Rethinking the Maintenance of CLT in Indonesia: A Response to Ariatna’s “The Need for Maintaining CLT in Indonesia”

Fadilah, Eka (2018) Rethinking the Maintenance of CLT in Indonesia: A Response to Ariatna’s “The Need for Maintaining CLT in Indonesia”. TESOL Journal (TJ), 9 (1). pp. 224-236. ISSN Online ISSN:1949-3533

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Abstract

In his article, Ariatna (2016) recommends maintaining communicative language teaching (CLT) in Indonesia despite the impediments of inadequate teacher expertise, low student participation, large class size, and limited teaching time— impediments situated in the context of a grammar-based syllabus and a noncommunicative examination. I agree with a few of his points but disagree with others where he has not viewed CLT through the broader lens of the social, economic, cultural, and ideological context of English-language education in Indonesia. In addition, I am rather alarmed by his radical recommendation that the status of English in Indonesia be changed from English as a foreign language (EFL) to English as a second language (ESL) as a means of enhancing CLT. In my view, such a recommendation can only be made after careful consideration of both the practical aspects and the broader implications of the concept of CLT. The radical shift in English teaching methodology from the audio-lingual method (ALM) to CLT has created an enthusiasm for CLT that does not always befit the context in which it is implemented (Bax, 2003). The Indonesian English curriculum has undergone eight revisions, and seen a number of English-language teaching methods come and go: the grammar-translation method, direct method, audio-lingual method, CLT, and the genre-based approach (Lie, 2007). Indonesian EFL teachers have managed to adapt each of these methods to the situational contexts of their classrooms. The teachers’ flexibility in adapting the practices and theoretical approaches of different language teaching methods to Indonesian classrooms should be acknowledged and taken into account when considering the suitability of CLT, instead of an unquestioning acceptance of CLT as the only or the best method (Carless, 2007; Kumaradivelu, 2003). I agree with Ariatna that some of the constraints in implementing CLT in Indonesia are experienced not only in Indonesia but also in other countries where English is taught as a foreign language. However, Ariatna has only portrayed the narrow localized constraints impeding effective CLT in Indonesia and ignored the macrolevel constraints. This response aims to present some of the macrolevel constraints that impede the implementation of effective CLT. It also argues against the idea of changing the status of English from EFL to ESL in Indonesia. Due to space limitations, I confine my response to four macrolevel constraints that are fundamental to CLT practice in Indonesia: societal classroom, socioeconomic, cultural, and ideological constraints.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) P Language and Literature > PE English Language > PE1-3729 English P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Divisions:	Fakultas Sastra dan Pendidikan Bahasa > English Department
Depositing User:	Staff Perpustakaan Uwika
Date Deposited:	18 Apr 2022 08:27
Last Modified:	27 Jun 2022 09:32
URI:	http://repository.widyakartika.ac.id/id/eprint/1386

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