Funny Parts of Teaching English as Foreign Language

credit to http://learningworksforkids.com

As English in Indonesia, especially in Aceh is still condidered hard subject along with Math, some people think that English is an "exclusive" language. So many Indonesian parents spend millions to make their kids able to speak English like a native. In fact, only a few of these parents who are able to speak English. at this point, all the responsibility are on teachers.

I teach in two places right know; an international school and a course. The first one mentioned is a school where international system is applied and aall students and teachers are expected to speak full English except in some subject like Bahasa Indonesia, Sosial Science, Citizenship, Arabic/ Mandarin. The kids are trained to acquintaance the language by speaking it not by teaching it as a language.

However, it causes the language to be in a mess structure you have ever heard nowhere. Since this kids speak Bahasa Indonesia in their homes and Bahasa grammar is so different compared to English, sometimes I find the kids speak english with Indonesian grammar or vice versa. Here are the examples:

If one can not do or say something they suppose to say: "I can't see it" or "I can't do it"

but in reality what I heard from most of the kids are: "me not can see" or "me not can do"

It takes about 2-3 months for me to fix this and always remind them if they say this.

In other case, they will read word in Bahasa Indonesia in English pronunciation. This one is never be disaster except for the one and only Bahasa Indonesia teaacher in the school.

At the very worst case, especially the kids who are "lucky" enough to have parents who can speak English with them all of the time find it's hard to speak in Bahasa Indonesia. In Bahasa Indonesia subject, one had ever asked me (when I was around), "do you know how to say 'market' in Bahasa?". At my very stupefied expression I asked back, "You really don't know it?". 

The funniest part is mostly happened in my course. They don't go to Bilingual school, so they speak a very good Bahasa Indonesia. Too good that it sometimes influences their English. 

There was a moment when I asked my students to translete 2 - 3 sentences. I rarely do this thou. But wwhen I do, I always find myself laughing so hard along with the kids of course.

That day I asked my students to translete "I will be at your house around 6" into Bahasa Indonesia.

One of my student, the most innocent look in the class, translete it to be "Saya akan kelilingi rumah kamu selama enam kali = I will surround your house 6 times". It was so hilarious.

credit to http://thefeedingdoctor.com

This language teaching obstacle never be a burden for me. Honestly, I like it to hear the kids trying so hard to deal with two languages at the same time, and I prouly say that most of them did it. At last, it's great to learn from your own mistakes, is it.