A Multi-Language English Language Learning Environment
Keywords:
MULTI-LANGUAGE, LEARNINGAbstract
Many people learn English. Many have learned it for a quite long time. Those who graduated from Senior High Schools have formally learned it for 12 years. Those who graduated from universities have formally learned it for 16 years. Others have learned the language even longer. Some have succeeded, but many of them claim that they have failed especially when their ability to speak the language is to be questioned. The reason why many students cannot speak English in and outside the classroom is first because they do not try to use it. They are ―passive‖ students. They come to class with no attempt to use it for communication. They only listen to the teacher who unfortunately is very dominant while conducting the teaching learning process. Outside the classroom, the situation is even worse for no English-speaking community is found. Second, many students do not and cannot use English because they are reluctant to use the language in the ―only-English situation.‖ They are actually linguistically ready. They have had the knowledge of English grammar, a sufficient stock of English vocabulary, and the ability to pronounce the words, but they are not mentally ready. They
have no courage to speak English in the situation in which only English is required—the only-English situation. It is imperative that only-English situation is important for at this situation every participant of the conversation is ―forced‖ to speak in English regardless of their weaknesses, mistakes, shortcomings, and so on. However, as commonly found, many learners often avoid participating in this situation. They tend to use Indonesian or Javanese instead. For this reason, a conducive environment needs to be created. It is an
environment where participants of the conversation are allowed to use languages other than English, i.e., Indonesian, Javanese, and other languages which the conversation participants are familiar with. It is a multi-language English learning environment which
can be developed in and outside the classroom.
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