Learning English in Native and Non-native Country

Learning a language is becoming a big challenge for particular students, both in native and non-native country. One example, Indonesian students who learn English language in their own country will have another story of learning process when they learn the language in the English speaking country. Regarding this matter, students need to increase their awareness about the language learning environment which is appropriate to support their learning process. Therefore, it is important to let the students know about the types of language learning environment, that is learning a language as the foreign language and as the mother tongue. Students can decide which one of the environment that will help them to achieve their goal of learning. By analyzing the similarities and differences between both types of language learning environment, students will figure out how their learning process is being carried out effectively and efficiently.

The first similar thing of learning English in both native and non-native country is that the essential of the language which is a tool for communication. Language is defined as a form of communication using words, either spoken or written. Meanwhile communication is a process of exchanging information between two parties. Therefore, there must be two parties within particular area for communication to exist while language itself is used as the medium to exchange. In today’s world, English is treated as the global lingua franca due to the fact that it is a required international language in areas such as communications, science, information technology, diplomacy and also education. English, as a language, is used as a method of communication around the world, either directly or indirectly. English learners can use English directly as a tool for communication by direct or face-to-face interaction. However, it is also accepted that the language can be used to exchange information by using social media. Thus, wherever the English learners learn the language, it is always used as a tool to communicate ideas between two parties by using spoken or written words.

After knowing about the similarity, students should also notice the difference between learning English in native and non-native countries. One thing that differentiate them is the educational system of the native and non-native countries. It is undeniable that the educational system has an important role in students’ language learning environment. As Steiner (1988) said that students and the context of learning are the components of an education system. It means that the educational system should be well-conducted in order to create excellent students and also the learning environment. For instance, in America, the educational focus of the government is a decentralization to give a total authority to the states and the districts in managing their own instructional curriculum. By evolving the decentralization model, the educational management is executed based on the exact needs and aspiration from the society of each state and district. Generally, this policy is in line with one of its educational goals which is to improve the social condition of society. Moreover, the educational system in America has been created to help and prepare the students in developing their personal skills. Therefore, at the end of 19^th century, there is a claim for changing the curriculum and the learning method by directing the attention to the different needs of each student. Thus, the students will have a big opportunity in deciding their learning choices and priorities.

Different from America’s educational system, Indonesia has its own educational system. In short, Indonesian students will have a different learning environment if they choose their mother tongue country (Indonesia) as an environment to learn English. Although the implementation of decentralization model is also running in Indonesia, but it still has several problem that should be considered by the government itself. As Rohman and Wiyono (2010) said that the decentralization in Indonesia has several crucial points which are related to the implementation, such as the misdistribution of educational service through the numbers of provinces in Indonesia and also the frequent changing of curriculum itself. Additionally, the focus of Indonesia educational system is the character building and the intellectuality of the students. In line with this, the government, in this case The Minister of Education, has improved the curriculum of education in Indonesia into the focus of three aspects of learning, they are cognitive, affective, and behavior. In short, learning here is to create a student which is good in every aspects of life.

In short, knowing about the characteristics of the types of language learning environment is very important for students. Both native and non-native countries have their own strengths to help students in learning a language. So, the students can take the benefits from the similarities and differences of both language learning environments. Yet, they should not only rely on a specific point that a country has been served. However, the final goal here is to help the students in figuring out which environment works best for them in order to achieve the best result in learning.