Abstract
In light of the Indonesian Higher Education Ministry’s recent plan to make English interaction amongst university students compulsory, this chapter addresses perceptions of English medium instruction (EMI) in Indonesian Higher Education, focusing on lecturers of English and other subjects. Employing a mixed-methods approach with emphasis on qualitative data, the study involves participants who are based at public and private universities of both secular and religious orientation. Three themes form the basis of this study: perceptions of EMI, English in relation to national identity, and English in relation to the West. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires and individual interviews. The results reveal that perceptions of EMI at the tertiary level in Indonesia are complex, involving not only linguistic matters, but also larger issues such as national identity and sentiment towards English as an instructional language originating in the West.
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- 1.
Translation: “imitative of the British or the Americans”.
- 2.
Translation: ‘the way we speak does not have to be imitative of Caucasians’.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Questionnaire items
Item | Response | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Question no. | Question | Agree | Disagree | Not sure |
1 | Both Indonesian and English should be important in Indonesia | |||
2 | All people in Indonesia should speak English and Indonesian | |||
3 | English does not deserve a place in Indonesia | |||
4 | English competence is absolutely needed for the future of Indonesia as a country | |||
If agree, please provide the reason… | ||||
5 | English helps me to learn more about my own country | |||
6 | English is a difficult language to learn | |||
7 | There are more useful languages to learn than English | |||
8 | English is a language worth learning | |||
9 | English should be taught to all tertiary students in Indonesia | |||
10 | A subject is confusing when it is delivered in English | |||
11 | A subject is confusing when the textbook is in English | |||
12 | I learn many values of western cultures via English language | |||
13 | I never speak British or American English because it is a western product | |||
14 | English is the way through which western cultures permeate into my Indonesian identity | |||
15 | Employing American or British teachers is the best way of conducting English language teaching |
Appendix 2
Interview questions
Question no. | Interview question |
---|---|
1 | What do you think about the relationship between English and your identity as an Indonesian? Please elaborate |
2 | In your view, should English be one of the official languages in Indonesia? Why or why not? |
3 | There have been discussions on the use of English and/or Bahasa Indonesia as a medium of instruction in educational institutions. Which language do you think is better as a medium of instruction at your university? Why? |
4 | Do you think your university need to empower its students with English? Why? |
5 | What are the benefits and disadvantages of incorporating English in your university curriculum? |
6 | Do you perceive English as western imperialism? Why or why not? |
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Dewi, A. (2017). English as a Medium of Instruction in Indonesian Higher Education: A Study of Lecturers’ Perceptions. In: Fenton-Smith, B., Humphreys, P., Walkinshaw, I. (eds) English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific. Multilingual Education, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0_13
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