English
Language Teachers towards ASEAN Community 2015: Are we ready yet?
By: Wildan M Muttaqin
Presented on The International Seminar 'ASEAN COMMUNITY 2015' UNISRI Surakarta
(October 2014)
Abstract
The paper aims to convey the development of
English Language Teaching in Indonesia and the readiness of English Language
Teachers towards ASEAN Community 2015. One of the statements on ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) blueprint is to promote the use of English
language, because English will
become the language of the ASEAN Community. Since the New 2013 Curriculum has been implemented in schools, it is very important then to know and see Teachers’
preparations to take the challenge to ASEAN Community 2015. They have to link
and match between their ways (methodology) in teaching and ASCC blueprint. In
addition, higher education system in Indonesia must be strengthened into coming
up with concrete strategies on how to be able to address this challenge. The
quality of the English Language Teachers should also be improved and English
Language Teachers have to participate actively in promoting Concept of ASEAN
Community 2015 to their students.
Keywords: English, ASEAN community, and teaching
Introduction
English was the first foreign language obliged to be taught at
junior and senior high school as determined by central government policy since independent
in 1945. It is prioritized over other foreign languages such as French, Arabic,
Chinese and others (Dardjowidjojo: 2000). In 1967, the Ministry of Education
reviewed that teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia was intended
to equip students to read textbooks and references in English, to participate
in classes and examinations that involved foreign lecturers and students, and
to introduce Indonesian culture in International arenas. This general objective
was represented in the high school English curriculum 1975, 1984, and 1994. The
objective in the 1967 decree actually was to teaching English as to prepare
students for the function at the tertiary level (Fuad Hassan in the Jakarta
Post, 2001 as cited by Jazadi, 2008). In other words, English teaching and
learning in Indonesia was dedicated to academic purposes. English teaching in
Indonesia has been based on the curriculum designed by the central government
throughout provision of curriculum policies. English Language Teachers plays an
important role in teaching and educating their students. They have to be aware
on the development of their students and the latest curriculum. Technological
modernization, vocational development, and freedom on education are now
promoted, the ability to communicate in international language should be
improved and they have to become fluent in English language as it is the
official language medium of the ASEAN community members.
The 13th ASEAN Summit held in Singapore on 20th November
2007, agreed to develop ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) blueprint to
ensure that concrete actions are undertaken to promote the establishment of an
ASEAN. The ASCC Blueprint represents the human dimension of ASEAN cooperation
and upholds ASEAN commitment to address the region's aspiration to lift the
quality of life of its peoples. The ASCC is characterized by a culture of
regional resilience, adherence to agreed principles, spirit of cooperation,
collective responsibility, to promote human and social development, respect for
fundamental freedoms, gender equality, the promotion and protection of human
rights and the promotion of social justice.
The blueprint also states that ASEAN will enhance the well-being
and livelihood of the people of ASEAN by providing them with equitable access
to human development opportunities by promoting and investing in education and
lifelong learning, human resource training and capacity building, encourage
innovation and entrepreneurship, promote the use of English language, ICT and
applied science and technology in socio-economic development activities.
The ASEAN Community 2015
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established
on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries. They are
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam
joined on January 8, 1984, Vietnam on July 28, 1995, Laos and Myanmar on July
23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999, resulting in a ten-nation cooperation
framework. The ASEAN region has a population of more than 600 million people,
has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$1.8 trillion with total trade
valued at $2 trillion among the countries.
During the 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003, leaders of member countries
resolved to establish the ASEAN Community. It aims to develop a place where all
the ten countries come together to build a better place to live for everyone.
In 2007, at the 12th ASEAN Summit, the Heads of States affirmed their strong
commitment to establish the ASEAN Community by 2015. It has three pillars:
ASEAN Political- Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community forming the roadmap or ASEAN Community 2015. In
constructing an ideal ASEAN Community, a Regional Identity needs to be
cultivated by the Member States and its peoples. To achieve this goal, the
Member States shall reinforce not only mutual interest and interdependence
economically, but also understanding and appreciation of the Community’s
diversified cultures and ethnics; a unity in diversity. That is to say,
the Member States and their peoples should have respect for the different
cultures, languages, and religions of their associated countries.
