Final Assignment of

Academic Writing
PAPER

“English as a vehicle in global era”

Name : Abraham Jami Riwu

Class :A
Semester : IV
Reg. Number : 0801020061

University of Nusa Cendana

Faculty of teacher training and education science
Language and Art Department
English Study Program
2010
 ABSTRACT
English as a Vehicle in Global World

This writing is an analysis of importance to be proficient in English, causes why English is

employed as this planet’s lingua franca, analysis of weaknesses of English teaching-learning process
in non-speaking English country and culture filtering on English language teaching as we know that
not every culture in English speaking country are appropriate if apply in Indonesians’ daily life.
The method employ in accomplishing this writing is literary research method in which the writer
picks information from literature about English and the teaching learning process in Indonesia.
The aim of this writing is to inform the reader about the cusses of the usage of English as this
planet’s lingua franca and its contribution to the development of non-speaking English country.
 KEY WORDS

Topic : English, causes, strategies, and effects

Focus : The causes of English language teaching in non-speaking English countries, the problem
faced in English language teaching in non-speaking English country and the effects of English
language teaching in non-speaking English countries.
INTRODUCTION
“Learning English is not everything but at least we know that the most trustable news today may
become tomorrow’s fallacies.”
These wise words do not intend to frighten people who do not want to know or learn English. But
this is the fact in this global era that without English proficiency we may become the fool person in
the world who does not know what is changing nowadays.
Nowadays, English become the first foreign language which is most learned by people all over the
world except in speaking-English-country of course because people there have learned English since
they are in their mother’s womb and speak during their lifetime. A friend of mine told me a wise joke
about who is the cleverest child in the world? The answer is children in English speaking-countries.
Why? I beg for explanation about his answer. He said that the children there able to speak English
fluently since they were four years old while people in other countries can not speak English even
though have learned it for approximately 9 years or more as school subject. This answer sounds funny
but sure some of us wonder if English as our native language, maybe we never find difficulties in
learning English and we will be as clever as children in English speaking country.
English language teaching which apply in non-speaking English country is caused by some
aspects whether political, economical, technological, and social interaction. Although, English
language teaching or ELT in abbreviation cause by some basic factors but the final destination is one
only, that is to be able to use English as this planet’s lingua franca. Learning English is not an attempt
to make a country become wealth immediately, but at least country has had an important foundation
to develop itself in this modern era. Wise men said that the important foundation to develop a nation
is the education for the young generation.
In non-speaking English country, the English language teaching is seemed unable to create an
English speaker especially in formal Education. English is only sets a school subject which the usage
is banned only in school area. This failure also caused by some inappropriate strategies in English
language teaching.
The English language teaching in non-English speaking country also seemed shot inappropriate
target. English learners unable to speak English but they are more attracted by the English speaking
countries’ culture. This is shown by the poor proficiency of speaking English among Indonesian but
they dress and act themselves like people in English Speaking country.
Slowly but sure, the condition of learning English in English-speaking-country will appear in
non-speaking English country. Thought of a circumstance where there is no border for people in
speaking English. English is not only school subject or which only can be used by people who have
doctoral degree. We have to realize that we can use English in our everyday life, share ideas, tell
jokes, show agreement or disagreement, etc.

