EducationCorner

People always ask me, ‘How can my English be as good as yours?’ Well, if you spent 18 years in U.S. like me, then your English will be as good as mine, Insya Allah. If you live in the country, you are forced to speak, read and write the language. I moved there when I was 9 years old and I was surrounded by the language in school. There was no Indonesian in my school, actually no Indonesian in my entire town (Texas City, Texas). Then, my father decided to speak to me in English at home to help me learn faster. So, I was surrounded and immersed in English everywhere I go…at home, at school, at the mall, etc. I learned English so well that I started to forget about the Indonesian language.

 

So what about those who can’t afford to go or send their children to another country to speak English? Don’t lose hope. You can try doing the same thing here in Indonesia. You need to surround yourself or your children with the English language everywhere you go. 

 

How? First, you need, of course, the formal education. For adults, you need to take English courses in a good language school. Ask around for the best ones that are also affordable to you. If you cannot afford any of these places, there are also English courses that are free or you can hire a private teacher who is cheap or who is willing do it for free. I would recommend at least 2 times a week for a minimum of one and a half hour, if not more. For children, in addition to sending them to a formal language school, you need to also look into sending your children to regular school (national plus or international school) that uses English as the medium to teach. I know most on these schools are very expensive but at least make sure that your children’s school offers a good English program (ones that teaches the skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, not just grammar) or push them to have it. Now, even national schools have English programs.

 

But the most important thing is to have an English environment at home. It is not enough to just attend formal English courses. You can create an “English day” at home. For example, make every Mondays and Wednesdays, an “English day” where the whole family speaks English. You need to juggle different activities that use all the language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking). For example, for listening you can watch English movies, news program, talk shows or listening to English songs, poems or talking books. For reading you can read books, comics, magazines or newspaper. For writing, you can write a diary, poems or even little notes. For a speaking activity, you can discuss your hobbies, past activities, daily activities or activities that you are planning for. I wouldn’t put too much effort on doing grammar at home. Most of the time, you have plenty of it at school or in your formal English courses. Plus, you want this to be fun and enjoyable for everyone and not something they dread all week to have.

 

Another big point in learning a foreign language is to not translate. Try to learn vocabulary from pictures or context clues, rather from translations. Use the vocabulary that you know to explain different words. When you need to look up a word in a dictionary, use an English-to-English dictionary like the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary or Oxford Picture Dictionary instead of the English-to-Indonesian dictionary. The only way to be fluent in a language is to think in that language. Translation will only slow down the learning process. 

 

I have seen this method work for my friends and students of English. I have also learned this through my own experience is learning English, re-learning the Indonesian Language and in learning Arabic. So, I hope you can benefit from this, Insha Allah.