English and ASEAN
English was chosen as the official lingua franca of ASEAN in 2009.
The choice had in fact been in place before then. As pointed out by Kirkpatrick
(2007:155), English had been the de facto lingua franca of ASEAN right from the
founding of the organization, and the choice had been made naturally with
neither objections, nor debates from all parties.
In Thailand, English has taken on its significant roles, mainly in
sectors such as education, tourism, and business. In this regard, a great
number of English programs (EP) have been offered as an alternative in schools,
and universities in recent years. Moreover, the existence of several
international’ schools and universities are also evident to the increasing
popularity of English in the country. However, English is by far perceived as
the language of the educated and elite, not people in general.
Since English is the lingua franca of ASEAN, Thai Education
Ministry has tried to promote the language by allowing the integration of
English in school curriculum at every level. Despite the educational sector’s
attempts at promoting English in Thailand, students of non-EP programs usually
do not have opportunities to actually use English outside their classrooms.
This owes to the fact that Thailand is a monolingual country, and as such
English has never taken on a central role in the same way it has in countries
like Singapore, Malaysia, or the Philippines.
English language teaching in Indonesia
As early as 1950, when a foreign language to be chosen for the
school curriculum nationwide (either Dutch or English), policy makers in
Indonesia were well aware that English could serve a very important role as a
tool in the development of the country, both for international relations and
scientific-technological advancement. English was chosen over Dutch despite the
fact that the Dutch had colonized Indonesia for three and a half centuries. As
is very well recorded in our history, the
official status of English in the country has been "the first
foreign language" and the political stance of Indonesia's government is
quite firm: "English is not and will never be a social language nor the
second official language in Indonesia" (Sadtono, 1997:7).
With English being given this status, the objective of English
language teaching (ELT) in Indonesia is to equip students with a working
knowledge of the language. While this instructional objective may appear
self-explanatory, in the context of formal schooling, the notion of
"working knowledge in English" has been approached in different ways
throughout the history of ELT in Indonesia. The condition of Indonesian
government which issues the policy of decentralized system has made many
educators and teachers urge for the role presence of local authority in
designing curriculum.
The 2006 KTSP curriculum was implemented as a response to many
input toward curriculum correction. However, the 2006 curriculum had several
problems; (a) too many subjects being learnt by students and many competences
were overlapping each other ignoring the cognitive development of the students,
(b) curriculum was not fully based on competency, (c) competency did not holistically
reflect domain of knowledge, skills and affective behavior, (d) some competences
were not accomodated such as character building, active learning methodology,
(e) the equilbirium of developing soft skills and hard skills, (f) standard of
learning process is still teacher-oriented, (g) standard of assessment and
evaluation still neglects process and end product, and (h) KTSP was still open
for multi interpretation by many educators and teachers in real practice
(Diknas, 2012).
Responding to some above constraints, the Indonesian government has
decided to rethink, reformulate, and redesign the curriculum into the 2013
curriculum. To this date, the government has succeeded in producing curriculum
documents that served as frameworks and syllabuses in all subject from primary
level to senior high level. After being launched for public review, this
curriculum has been implemented in many schools in Indonesia. In context of ELT
in the 2013 curriculum, the time allotted for English subject at schools is
reduced. This surely brings about several consequences for language teaching
and learning process in Indonesia.
The readiness of English Language Teachers towards ASEAN Community
2015
Although the curriculum plays important role in maintaining
standards in ELT and the new 2013 curriculum is designed to improve the quality
and standard of ELT in Indonesia, most of the major problems still exist. Both
Dardjowidjojo (2000) and Nur (2004) agree on five common problems such as big
class sizes, teachers with low level of English proficiency, the low salary of
government English teachers which encourage or even force many to moonlight,
the lack of sufficient preparation to teach the new curriculum and the culture
barriers for teachers to leave the role of master and to accept or to adopt the
new role of facilitator. They also claims that the large class sizes and
unqualified English teachers are two obvious factors that contribute to the
ongoing problems in ELT in Indonesia.
