WHY DO INDONESIAN THINK THAT LEARNING ENGLISH IS DIFFICULT ?

Learning foreign language, especially English will take time for us to get use to it because we know that Indonesian grammar and the other aspects are different from English.  Here I will share few differences which create the confusion on learning English for Indonesian people.

 1.      Indonesian gender confusion(Nothing to do with transexuals here)

Indonesian does not distinguish between “he”, “she” and “it”. When it comes to third person singular pronouns, Indonesians just use the same word (dia) no matter whether it's a male, female or an animal without any specific gender. While that may sound confusing, it's not, because the context is key. Here's an example:  If I start talking about “Mr Smith”, then I have established by my use of "Mr" that he is male. So subsequently when referring to Mr Smith, I can just refer to him as dia because whoever I'm talking to knows that it is a man. But if I then start talking about Mr Smith's daughter, or Mr Smith's dog, I also use dia.  But when Indonesians speak English, they commonly confuse "he", "she" and "it". Thus it is common to hear phrases like, "Yesterday I was talking to my father and she got a bit angry" or "Check out that girl, he has nice legs".

2. Tense Confusion

Indonesian has no separate markers for tenses (as in the English “had”/”has”/”will have”/”is having”).  Everything is said in the present tense. If that sounds strange, it's not. Again, it’s all context – once I establish that I’m talking about something that happened yesterday, it is just assumed that I’m speaking in past tense, and I use the same verbs as I would if I was talking about the future or the present.  Obviously, when speaking English, Indonesians can forget to apply tense to their verbs, saying things like “yesterday I go to theshop”.

3.Plurals.

In English, the suffix "-s" on the end of a word indicates plurality. However, Indonesian doesn't really have plural suffixes. Sometimes, plurality is indicated by simply doubling the word. So teman means "friend", and teman-teman means "friends", which does not imply a specific number. But other times, a single teman is enough, accompanied by a contextual word to indicate whether it is plural or not. So if I add banyak ("many"), I have banyak teman ("many friends"). The use of "many" implies plurality, so it is not necessary to further indicate that there is more than one friend in this situation. Thus the use of the suffix "-s" in the English phrase "many friends" is redundant, as saying "many friend" would convey exactly the same message. Likewise, if I have 80 teman, the plurality is implied by the number. Thus, many Indonesians when the speak English say things like “I own 2 house” or “We have enough player to make three team”, because it makes perfect sense in their own language.



4.Pronuncation
Certain sounds don't exist naturally in Indonesian, such as /sh/, which is usually mispronounced as /s/. /th/ is pronounced either as /d/ or /t/ depending on the word. /ch/ exists in Indonesian, but never at the end of the word; Indonesians struggle to pronounce this in that context, and it usually comes out as /ts/. Regarding vowels, /a/ as in the English "cat" doesn't exist in Indonesian and is pronounced /e/ as it "pet" instead.
Not all Indonesians can pronounce /f/ and /v/, pronouncing them as /p/ and /b/ instead. The example that they will say "Hep you pinis? I hep pinis. So now you won to go to de bits to kets de pis, or you won to wats the pilm instead?" So that phrase would properly read, "Have you finished? I have finished. So now you want to go to the beach to catch the fish, or you want to watch the film instead?"

You can read more in http://eurasian-sensation.blogspot.com/2011/02/mistakes-indonesians-make-when-trying.html

ENGLISH IDIOMS

What will we do if English people speak with us by using idiom ? We can't understand the meaning by translating word per word. It seems difficult isn't it? We can learn those idioms start from now ! I will share some idioms for you.

I hereby give notice of my intention

Hereby is used sometimes in formal, official declarations and statements to give greater force to the speaker' or the writer's affirmation. People will say it sometimes to emphasise their sincerity and correctness.

I may be daft, but I'm not stupid

I might do or say silly things occasionally, but in this instance I know what I am doing (Usually used when someone questions your application of common-sense).

