THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BILINGUALISM IN ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Penulis : Santiana

Abstract:

This paper discussed about bilingualism and its implementation in teaching EFL classes in Indonesia. This paper also shows the benefits of using L1 in ESL and EFL in classes since the appropiate usus of L1 would not reduce students exposure to English but it rather assists them in the teaching and learning process.

A. Introduction

Bilingualism has been a controversial issue in teaching English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) these days. People argue whether it is best to use the first language (L1) in second language (L2) classes or not.

The proponents argue that it is necessary to build students’ comprehension of L2 through their L1. In this case, Chau (1991:15) suggests that using L1 is essential in teaching L2 because it can help students from beginner level to comprehend the meaning in the language learning process which can build their confidence so that the L2 development can be built easily.

The opponents, on the contrary, argue that students must be fully exposed to L2 so that they become used to the language and can speak like the native speakers of L2 (Porter, 1990; Rossell and Baker, 1996 quoted in Cummins, 1999-2003c). The same vein is also suggested by Krashen (1981):

“…people learning foreign languages follow basically the same route as they acquire their mother tongue, hence the use of mother tongue in the learning process should be minimized” (cited in Tang 2002:37).

Tang further describes that in the past time the use of L1 was neglected in the TESL/TEFL methodology literature that made teachers of ESL/EFL feel uncomfortable in using L1 or allow their students to use it in the classroom, even when it was needed. However, recently experts in second language acquisition have considered the importance of the role of mother tongue in ESL/EFL teachings so that both teachers and students are allowed to use L1 instead of the English language during the lesson.

This paper will discuss some notions of bilingualism, including the definitions of bilinguals and bilingualism, the overview of its practices in ESL and EFL classes in other countries (based on research conducted by Krieger, Chau, Schweers, and Tang), the advantages of bilingual program, the use of L1 in EFL classes in Indonesia (based on the writer’s own experience) including the hindrances encountered by teachers, and collaborative power of teachers, parents, and students to reinforce the use of L1 in L2 classes.

B. Definitions of Bilinguals and Bilingualism

In discussing bilingualism, we have to know previously what is meant by bilinguals and bilingualism because they are related to one another. There are two different views about the definition of bilinguals proposed by different authors cited in Cummins and Swain (1986:7):

The first view suggests that bilinguals are people “who possess at least one of the language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) even to minimal degree in their second language” (Macnamara, 1967). On the contrary, the second view suggests that bilinguals are people who have mastery level of two different languages “without any interference between the two linguistic process” (Oestreicher, 1974) and “have native-like control of two or more languages” (Bloomfield, 1933), especially in “speaking and listening skills” (e.g. Haugen, 1953; Pohl, 1965; Weinreich, 1953).

In the similar vein, Mayor (1194:74) suggests that bilinguals are people who know more than one register and possibly have more than one dialect within each of their languages.

Meanwhile, regarding to bilingualism, there are various definitions of bilingualism. Every expert of second language acquisition has their own view about it. Most of them state that bilingualism is an ability to use two languages, either having equal fluency of both languages or only fluent in one of them (see Let’s Talk 47, The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2004, and Schiffman, 2002). Furthermore, Cummins and Swain (1986:7) have summarized that:

“…the definitions of bilingualism have considered the age at which the second language is learned (simultaneous versus sequential; early versus late); the contexts in which two languages have been learned (compound versus coordinate (Osgood and Sebeok, 1965), artificial versus natural (Stern, 1973)); or the domains in which each language is used (e.g. Fishman, 1968; Oksar, 1971)”.

However, the concept of bilingualism used in this paper is the use of L1 in L2 classes, which are English language classes, as Schiffman (2002) points out that bilingualism is “…the state of a linguistic community in which two languages are in contact with the result that two codes can be used in the same interaction… ". Thus, what is meant by bilingualism in this paper is teachers and students are allowed to use two languages (i.e. their L1 and English language) in ESL/EFL classrooms.

C. Practices of Bilingualism in ESL and EFL Classes in Other Countries

The use of bilingualism in ESL and EFL classes has been implemented in many countries. However, there are slight differences of L1 implementation between ESL and EFL classes (Krieger, 2005).

