-solving and others. Soft-skills will be needed in the working world later because when they grow up in the future they will have to compete with people from other countries. So we have to prepare our children from now on.” And they also showcased some students from elementary to secondary level who did an excellent presentation in English. They don’t even sound like Indonesians and they have never lived abroad. So I guess I wasn’t the only one who was worried, “So, what should I do now?” I mean, “Is it really going to be this scary?” because these types of schools are very expensive. So we as parents have to think about it. “Okay, how much money do I have to earn each month for my child’s education like this to prepare him for the globalized era?” These are the key words they used. (Melati)

Melati’s narrative

The booming of EMI schools or programs creates a social gap: the advantaged and disadvantaged.

A better English learning opportunity for those who can afford it (elitist education) better opportunities better future

Most participants realized the importance of mastering English to be able to have access to and participate in the globalization process and the threat of this exploitation to Indonesian languages and identities (losing the local to go global).

Excerpt 5:

My nieces and nephews, so the generation after mine, most of my nieces and nephews study at the international schools and their first language, or if you want to call it as their mother tongue,… is not Bahasa Indonesia, …but English. Even those who didn’t go to international schools, they are not really interested in learning Bahasa Indonesia. And, this is not only happening within my own family circle – my nieces and nephews – but also among their peers’ circles. …they are not interested to explore how Bahasa Indonesia has developed like today’s technology advancement. …They would say /donlot/ just simply because it’s easier to pronounce, even though they pronounce it incorrectly, instead of using “mengunduh”. So that’s what worries me about globalization from our linguistic aspect. (Iyenk)

Data analysis and Discussion:

The monolingual belief in learning English threatened the existence of Indonesian languages;

Bahasa Indonesia is no longer attractive to younger generation;

Heightened awareness of nationalism A fear of language shift phenomenon among

the younger generations; A call for a way of learning a new language

without excluding other existing languages; Learning a new language through

understanding one’s (linguistic) self

Excerpt 6 Honestly, my deepest concern is with the

future of Bahasa Indonesia because I know that today those who are literate in English are smaller in number than those who are not. And sadly, these English literate people are those who come from higher social economic community. So, in the future, I worry that these English literate but illiterate in Bahasa Indonesia people will be in the position as the decision makers of the country. This worries me so much. (Iyenk)

Iyenk’s narrative

Elitism in education Attitudes towards English and

Indonesian languages linguistic hierarchy

Certain communities may have more opportunities / paths to certain positions

Language policy and planning that may threat the existence of Indonesian languages

Investing in English

access to globalization process the medium of multicultural and

multilingual identities the medium of self-actualization the medium of international

communication

Excerpt 7 In the companies that I’m teaching, there are still some

people who think that when someone is using English, he’s a show off. So this way of thinking still exist. …I’m teaching in two places, and it is so hard to break this perceptions. … Even those who have a BA and MA degree, they also have the same perception. Let alone the marginal ones. I felt like screaming to them, “No, No, using English is not the same as being a show off. It’s a must to learn it. It’s an international language and you have to be able to communicate with the language”. It’s so hard…. I don’t know how to open their eyes and say, “Being able to speak the language is not the same as being an outsider”. We only need the language [as an instrument] to communicate. …I mean, wow, globalization is here but there are still some people in Jakarta who still think that “O, Bahasa Indonesia is enough for me”. (Melati)

Melati’s narrative: A different teaching reality

- Institutional culture: a government-owned company, secured job, reluctant to move outside their comfort zone.

- Bahasa Indonesia is still the dominant and official language at work.

- A new language presence = a foreign language (an outsider’s language)

- Melati’s view: English as an extension of one’s (professional, linguistic, cultural, etc.) self

Excerpt 8: the struggle of finding the right balance

If we look back to RSBI as an example, English lesson was studied starting from the first grade of elementary school, even from kindergarten, I’m really against that. I mean children have not yet mastered their national language or local languages. Therefore, the death of languages, especially local languages, will soon take place. And, for the national language, I worry that our children’s sense of nationalism will decrease since they are not accustomed to it. If I’m not mistaken the SEAMEO [South East Asian Minister of Education Organization] suggested English can be used starting from the fourth grade to teach science and math. But here, it starts even earlier, even parents seem to be so proud if their children or grandchildren speaks English better than Bahasa Indonesia. I’m really concerned about this. My biggest concern with RSBI was that national language is being used lesser and lesser in the classrooms. Even in their daily lives, they [students] tend to use English while their surrounding, I mean they are not aware that, for example, they are in a public bus or at other [daily] contexts. So it would create a gap between those who speaks English and those who don’t. I think that would create a social gap, not only in educational setting but also social stratifications. ….This really happens, lab school students, for example, they still use English after school and they speak fluently. (Nila) 