I should cocoa

(UK) This idiom comes from 'I should think so', but is normally used sarcastically to mean the opposite.

I'll be a monkey's uncle

I'll be a monkey's uncle is used as an expression of surprise.

I'll cross that road when I come to it

I'll think about something just when it happens, not in advance.

I'll eat my hat

You can say this when you are absolutely sure that you are right to let the other person know that there is no chance of your being wrong.

I've got a bone to pick with you

If somebody says this, they mean that they have some complaint to make against the person they are addressing.

I've got your number

You have made a mistake and I am going to call you on it. You are in trouble (a threat). I have a disagreement with you. I understand your true nature.

Icing on the cake

This expression is used to refer to something good that happens on top of an already good thing or situation.

Idle hands are the devil's handiwork

When someone is not busy, or being productive, trouble is bound to follow.

If I had a nickel for every time

(USA) When someone uses this expression, they mean that the specific thing happens a lot. It is an abbreviation of the statement 'If I had a nickel for every time that happened, I would be rich' 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Any attempt to improve on a system that already works is pointless and may even hurt it.

If the cap fits, wear it

This idiom means that if the description is correct, then it is describing the truth, often when someone is being criticised. ('If the shoe fits, wear it' is an alternative)

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride

This means that wishing for something or wanting it is not the same as getting or having it.

You can read more  in http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/i.html

How to Improve EFL Students’ Listening Skill of English

There are three suggestions from Ralph G. Nichols (1967), an American professor of Rhetoric at the University of Minnesota about how to become a better listener.

1. It is to anticipate the speaker's next point. If you anticipate correctly, learning has been reinforced. If you anticipate incorrectly, you wonder why and this too helps to increase attention.

2. It is to identify the supporting elements a speaker uses in building points. By and large, we use only three ways to build points: We explain the point, we get emotional and harangue the point, or we illustrate the point with a factual illustration. A sophisticated listener knows this. He or she spends a little of the differential between thought speed and speaking speed to identify what is being used as point-supporting material. This becomes highly profitable in terms of listening efficiency .

3. A third way to improve yourself as a listener is to periodically make mental summaries as you listen. A good listener takes advantage of short pauses to summarize mentally what has been said. These periodic summaries reinforce learning tremendously.

Good luck with these tips, friends. Hopefully these suggestions can help a lot :) You can read more in

http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jse/article/download/935/1403

Tips on Studying a Foreign Language

Hi,,guys.. I would like to share an article which the material is written by Jo Ann Cope Powell, Ph.D. It is about some practical suggestions for studying effectively, overcoming anxiety, and learning the grammar and skills necessary for success in foreign language classes.

1.     Study Everyday. Language learning is cumulative: you cannot put it off until the weekend. Study 1 or 2 hours for every class hour if you want an A or B.

2.     Distribute your study time in 15- to 30-minute periods throughout the day. Focus on a different task each time: vocabulary now, grammar next, etc. Get an overview during the first half hour: spend 10 minutes reviewing dialog, 10 minutes learning new vocabulary, 10 minutes learning new grammar, so you'll at least have looked at it all. Approximately 80% of your study time should be spent in recitation or practice, including practice in the language lab.

3.     Attend and participate in every class--even if you are not well prepared. Class time is your best opportunity to practice. Learn the grammar and vocabulary outside of class in order to make the most of class time. Spend a few minutes "warming up" before each class by speaking or reading the language.

4.     Make yourself comfortable in the classroom. Get to know your classmates, so you will feel you are among friends. Visit your instructor during office hours to get acquainted: explain your goals and fears about the course to your instructor.

5.     Learn grammar if you don't already know it. Grammar is the skeleton of a language, its basic structure: you must learn it. Review a simplified English grammar text. Compare new grammatical structures in your foreign language to their English equivalents.