In ESL classes, the students are usually multilingual (most of them are immigrants) and live in the culture of the target language. Therefore, L1 is only used within students of the same L1 or with teachers of the same L1. In circumstances where the teachers only use English in the classrooms in order to be fair, the students are still allowed to use their L1 to each other. For example, it happens in an ESL class in San Fransisco, as reported by Krieger, whose students are from different countries and use different L1s. In order to be fair, the teacher only uses English as the medium of instruction but allows his students to use their own L1s to help another student with the same L1 to cope with a difficult task which requires a further explanation. This is relevant to Moore, who suggests that:

“It is important for bilingual students to be allowed and encouraged to use their first language or languages in learning situations in addition to their developing additional language” (1999:44).

Another example of bilingualism in ESL context is the use of Chinese in teaching ESL to immigrants from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong in New South Wales, Australia, conducted by Chau (1991:14). The teacher used Chinese as the L1 because she is from a Chinese country and all of her students also use Chinese as their L1. She used the language only to explain the tasks which the students can not understand in L2.

In EFL classes, in contrast, the students are usually monolingual and live in their own country. Therefore, it is possible for teachers to use the same L1 with their students. An example of bilingualism used in EFL classes is in the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon Campus, whose students are monolinguals of Spanish. There, EFL teachers use more Spanish to explain difficult concepts, to check for comprehension, and to define new vocabulary items (Schweers, 2003:34).

In developed Asian countries, such as Japan as reported by Krieger (2005) and China (see Tang, 2002:37-38), L1 is also used in EFL classes. In Japan, Krieger uses Japanese in order to clarify difficult tasks and to help his “lost” students to feel included. Meanwhile in Tang’s research, Chinese is also used in teaching intermediate level English major students of a university in Beijing. The teachers use Chinese mostly in giving instruction and explaining meanings of words.

Furthermore, to support bilingualism implementation in teaching ESL/EFL, a computer-assisted text-based ESL/EFL learning system named e-lective Language Learning has been designed. By using the system, learners can choose readings according to their preferences and self regulate the type and degree of support while reading in the target language. Besides that, they can also enrich their vocabulary, grammar, idioms, and other language items of English. This is relevant with some notions of the goal of the system taken by Cummins, that:

“e-lective Language Learning is designed to provide ESL students with the support they require to gain access to grade equivalent curriculum at a much earlier stage than might otherwise have been possible…”and “…to foster academic language learning among both ESL and EFL learners by providing them with authentic comprehensible input in the target language”. (Cummins, 1998, Spring)

This system may help teachers of ESL and EFL classes in explaining difficult lessons to their students in their L1.

D. Advantages of bilingualism

Generally, there are many advantages of bilingualism listed by a number of authors, either cognitively, socially, or economically. Cognitively, bilinguals can reach the higher level of linguistic skills, general intellectual skills, and divergent thinking. Moreover, they also have analytic orientation to linguistic and perceptual structures and sensitivity to feedback cues (Cummins and Swain, 1986:10; see also Chipongian, 2000). Globe (2004) has reported that “children who speak two languages or more tend to be more creative, better at problem-solving and score better on literacy tests” and bilingual adults may remain having sharp memories as they are getting old. Those advantages above are relevant to Moore’s suggestion, that “…bilingualism has the capacity to be linguistically and cognitively advantageous…”(1999:43).

In addition, Foreman (2002) has summarized a research on bilingual children which has suggested that bilingualism is great for the brain. Due to early learning of arbitrariness of names of objects, bilingual children are more able to abstraction compared with monolingual ones (Flynn). Moreover, they can “ignore misleading information “(Bialystok) and “focus on attention”. Besides, they can also learn the skills of switching back and forth between tasks when the rules of language change which inhibits the set of language previously learned and pushes the brain to mature early (Diamond).

Socially, bilinguals can get along with foreigners easily for their communicative skills of more than one language (Karosas, 2004). This is relevant to a suggestion from Fortune and Tedick which states that “becoming bilingual opens the door to communication with more people in more places”, which is the skill “to interact competently in an increasingly interdependent world community” (2003).

Those factors above can bring economic advantages for bilinguals as they mature. Since they have better cognitive and linguistic achievements, and are able to make social relationships easily with other people from other countries, they could have better job prospects, as Globe (2004) argues, and get better jobs easily, as Savoie (2005) believes. Besides that, they could also earn more money than the monolingual counterparts. This is supported by the fact reported by Latino Link (2000) cited in Cummins (1999-2003a) that “fully bilingual Hispanics earn nearly 7.000 dollars per year more than their English-only counterparts”.