DISCUSSION
Politic
There are some countries which use English as their first language such as United States of
America, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Great Britain, Jamaica,
New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago. Beside that, there are some countries which use English as
their formal language such as South Africa, Singapore, Canada, Philippine, Ireland and Niger. The
usages of English as formal language or first language in these particular countries is caused by the
position of these countries as former of England’s imperial area which almost of them join in
commonwealth of Great Britain. The employment of English in New Zealand, United States of
America, and Australia is a little bit different. These particular areas were first found by the Europe,
Abel Tasman from Holland who found Tasmania Island in Australia, James Cook who found New
Zealand and Amerigo Vespucci and Christopher Columbus who found America. The discovery of
these particular areas caused many Europe move there and occupied these areas. Then the Europe
mixed with the native people. Most of them are from England. That is why they use English as their
first language with a little bit difference with British English.
Although Indonesia ever occupied by England for shorter time if we compare with Malaysia,
India and China, it does not cause Indonesia eager to be comprehensive in English. Unfortunately,
feeling of hatred to England which had occupied Indonesia at that time caused some Indonesian did
not want to learn English anymore. In fact, now English is important in international communication.
World’s organization are now employ English as their formal language such as in United Nations
(UNICEF, WHO, ILO, FAO, etc) APEC, and also in regional term like ASEAN. We should throw
away our arrogance and be humble to learn English.
Economic
As we know that by the end of Second World War, United States of America (USA) appears as a
new power in politic, economy, science and technology and military. USA with the ally members
such as Holland, Australia, England, and Belgium as the winner of Second World War got new spirit
to develop their country as a new powerful country competed with Soviet Union which also a
powerful country. At that time Soviet Union had some ally like China, North Korea, Cuba and East
Vietnam. As USA grows as a powerful country, USA aids the developed country in fund or labor.
In fact, the application of English teaching and learning do not caused by the dependency of aids
from English speaking country but at least the position of USA as a powerful country especially in
economy reinforce the passion of people in non-speaking English the result country to learn English.
And as the result, almost non-speaking English countries which require abroad labor apply English
proficiency as one of the requirements. The lower of skill and English proficiency, the lower wages
one will receive as an abroad labor. For example, Indonesian labor that will work in Malaysia should
attend an English course called English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in order to hold his/ her duty.

Technology
Nowadays, science and technology seems growing like mushroom in rainy season, every day at
least there is a new discovery, innovation and inventions. Although not every important technology
and science are discovered or innovated or invented by people of English speaking country, the user’s
guide book should be printed also in English for the users of this language are the biggest in amount
Some countries which expert in technology like Japan, South Korea, Germany, etc realize that the
speakers of English is large in amount and as market place for their product, that is why beside
program the technology or science in their native language , they also program them in English. Then
people whose native language is not program in the new technology or science should learn other
language, and most of them learn English. How come a technology is operated without proficiency in
English? Some useful technologies like personal computer, notebook, mobile phone, etc are almost
programmed in English, and sometimes programmed base on native language in the market place. But
some off them are programmed only in English; this like a kind of enforcement for people who do not
want to learn English. Therefore, one should have proficiency in English in order to operate a
technology well and not to be traditional people in this modern era.

Social Interaction

In social interaction, people learn English in order to know or understand everything which is
changing in this modern era. The requirement of English proficiency in some rural area is not really
needed. Otherwise, in some favorite destination of tourism places such as in Bali, proficiency of
English is really needed. There, people able to speak English because of the requirement of social
interaction with abroad tourist. So people there are grow in a circumstances of speaking English as in
English speaking country.

A bad case happened to a foreign tourist who came to spend his holiday or on a vacation in
Indonesia. He is a little bit disappointed because of poor proficiency in English of Indonesian people.
When this foreign tourist was really hungry and attempted to order food in a warung, the waitress at
that warung did not do anything, not because she worried that this guy did have enough money to pay
that meal, but simply because she did not understand what the guy was saying. Then the guy went
away with empty stomach. Therefore, language proficiency determines to whom we make a
relationship. The lower language proficiency we have, the lower friends we get.

Problems in teaching English in non-speaking English Country

Education deals with an attempt to facilitate someone to be able to do something, to master

something or to know something that valuable and useful in one’s life. According to Thorn Dike
(1874-1949) learning is a process of forming the relationship between stimulus and response. In
linguistic term deals with object or adjective and the response can be the sounds of the given stimulus.
Education has formal, informal and non-formal stages which happened during one’s life or long life
education. English is included in all stages of Education in one’s life. If someone does not experience
English learning during his/ her lifetime, maybe he/she live in an isolated area of modern changes.

