The Problems of TEFL in Indonesia
Introduction to TEFL
TEFL is teaching English as a Foreign Language. This term is predominantly used when English is being taught in a country where it isn’t the native language (for example teaching English to Spanish people in Spain). TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It is used by a number of organisations to identify courses which deal with Teaching English to foreign adult learners. It is not a qualification in itself but it is the industry you will be working in once you gain a recognised qualification to teach TEFL
TEFL is
suitable for anyone with an interest in or a desire to know more about teaching
English to speakers of other languages. It is aimed at people considering a
career in ELT, students planning to travel and work abroad during vacations/gap
years and/or anyone considering embarking on a CELTA course or committing to a
lengthier more costly programme. It is an introduction and will help
participants understand whether this is an area they would like to go into in
more depth
Why should
we learn TEFL?
It is for :
* increase the participants understanding of the
nature of the English language
* equip participants with basic understanding of how to plan and deliver a lesson
* consider the importance of cultural awareness
* provide participants with teaching ideas for future EFL teaching they may undertake
* equip participants with basic understanding of how to plan and deliver a lesson
* consider the importance of cultural awareness
* provide participants with teaching ideas for future EFL teaching they may undertake
Considering the difficulties that learners from
different backgrounds are faced with is appropriate because I will soon embark
on a teaching career which will bring me in contact with many people from
different backgrounds and the challenges they face in mastering the English
language.
Having learnt English myself at some point in life, has made me aware of some of the difficulties my students are faced with. My experience in having overcome these difficulties could be a great help to my students, if these are used in the proper way. The danger is that one might compare others to oneself. This is useless because it?s extremely difficult to say that people with a certain background only face one set of problems. The difficulties are as many and as varied as the people we teach. The obstacles they face in learning a new language are closely linked to Language 1 interference (L1 interference with English, L2), their education, the complexity of the English language and for some there could be difficulties due to culture. It?s important for teachers to be aware of these issues, since they will then be better able to assist their students in overcoming these.
Having learnt English myself at some point in life, has made me aware of some of the difficulties my students are faced with. My experience in having overcome these difficulties could be a great help to my students, if these are used in the proper way. The danger is that one might compare others to oneself. This is useless because it?s extremely difficult to say that people with a certain background only face one set of problems. The difficulties are as many and as varied as the people we teach. The obstacles they face in learning a new language are closely linked to Language 1 interference (L1 interference with English, L2), their education, the complexity of the English language and for some there could be difficulties due to culture. It?s important for teachers to be aware of these issues, since they will then be better able to assist their students in overcoming these.
Discussion
L1 interference
Learner difficulties with L1 interference depend on the extent to which their native language differs from English. Many tend to carry over the same grammatical patterns from their L1 to L2. This would be problematic if L1 and L2 have different patterns. They also seem to confuse certain items of vocabulary known as false friends. Both of the afore mentioned contribute to language interference.
Education
There are people with very little education who have learned English. We can all probably think of someone like this and can attribute their success to different aspects. Most of these people are highly motivated, goal oriented people. Their lack of education didn’t prove to be a stumbling block. Many though, because of not having sufficient education, lack appropriate study skills that may prove very helpful in learning a new language. Students could be eager to learn, but their eagerness does not mean that they know how to study.The complexity of the English language. The history of English has resulted in a large vocabulary. Some experts claim that it has one of the largest vocabularies of any known language.
Besides difficulties with the large vocabulary, learners tend to have many difficulties mastering English grammar. The tenses present a large number of subtle differences that a learner of English may have great difficulty detecting. Understanding the importance of auxiliary verbs and how they can be manipulated in order to form one of the many tenses of the English language is quite difficult at times.
Many times articles (the definite and indefinite article) are not used by students to form complete sentences. This we can understand, because in their L1 the use of articles may not be necessary or even nonexistent. Articles are at times even used in a completely different way in their L1.
Not to be ignored are the pronunciation issues. Some sounds, such as the th ( in the, that, though) are difficult to produce for some students and they thus replace those sounds by the [t] or [d] sound. This might feel more natural to them. Spanish students may have difficulties with the [b] and [v] sounds and speakers of Asian languages may have difficulties pronouncing [r] and [l] sounds.
The syllable clusters in English also present many problems. English words may have clusters of up to 3 consonants before and/or after a vowel (example: straw, desks). This presents pronunciation issues for some learners. The Japanese are used to words where the consonant alternates the vowel. The word desks might be pronounced as desukusu because of trying to force a vowel in between the consonants.
Culture
The influence of ones culture should not be ignored. This influence may create barriers that teacher s need to overcome by being patient and understanding. Many language teachers have observed passivity and shyness in their Asian students. This does not necessarily mean that they are not eager to learn. Teachers need to familiarize themselves with the culture of their students because this will help them to avoid embarrassing situations that could form roadblocks to learning.
It has had a turbulent recent past and several current issues still make the headlines, including banking sector reforms, corruption and human rights violations by the military and growing separatism. There have been several recent issues which have affected the country, no less the situations in East Timor (which declared independence in 1999), the Bali bomb in 2002 and the Tsunami in 2005. But as an oil rich country, there is still a strong demand for learning English and we were recently informed by a Director of Studies in Lampung that the industry is crying out for native English teachers. It has been suggested that due to the recent economic downtown, the richest students can no longer afford to go abroad and study and so are staying in the country to learn and this has fuelled the demand locally.
At the same time, stories of disruption may have put off some teachers from travelling to the region and this has increased demand for teachers. If you are a British national ee would recommend you get advice from the Foreign Office before travelling to Indonesia. Nationals of other countries should consult with their own country’s embassy about current travel status to the country. As Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, it can be a real experience for Western EFL travellers. EF English First, one of the largest employers in the region, continues its strong presence in the country and employs mainly British and Australian teachers, offering them the opportunity to experience the fascinating culture. There are many job opportunties for Global English graduates with appropriate qualifications.
TEFL Job in Indonesia
The teaching term in Indonesia starts around September or October so this would be a good time your arrival in the country. You can arrange a contract for a TEFL job in Indonesia before you travel out there by looking on the internet and using our TEFL Jobs Centre. If you are happy to travel out to the country and look for work there, remember to dress smartly for interviews and take along copies of your CV, Official TEFL Certificate and degree certificates. You might find our guide to writing a CV quite useful.The top end of the TEFL market in Indonesia tends to favour well-qualified and experienced teachers. Our Recommended TEFL Courses will give you the reputable qualification that employers are looking for and will significantly enhance your job prospects. In order to obtain the correct working visa to teach English in Indonesia the government requires you to be TEFL qualified and some schools require you to have a university degree. There are perks to teaching English in Indonesia; TEFL jobs here often pay very well, with up to 18-month contracts and even returns flights included.
Teaching English in Indonesia - What to expect
English is part of the national curriculum in Indonesia so it is rare that you will have to teach complete beginners. You will mainly be teaching English in Indonesia to young people so any experience with children you have will be a bonus. In general you can expect your young students to be polite and highly motivated to learn English, with few of the discipline problems associated with European youngsters. Depending where you are teaching English in Indonesia and in what type of schools, TEFL salaries can vary. On average you can expect to earn a monthly salary of 8-9,000 000 Indonesian Rupiah per month, about £540-610. The cost of living in Indonesia is low and as accommodation is relatively cheap you should be able to live very well by local standards. TEFL teachers are often able to dine out frequently and even save some money.
Conclusion
References
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