Excerpt 8: the struggle of finding the right balance

In relation to 2013 national curriculum, it is actually like a swing of the pendulum to the other end. So, from one extreme end to another. In my opinion, I think it is better to go back to the normal [balance]. What I meant by normal here is, for example, English for first till third grade should lead to having fun with English. But, I think English is better taught as a lesson starting from the fourth grade, so it’s at the stage where they have already mastered their national language. So, I imagine it should go to this direction instead of allocating English lesson as an extra-curricular subject. … So, it’s like a swing of a pendulum. (Nila) 

The struggle of finding the right balance

Early exposure is important High exposure and opportunity to use

English are crucial Monolingual approach to English (by

excluding other languages) is not the appropriate method

Language policy leads to certain language attitudes among stakeholders

Teaching English by taking into account children’s first language development

The struggle of finding the right balance

Tensions: providing high exposure / maintaining

Bahasa Indonesia existence Porous border (trans-national) /

maintaining border (revitalization of nationalism)

EMI schools or programs / 2013 national curriculum (resisting EMI)

Defining competency

What are the teacher’s idea of a competent English user in the globalized era?

A competent English user

People can be considered to be competent [English user] when they could function accordingly to their contexts. For example, if one of my students is expected to take over his father’s business and able to expand the business, well at least they could use their language in this business context. So, he is competent when he is able to function accordingly to what he is working on (Roselyn)

I believe every one has a campaign [mission] in life. …for example, a person who is campaigning “hard work” as a value. So, if language is not used to campaign this message, then this person is not a competent language user. (Iyenk) Competent, it’s true that what is expected is a person who can communicate their thoughts and ideas, or negotiating or debating with their interlocutors in English. I think those are the expectations, especially when dealing with any political or economical matters. I think these are what need to be master significantly. (Nila)

Teachers’ view of competence:

Beyond linguistic knowledge and language skills mastery

Intercultural competence (Iyenk’s narrative)

Professional English user (a competent English user in their field, using English to communicate their thoughts, to negotiate, to function professionally in their field)

Able to develop oneself through and in English (self-actualization)

Most participants mentioned their previous English teachers (bilingual English users) as models of competent English users.

One participant mentioned a well-known Indonesian news person, Desi Anwar, as her best model of an Indonesian competent English user.

Models of competent English users

Excerpt 10She is Russian. …people call her, an English Guru, even the lecturers who are native speakers of English also call her, an English Guru. I was only taught by her for two weeks and I agree that she is an English Guru. So, she can appropriate her self and language. When I heard her talking with a PhD, and professors, I could not even understand what they are taling about because she is using terms from translation book that I read in my first semester. It was a very sophisticated language, but when she was teaching us in class, she spoke differently. So, she switch her English to our level. …She is actually not a bilingual from childhood. …I really admire her and she is what I considered to be a very competent English user. She could positioned herself and appropriate her English eloquently. …So, my friends and I would talk and said, “Wow, it would be cool if we could be that way”. I mean her vocabulary is very rich. (Roselyn)

Excerpt 11

I’m going to take, Desi Anwar, as an example [of a competent English user]. I really admire her, because… not only she is an excellent speaker, but the way she interviewed people is very critical, sharp, and …how do I say it, if we look at how she speaks and tells the news, and how she elicits information from her interviewees, I can see she is brilliant. ... Perhaps, her language may seem more complicated compared to others [news broadcasters] but she is a great English speaker. And she interviewed a lot of international speakers and she is so confident in eliciting information. I mean her English is great! (Emiliana) 

traditional view of ELT:

- The best model (imagined community) is the Native-Speaker of English (NSE)

- English competence = native-like speakers of English

- Communication goals: to communicate with NSEs

Models of competent English users

Teachers narratives:

- The best model (imagined community) is bilingual English users

- Competence in their field and able to use their English in the field accordingly to contexts and their discursive practice

- to communicate with wider world communities

Teachers narratives:- Complex inter-relations of global

and local needs, multiple languages existence and competition

- Tensions in creating English speaking environment / maintaining Indonesian languages

- Awareness of linguistic realities and of sense of nationalism

The story so far

Trans-nationality (Risager, 2007):

- Acknowledging the dynamicity of languages in their teaching contexts

- Understanding one’s self (Iyenk’s, Nila’s, and Melati’s narratives) in learning a new language

Trans-languaging competence (Garcia, 2009):

- Awareness of multiple discursive practice that exist in their teaching context;

- the skills and ability to engage in these various discursive practices as the goal of ELT

Re-imagining ELT

References:

Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. London: Verso.

Buchori, M. (2001). Notes on education in Indonesia. Jakarta: The Jakarta Post.

Canagarajah, A. S. (2006). TESOL at forty: What are the issues? TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 9-34.

Dardjowidjojo, S. (2000). English teaching in Indonesia, English Australian Journal, 18(1), 22-30.

Garcia, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st Century: A global perspective. West, Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Kasmaini. (2009). Muatan lokal dalam perspektif KBK di SDN Kecamatan Muara Bangkahulu Bengkulu, Jurnal Kependidikan Triadik, 12(1), 25-32

Risager, K. (2007). Language and culture pedagogy: From a national to a transnational paradigm. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Questions and feedback

Thank you

manara.christine@gmail.com