Musthafa (2001) also lists other reasons for the problems such as
limited time allocated for teaching
English; lack opportunity to actually practice speaking English in
the classroom due to focus on grammar and syntax and the use of L1/ mother
tongue; less authentic materials and lack opportunity to socialize English
outside the classroom. ELT in Indonesia seems to be always problematic before
and after decentralization era. The continually revised curriculum does not
seem to consider factors such as suitable qualifications for teachers and
numbers of students nor does it provide strategies and alternatives.
In addition, Dardjowidjojo (2000) assumes that the number of hours
a student spends in secondary school and the optional hours in elementary
school should at least have resulted in a high ability in English by the time
she/ he graduate from senior high school. The outcome, however, is far from the
expectation. It seems that a high school graduate is unable to communicate
intelligibly in English. The number of hours of learning English at class in
the new 2013 curriculum is less than that of previous curriculum. This brings a
big challenge for both teacher and students to work harder in achieving the
learning goal in a limited time. The integrative topic in some subjects in
learning process is the main point of 2013 curriculum. Other points are
thematic and scientific characteristics. In addition, schools should also be aware
of a condition in which opportunities for additional English learning and exposure
could be one effort to improve students’ learning mastery of English. The
current policy of teachers’ certification program is hoped to improve the
quality of the teachers.
Nevertheless, Dardjowidjojo (1996, cited in Kam, 2004) claims that
the lack of students motivation, poor attitude of students in learning English
and shortage of teachers with adequate English language competence are the
contributors of the low ability in English.
Regarding with the problems above, a broader strategic objective of
ensuring the integration of education priorities into ASEAN’s development, the English
teachers have to advance and prioritize education then focus on:
· preparation to teach the new 2013 curriculum intensively
· practicing speaking English in the classroom due to focus on
grammar and syntax and minimize the use of L1/ mother tongue
· using more authentic materials and improve the opportunity to
socialize English outside the classroom
More than that, students’ empowerment should also be encouraged by
teachers to know the essence of new curriculum. Bringing students into the
right conception about the language being learnt is essential for achievening
language learning target as students and teachers would have the same
perception about their target of language teaching and learning. Then, the
implementation of new curriculum that changes the teacher from being
information center to be facilitator toward their learning should gear the
concept of student-centered classroom. Learner-centeredness should be embraced
since it could maximize the learner’s focus on form and meaning and their
achievement (Reilly, 2000). Teacher-centredness should be left behind since the
teacher often dominates the class hours. In this sense, students are inclined
to be passive listeners for teachers’ explanation. The ability to manage class
or classroom management ability is required in this case, so that the teachers
can easily lead the class without any frustration to find their classrooms are
noisy in some extent.
Dealing with the preparedness of English language teachers to take
challenge of ASEAN community 2015, they have to link and match between their
ways (methodology) in teaching and ASCC blueprint. The school or institution
should support the English teachers in delivering the materials where they
teach, as like:
·
Creating
a knowledge-based society;
·
Achieving
universal access to primary education;
·
Promoting
early child care and development; and
·
Enhancing
awareness of ASEAN to youths (students) through education and activities to
build an ASEAN identity based on friendship and cooperation.
ASEAN Community is to pilot free labor market in 2015, thus higher
education system in Indonesia must be strengthened into coming up with concrete
strategies on how to be able to address this challenge. The following actions
are deemed necessary in achieving the desired goal in higher education among
ASEAN community:
·
Increase
Usage of English Language
Language is a key towards the development of ASEAN community.
Workers should realize the importance of being able to communicate in English
as an important tool for the realization of ASEAN Community 2015 so that they
will not face a handicap to benefit from the fruits of the ASEAN community. In
this case, teaching English for specific purposes should be improved. It can be
in the form of materials and teaching methodology.
