Insight on Teaching English with Local Languages in Mind

Source: Translators without Borders

According to translatorswithoutborders.org, there are over 800 languages spoken in Indonesia. Even though Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, it is not the primary language for most Indonesians. In fact, over 30 percent of the population uses Javanese or Bahasa Jawa for daily conversations. This finding is not surprising considering how culturally diverse Indonesia is. Considering these conditions, educators may need to be aware of and perhaps even incorporate these local languages when teaching English.

On November 13, 2023, we had yet another guest speaker for our Current Issues in Foreign Language Teaching course. This time, we welcomed Mr. Dan Brodkin. He is a graduate student from the University of California Santa Cruz, and he opened his presentation by introducing himself as a linguist who studies syntax. I was elated when I heard the topic for that session. The reason for my excitement is aside from learning grammar, being an English Literature student means I also learn about linguistics, such as phonetics, semantics, and pragmatics. Before any of my classes started, I had gone online to research what I would learn and what others may think about the courses. A lot of people were saying that English Syntax made their heads spin. They even went as far as calling it the “mathematics for English Literature students.” I had this course in my second semester and absolutely fell in love with it. I felt that even though it was complex, I enjoyed it. Maybe it is because I have spent the last three years prior learning complex mathematics. Mr. Dan said that he has been researching an Indonesian local language, bahasa Mandar, which is a regional language of West Sulawesi Province, since 2019.

Mr. Dan explained that in syntactic research, the central questions are regarding the types of sentences that exist in human language and whether there are sentence types that exist in every language. In his research, he did a contrastive analysis of bahasa Mandar and bahasa Indonesia by investigating the former’s syntax and the differences between the two languages. The results of his study were explained to us in three parts, which are the shape of the sentence, the agreement of the verb, and the status of prepositions. In summary, people whose native tongues are bahasa Mandar may have an easier time learning how English verbs change to agree with the subject, how to form questions in English, and how to place prepositions in English as they have similar concepts in their language. However, they may have a harder time learning the basic word order of English sentences as the verb comes before the subject in their language.

This session has opened my eyes and widened my knowledge of syntactic differences between languages. Mr. Dan also mentioned other languages, such as Irish and French, along with their similarities and differences with the languages discussed previously. Even though I am actively studying Korean with English, I never mind the differences. For example, in Korean, the object comes between the subject and the verb. So, instead of I bought that apple, it would be I that apple bought (저 그 사과를 샀어요), and this is also a foreign concept in Indonesian. Aside from that, there are degrees of politeness that need to be thought about. I think that it is similar to how some Indonesian speaks, especially those who come from a Javanese background. Like in Indonesian, the pronoun can be different. The word either saya or aku can be used when referring to one’s self, and this does not include the local languages or slang commonly used, such as gue (bahasa Tiongkok Hokkien) or aing (bahasa Sunda). In Korean, it is either 저 or 나, with the latter being the more polite form.

This session also inspired me to become more aware of locals’ English development. In this day and age, English proficiency is such a crucial and practical skill to have. When someone is proficient in English, it may guarantee better opportunities for them to acquire their desired knowledge and occupation. Ultimately, it will create better conditions for Indonesia. The tip given by Mr. Dan and Ms. Maria, our lecturer for this course, is to find comparative analysis studies that describe the similarities and differences between the syntax of Indonesian local languages and English before making our lesson plans, materials, and assessments. Additionally, I feel that teaching in a rural area is a very noble job. Just like soon-to-be doctors have to spend a few years in rural areas, perhaps teachers can do that too so that they can have a more meaningful experience.

Another reason why this particular session stood out for me is the fact that it stuck with me for weeks after the session ended. I could not stop thinking about bahasa Mandar. I found myself randomly saying uakke’, which means saya mengangkat (object), or I lifted (object) at random times. So, I also want my classes to be like this. To stick in learners' minds and not be forgotten easily. It is not uncommon for students –including myself– to hear one thing and forget about it the next second. Because of this, I want to continuously find ways to keep my students engaged and remember what I taught them when I become a teacher. The strategies will depend on the learners’ age group, proficiency level, and their needs. For example, if I am teaching kindergarten students who are, of course, still learning beginner English, I would like to incorporate many games and activities that require movement, meaning I will use the Total Physical Response (TPR) approach. I feel that by doing so, I can engage my learners. To me, a fun and meaningful learning experience is important. 

In conclusion, this session allowed me to understand more about local languages and why it is necessary to be aware of them when teaching English. It also gives me a better idea of what kind of teacher I want to be in the future. Furthermore, this session is both insightful and motivating for me to grow as a teacher.

References:

Translators without borders. (n.d.). Language data for Indonesia. Translators without borders. https://translatorswithoutborders.org/language-data-for-indonesia/