6.     Practice for tests by doing what you will have to do on the test. If the test will require you to write, then study by writing--including spelling and accents. If you will be asked to listen, then practice listening. Ask for practice questions; make up your own test questions. Invent variations on patterns and forms. Over-learn: study beyond the point of recognition to mastery.

7.     Develop a good attitude. Have a clear personal reason for taking the class. Set personal goals for what you want to learn. Leave perfectionism at the door; give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them.

8.     Get help if you need it. Talk with your teacher. Form study groups among class members. Use tutoring services.

READING SKILLS TIPS:

1.     First, read the vocabulary list for the assignment. Next, read the questions about the reading. Then read all the way through a new passage two or three times, guessing at meaning from context. Avoid word-by-word translation. It is a waste of time!

2.     Isolate new vocabulary and study it separately. Don't write between the lines! Make flash cards. Carry them with you and recite them several times during the day at odd moments. Overlearn them until they are automatic.

3.     Isolate new grammatical forms and study them separately. Write the pattern on a flash card and memorize it. Write out and label a model sentence. When you encounter the form while reading, pause and recite the pattern to recognize the form.

WRITING SKILLS TIPS:

1.     Pay attention to detail: notice accents, order of letters, etc. Compare letter-by-letter different forms (singular, plural, gender, etc.). Write out conjugations of verbs, declensions of pro-nouns, etc., and check your endings. Memorize irregular verbs.

2.     To master spelling, have a friend dictate 10 words to you. Write them out and immediately have your friend spell them correctly aloud while you look carefully and point at each letter. Repeat until you get all the words right.

3.     Write (in your own simple foreign vocabulary words) a story you have just read.

LISTENING SKILLS TIPS:

1.     Frequent the language lab. Read the exercises in your book first; then listen and read together; then listen without looking at the print. Say aloud/write what you hear.

2.     Participate silently in class when others are called on to speak. Focus on the task; don't worry about how you'll do.

3.     If you feel nervous, relax yourself physically by taking a couple of slow, deep breaths. When called on, pause, relax, and give yourself time to respond.

4.     Listen while a friend dictates to you and write what you hear. Check for accuracy.

5.     Practice: join language clubs, watch foreign TV, listen to foreign radio.

SPEAKING SKILLS TIPS:

1.     Study out loud! Mimic the sounds of the language. Don't mumble. Although most people feel embarrassed making strange sounds, the language will soon feel more familiar to you.

2.     When called on in class, say something, even it it's wrong: you'll learn from it. If you need a moment to think, repeat the question. If you don't know the answer, say in your foreign language, "I don't know" or "help!"

3.     Practice with a foreign student who wants your help to learn English or with another class member. You can read more in http://www.english-zone.com/study/langs.html

English Study and Learning Materials

As a foreign laguage learner, we have encountered many difficulties in learning English. It's not easy for us to understand another language from other countries, especially English. We need to master speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, etc. We need a lot of time and materials to master those. Sometimes, we will feel lazy to learn it because if we are asked to read many materials from books, it will make us feel sleepy. There is no challenge and interactive questions from the books. Besides that, it will be expensive for us to buy many books to learn English. Now, I will give you a website which you feel that learning English is very enjoyable. You don't need to spend too much money because you can just log in to the internet, click the website, and choose what do you want to learn. Besides that, this website will give you interactive question which is provided for you to fill the answer. It also provides the score for us if we answer it wrong. This is one of the example of the content of this websites which provide crosswords for us to learn the vocabulary from the low beginning level. You can also see the score which is determined from the internet.

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Score: 0% (0/67)

Correct Letters: 0

Hints: 0Some of your answers are incorrect.

Incorrect squares have been blanked out.

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You can learn more and enjoyable from this website which provides us about materials and exercises of  speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, toefl/toeic, and idioms. Another interesting point about this website is that it help us to learn English from different levels such as low beginning, high beginning, low intermediate, high intermediate, and advance level.

you can check the website on http://www.eslgold.com/speaking.html