·
Universal
Education (access, equity and quality)
Not all ASEAN countries are able to provide free education like
Brunei Darussalam, which is free for all citizens from the age of five to the
university level. Many developing countries in Asia have had tremendous success
in expanding access to primary and secondary schooling. However, this is now fueling
a spike in demand for post-secondary opportunities.
·
E-learning/Online
learning/Distance Learning/Open Learning
To increase access at the higher education, a number of countries
in the region are increasing the number of open universities. This open
learning system is not only for university and, but also for teacher training
programs. Conducting webminars and online learning are the ways to improve the
quality of teaching. The development of technology (esp. using internet and
skypes) makes no limit to discuss the ways in continuing professional
developments among the English Teachers in ASEAN regions.
·
Improve
Quality of Education
Asian countries need to improve the quality of their education
systems as many graduates lack the skills needed in today's rapidly changing
workplace. "The shortage of skilled workforce in the Asia-Pacific Region,
male and even more so female, has been a major bottleneck in economic and
social development," The report called for greater emphasis on technical
and vocational education and training (China View 2008).
·
Scholarship
for students/Faculty Exchange
More programs on scholarships grant on students from all the
regions are now being practiced in most ASEAN countries. The Scholarships aim
to provide opportunities to the young people of ASEAN to develop their
potential and equip them with skills that will enable them to confidently step
into the enlarged community. Another medium of attaining the quality of
education is by educating the teachers, school principals and other educational
personnel and upgrade their professional competency. Teachers should
continuously update their knowledgeable and be innovative, strongly motivated
and dedicated. Programs can be introduced that focus on talent management,
leadership selection and review of teachers’ workload. Various initiatives,
from faster promotion prospects to awards can be introduced, to acknowledge the
role teachers play, and raise the image and morale of the profession.
·
Regional
Skills Competition
Encourage the participation of higher education institutions and in
skills competitions such as the ASEAN Skills Competition to support workforce
development and to achieve regional standards competency. It will contribute
towards the advancement of quality and skills of workers in all ASEAN Member
Countries
·
Regional
Accreditation (APACC)
Accreditation is very important in higher education. It is viewed
as both a process and a result. It is a process by which a university/college
or technical and vocational training institution evaluates its educational
activities, and seeks an independent judgment to confirm that it substantially
achieves its objectives, and is generally equal in quality to comparable
institutions. As a result, it is a form of certification, or grant of formal
status by a recognized and authorized accrediting agency to an educational
institution as possessing certain standards of quality, which are over and
above those prescribed as minimum requirements by the government. One
accrediting mechanism that harmonizes education and training systems in the
region is the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC).
It aims to accredit and certify institutions through a common quality framework
that would facilitate the mobility of workforce across national borders in the
region.
·
Unified
Education Framework
Intergovernmental Organizations establish ASEAN standards for HEI’s
including curriculum. Consequently, revising curriculum and delivery modes in all
programs are still on the process to meet labor market needs. Thus, a unified curriculum
in the ASEAN region is highly recommended to achieve the desired goal of one
community. The focus should be on learning outcomes.
Conclusion
Some common ELT problems in Indonesia and the preparedness of
English language teachers to take challenge of ASEAN community 2015 are also
discussed. The implementation of 2013 curriculum seems to be promising if
Indonesian government put maximum efforts through policy and budgeting to
really resolve many constraint in Indonesian ELT practices. The integrative
topics in some subjects in learning process as one of the main point in new
curriculum 2013, and textbook provision as designed on the basis of new
curriculum by the Ministry of Education and Culture have brought certain
resources to the development of the quality in English language teaching in Indonesia.
Regarding with the preparedness of English language teachers to take challenge
of ASEAN community 2015, they have to link and match between their ways
(methodology) of teaching and ASCC blueprint. Moreover, English Language
Teachers have to participate actively in promoting Concept of ASEAN Community
2015 to their students.
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