English Varieties

Why do most Indonesians find it difficult to learn English? 

What factors hinder them to master English?

There are some common factors that hinder most Indonesian learners to learn English. They are the interference of their first language and the education system which they have been through.

First, there are the problems resulting from L1 (first language) interference. Richards and Scmidt (2002: 294)  acknowledge that the effect of one language on the learning of another is called language transfer. Two types of language transfer may occur: positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer is transfer which makes learning easier, and may occur when both the native language and the target language have the same form. Negative transfer, also known as interference, is the use of a native-language pattern or rule which leads to an error or inappropriate form in the target language.

For example, in terms of pronunciation, many Indonesians have trouble pronouncing consonant clusters (3 or more consonants together in a word), as these clusters do not occur in Bahasa Indonesia. The rolling of the letter 'r' is another common issue, but not one which causes any kind of strain for the listener. In general, pronunciation is not a huge problem for Indonesians, especially when compared to learners from Asian countries with tonal languages such as China and Vietnam.

In terms of grammar, bahasa Indonesia does not have tenses as English does, and a simplified method of talking about different points in time is often attempted in English (for example, 'yesterday I go'). The concept of tenses, especially the more complex perfect tenses, is often difficult to grasp for Indonesian students. Similarly, Indonesian English students often have trouble creating sentences with correct word order, again caused by the word order patterns in their first language (for example, 'the tree big'). Finally, most Indonesian words are spelled phonetically, creating problems with learning the inconsistent, almost random way in which many English words are spelled.

Then, the Indonesian education system (or at least the system which today's teenage and adult language learners passed through) tends to produce passive students. Often this means passive learners expecting to absorb information from the teacher, who is the center of a class, an authority figure, and someone who must not be questioned. Language learning is most effective in an environment where active students feel free to participate, get involved and ask questions; an environment where students know that making mistakes is the best way to learn, and where making a mistake does not result in loss of face.

While the few problems mentioned above do create barriers for Indonesians, they are relatively easy to overcome. Good teachers with an awareness of these difficulties can adjust the way they teach and the materials they use to suit Indonesians. Courses can be created which have Indonesian students in mind, rather than generic courses designed for European learners. Again generalising, it can also be said that, given the right environment and encouragement, Indonesians soon become active, communicative students. Indonesians are hard working, dedicated, enthusiastic and, in general, a pleasure to teach.