Although, English learning is happen during one’s life time but seems that educational
institutions are not able to create a person with proficiency in speaking English. This is unbelievable
for at least one experience English teaching and learning 9 years during his/ her formal education in
school. The failure of education institution in trained English speaker especially in formal education
(in school education) deals with some inappropriate strategies according to Diba Putri in an article
about How to Improve the Quality of English Language Teaching Result. The inappropriate strategies
namely; 1) the teachers speak English rarely especially in teaching and learning process. The students
become doubt whether or not the teacher able to speak English. Teacher of English must be a model
for the students in learning English. If the teachers only master the rules of English sentence pattern,
memorize a lot of vocabulary in English and unable to practice them, the students may imitate that
model; 2) the teaching material is over concern in grammar. Most of students who ever learned or still
learn English in school are mastering English grammar during school time but after graduating they
forget them at all. This is caused by lack of practice, they master the grammar but do not know when
and how to apply them; 3) the vocabularies which taught are not useful or appropriate for students
daily life. Teaching material mostly concern with discussion beyond students daily life like
industrialization, global warming, political, economy, etc. these topic is supposed to make students
able to discuss what is changing in this world related with these topic with foreigner. But students
need something deal with the needs of their daily life, it is impossible to build a discussion without
introduction to that topic. According to Brownell and Van Engen (1935) learning itself is a
meaningful process. Learning English is process of reality which is meaningful. Students learn to
formulate sentence which deal with their real life. It does not mean that topic about industry or politic
are not meaningful, but may will be more meaningful if the teaching material touch students daily
needs first.; 4) The teaching material which taught are not step by step order. Students usually find
repetition of teaching material that they got when they were at junior high school at senior high
school. These repetitions sometimes make the students bored and do not pay attention to that material.
Actually, these repetitions are caused unorganized of teaching and learning planning from the
regulator

Culture filtering in Teaching and Learning English in Non-Speaking English Country

English as the first foreign language is learn by almost every people all over the world as we
know that is spoken in English speaking country. English speaking country (Australia, England and
USA, has great contribution of development in many part of the world. Learning a language is not
learning about the language itself but also about the culture where the language is spoken. “The
representation of nowadays’ global culture shows that there is strong relationship between the role of
languages in the world and the emergence of global culture” (Pennycook in book The Cultural
Politics of English as an International Language). This is imply that English hold a major role of
emerge a global culture which affect every country all over the world. We can see from the hegemony
English speaking country especially USA with it military power and economic power. As the model
of the development of every aspects USA regulate this world’s culture.

In Indonesia, the hegemony of USA is represented by the existence of Mc Donald, KFC and
movie which produced by Hollywood, the USA’s famous film company. For learning English is also
learn about the culture, it is worried that someday Indonesia lost its culture which have existed for
thousands years. The worry sooner or later is happened; nowadays some Indonesians are imitating
western’s culture like dressing, free sex, relation between parents and children.

CONCLUSION
 In conclusion English is important for people who live in this globalization era and can be
analogize as a vehicle for use to move everywhere in this globalization era. Actually, English is taught
in every part of this world in different language politic in every country like as a first language, as a
formal language, as a second language, as a language in educational institution or as a foreign
language. But something that we have to realize whatever language politic apply in our country,
English still this planet’s lingua franca. We are united by English wherever we come from and
whatever we are.

Although, English language teaching is done in every language but not every education
institutions can create a good English speaker. This is not sometimes caused by the language politic
but also by inappropriate strategies which are applied by the regulation maker or English teacher.
Most of English language teaching materials do not touch the needs of the students.

Learn a language means learn the culture where the language is spoken. This theory happened
with English which is taught all over the world. Culture filtering is really needed by the English
learners and English teacher for not every culture in English speaking countries are appropriate with
the learners’ culture or norm.
REFERENCE

Anonymous. No date. Peran Bahasa Inggris Terhadap Keseimbangan Budaya. Lingkar Studi Amerika.
(Online)(diakses tanggal 29 Juni 2010)

Anonymous. 2010. Metode Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris SD. Artikel Pendidikan. (Online)(diakes 21
Juni 2010)

Putri, Diba, 2002. Bagaimana Meningkatkan Mutu Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris di Sekolah.
Pendidikan Network. (Online)(diakses 14 Juni 2010)