Logical Problems of Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia

 

 

Priyono

 

 

The history of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in Indonesia is often associated with failure. Replacement of the English curricula has occurred several times throughout the history of teaching followed by shifts of orientation from one methodology to another, but dissatisfaction remains. Amid the dissatisfaction with the learning outcomes, methodology is, adversely more often than it deserves, viewed as if it were the single cause for unsuccessful instruction. During the last four decades the English curricula for secondary schools in Indonesia has been replaced by a total revamp at least four times. The changes involved many aspects of instruction but the salient one was on methodology. This chapter argues that the replacement of the English curricula has so far been superficial and never dealt with some more principal matters. Some of these superficial changes are reformulation of instructional objectives, reorientation of methodology, and the endorsement of using new learning packages. However, it has been evident that the reformation of these aspects does not solve the logical problems of learning English as a foreign language. These problems are related to the language inputs (not necessarily to become intakes), the quality of sources, and grammar-oriented instructions.

 

 

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Priyono. (2004). Logical problems of teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia. In B. Y. Cahyono & U. Widiati (Eds.), The tapestry of English language teaching and learning in Indonesia (pp. 17-28). Malang: State University of Malang Press.

 

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