In ESL/EFL classes, many advantages have been felt by both teachers and students by implementing bilingualism. The first advantages are felt by teachers. By implementing bilingualism in their classes, they can explain better about difficult concepts through L1 so that the students can understand them better. Besides, they can also draw more attention from “lost” students that smoothens the teaching and learning process. This is relevant to a suggestion by Krieger (2005) which states that the use of L1 in L2 classes can help “lost” students to understand the matter, which enables the relationship between teachers and students to improve and produces a comfortable and conducive atmosphere in learning English.

The second advantages are felt by students. By allowing them to use L1 in L2 classes, they would feel free to draw on L1 in the first step of the language learning process, which can help build their confidence. As Auerbach (1993:19) concludes in Schweers(2003: 34):

“Starting with the L1 provides a sense of security and validates the learners’ lived experiences, allowing them to express themselves. The learner is then willing to experiment and take risks with English”

Therefore, the use of students’ L1 in beginner level of ESL and EFL classroom is recommended.

E. Bilingualism in EFL teaching in Indonesian context.

In Indonesian context, the Indonesian language (as an L1) is essential in teaching EFL classes, especially for beginner level students. Sometimes teachers have difficulties in explaining difficult concepts to the students. This has enforced them to use L1 rather than L2.

The same problem also happened to the writer when she taught an EFL class to the first grade of high school students in an English course in Bandung. In her teacher training, she was always told to use only English in explaining the materials, even to beginner level students. It was recommended to use gestures, pictures, or realia to help teachers introduce vocabularies. However, she often had problems in explaining difficult concepts and giving instructions to her students since they were still in beginner level. To cope with that, she used Indonesian in giving instruction (only if they did not understand) and in helping them to comprehend certain vocabularies and difficult concepts. This is relevant to Huda’s suggestion that:

“…the medium of instruction in the secondary school English lesson is not necessarily English in full. But it could be a combination of English and Indonesian depending on the specific objective of a particular lesson and the condition of the school in general” (Huda, 1999:138).

After that, they looked more comfortable in learning English and had great interests to learn it more.

The same problem is also encountered by most of her colleagues from the same institution, and they also use Indonesian whenever it is needed. However, the manager of the institution does not allow the teachers to use any languages but English in the classrooms, even if it is needed. Thus, the use of Indonesian has been minimized only for explaining very difficult concepts to the students.

F. Collaborative Power of Teachers, Parents, and Students in Reinforcing the Use of L1 in L2 Classes

The hindrance experienced by Indonesian teachers above was also experienced by teachers in a school in California (December 1999), whose principal prohibited Spanish to be spoken by both teachers and students in the classroom (Cummins, 1999-2003b).

Actually, teachers have powers in the classroom to apply bilingualism in their classes. The same vein is also argued by Cummins in the same text that:

“teachers have both the right and the responsibility to resist (…) coercive injunctions. When the classroom door closes, there are many ways in which teachers can communicate accurate and affirmative messages to their students regarding the value of their languages and cultures. They can also communicate to parents what the research says about the importance of L1 development for children’s overall academic progress as well as for continued communication in the home”.

Here, teachers are challenged to overcome the “coercive relations of power” by implementing “collaborative creation of power”, where teachers, students and parents can collaborate power in reinforcing bilingualism to be used in ESL/EFL classes.

G. Conclusion

This paper has given an account on the definitions of bilinguals and bilingualism, the practices of bilingualism in ESL and EFL classes in other countries, the advantages of bilingualism, and the implementation of bilingualism in teaching EFL classes in Indonesia. The discussion above has suggested that using enough L1 in ESL and EFL classes could be very useful, especially for teachers of beginner level students in order to build their comprehension of the target language.

From the overview of the bilingualism practices in both ESL and EFL classes, it can be concluded that appropriate uses of L1 would not reduce students’ exposure to English, but assist them in understanding the teaching and learning process. Even though in the practice there has been a hindrance related to coercive injunctions, where the use of students’ mother tongue is prohibited in teaching ESL/EFL classes, teachers have the power to manage their classrooms in their own ways. It has been a challenge for us, as teachers, to cope with the problem.