Teaching English to Children in the World

In the end of the year 2006, English was still a local content subject in the curriculum of 2004. Based on The Ministry of Education 2008, the government strengthened the provision of teaching English based on a Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 19 Tahun 2005 tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan, b Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 22 Tahun 2006 tentang Standar Isi, and c Peraturan Menteri Nomor 23 Tahun 2006 tentang Standar Kompetensi Lulusan. Teaching English at elementary school has two objectives. The National Ministry of Education lists those objectives as follow: a Mengembangkan kompetensi berkomunikasi dalam bentuk lisan secara terbatas untuk mengiringi tindakan language accompanying action dalam konteks sekolah b Memiliki kesadaran tentang hakikat dan pentingnya bahasa Inggris untuk meningkatkan daya saing bangsa dalam masyarakat global. There are four skills of literacy ability that have to be mastered by the pupils. Departemen Pendidikan Nasional state that those abilities are performative, functional, informational, and epistemic. In performative stage, pupils should be able to read, write, and speak using the symbols and communicate in a certain context. in functional stage, pupils should be able to use the language for survival such as to read a newspaper, manual, and etc. In informational stage, pupils should be able to access their knowledge with their language. Finally, in epistemic stage, pupils should be able to transform their knowledge into a certain language. Based on the regulation of The National Ministry of Education, The standard of competency and basic competence of English are formulated as the guidance for the teachers to teach English to their students. At elementary level, the standard of competency and basic competence are formulated from grade four to six. For the first to third grade, the guidance for teachers is derived from the fourth to six grade’s standard. As the subject of this study is the first graders in the second semester, the table below is the competencies designed by The Ministry of Education that have to be fulfill by the students which is derived from the fourth grade. Table 2.2: Standard of Competency and Basic Competence in the Second Semester of Grade Four Kelas IV, Semester 2 Standar Kompetensi Kompetensi Standar Mendengarkan 6. Memahami instruksi sangat sederhana dengan tindakan dalam konteks kelas 5.1 Merespon dengan melakukan tindakan sesuai dengan instruksi secara berterima dalam konteks kelas dan dalam berbagai permainan 5.2 Merespon instruksi sangat sederhana secara verbal