The Example of Argumentative Essay

English in Indonesia Should be Learned from Early Childhood Education

By: MOH. FAUZAN, S. Pd.

Language is a means of human communication. With language we can understand what other person conveys to us and we can also convey our ideas to other persons. There are many languages those are used by all people around the world, like: Japanese and Thai. However only English that is currently used by all people around the world, because English is an international language, means that we will also learn knowledge and culture of other nations. If students in Indonesia learn English as early as possible, then they will gain the knowledge and culture of other nations as early as possible as well. The question is, is it suitable if English should be learned from early childhood education?. There are some reasons why this policy should be opposed. In terms of mental readiness, school fee, and culture.

First, the problem is related to mental readiness. Indonesian education system that requires every students to be smart in all lessons they learn make that policy is not suitable to be applied to the students in early childhood education. Indeed, the children in this age have high intellect and memory, but the children in this age have no mental readiness. When the children are depressed in every English lesson it will make the children difficult to understand English lesson. Moreover, English is as a foreign language in our country which the dialect and the meaning are different from Indonesian. Although the words using alphabet like Indonesian words, but this situation will make the children difficult to understand English lesson that is taught and after that only less children that want to learn English in the future. In Finlandia (the country that has the best education quality in the world now) doesn’t require the student to be smart. There is no teacher pressing their students to be master in his lesson, if there is student has difficulty in his lesson or if the student can’t go up a class there will special teachers to help children to understand the lesson in the school until they can. This way will be very effective to make the children are not be depressed in the school and the lesson can be understood by students well, because the student relax when they receive the lesson.

Second, the problem is related to school fee. English is one of expensive language to be learnt. Let’s look at the fact in the real life: if the students want to learn English properly then they must study in the school that has expensive fee too, because expert teachers of English are only in expensive school. Even if there are English teachers in low-cost school, they can’t be taught English properly. In other side, there are still many people in our country who live in poverty. Instead of get a good education, get money to eat, they are still difficulties. So it is not fair if only rich students that can get good quality education.

Third, the problem is related to the culture. Western nation is the owner of the English. In addition, they teach their language, they also teach their culture to the world. Western culture is contrary with eastern culture which is adopted by Indonesian in general. Western culture doesn’t follow the rules of religion. Even though, all religions have taught how to use dress and associate politely. In our country itself, western culture has penetrated the majority of young generations, such as: young woman that use tight cloth, drunkenness, doing free sex with no control. Consequently, there are many young women who become victims of immoral, many young men and young women are dying needlessly because of drunkenness. If we have known how bad influence of western culture, then do we still apply the policy to require the students to learn English from early childhood school education?. Only a foolish person who has this crazy idea. Destroy the young generations means also destroy a nation, because young generations are the successor to the life of a nation in the future.
In conclusion, a policy is prepared to change the unfavorable policies previously, but to implement the new policy still needs experiments and surveys in the real life, whether the new policy is suitable to be implemented or not. Require English to learn from early childhood education is a misguided policy. The reason which says if English is international language, if we learn English as early as possible, then we will gain the knowledge of other nations as early as possible as well is also the wrong reason. The children in early childhood education is the children that still need to play and socialize with their peers, don’t burden the children to have to learn the language which the language is as a foreign language in this country, the language which is used only a minority of people in Indonesia, the language which is much different from the language in Indonesia and also the language which bring bad culture to our country. Better our government requires the children to learn local language and introduce them the culture in Indonesia, Because language and culture are state assets and the children are exactly who would be the successor to maintain the language and culture in our country in order that it won’t be extinct in the future.