T1 112008099 Full text

ELT DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN NEGOTIATING
THEIR ENGLISH LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan

Christian Ricky Berlian
112008099

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2013

ELT DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN NEGOTIATING
THEIR ENGLISH LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan

Christian Ricky Berlian
112008099

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2013

ii

ELT DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN NEGOTIATING
THEIR ENGLISH LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan

Christian Ricky Berlian
112008099

Approved by:

Nugrahenny T. Zacharias, Ph.D

Anita Kurniawati H. M. HUM

Supervisor

Examiner

iii

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: Christian Ricky Berlian
: 112008099
: English Education
: Language and Literature
: Undergraduate Thesis

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ELT DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN NEGOTIATING THEIR
ENGLISH LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
along with any pertinent equipment.
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: Salatiga
: ________________

Verified by signee,

Christian Ricky Berlian
Approved by
Thesis Supervisor

Thesis Examiner

Nugrahenny Zacharias, Ph.D

Anita Kurniawati H. M. HUM

iv

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or
accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my
knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any
other person except where due reference is made in the text.

Copyright@ 2013. Christian Ricky Berlian and Nugrahenny T. Zacharias, Ph.D

All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of
Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.

Christian Ricky Berlian :

v

ELT DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN NEGOTIATING THEIR
ENGLISH LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Christian Ricky Berlian
Abstract
This study explores how ten undergraduate students ELT Department of Satya
Wacana Christian University negotiate their multilingual English identity. This study is
needed because only few studies focus on how multilingual English users in Indonesia
construct their own identity. The data were collected from interviews which was semi
structured and using Gee‟s unit analysis to analyze the content (Elliot, 2005). The finding
illustrated the participants‟ strategies in negotiating their identities based on their first
language (L1) cultures, such as limiting English use in public spaces, reduced the English use
among the society which was incompetent in it, and switched into the language (Bahasa
Indonesia) that was understandable for them. All the participants appeared to use English
carefully in the public spaces because it was still seen as an elite language (Kramsch, 2009).
The participants would be assumed as “showing off” or “boasting” if they used English in the
society which was incompetent in it. Implication for participants‟ negotiation on their
multilingual English identity is made in the end of the paper.

Key word: English language, its influences, student‟s identity.
Introduction
The study aims to know how ten students of ELT Department of Satya Wacana
Christian University negotiate their identity as English learner outside the classroom. It is
originated from my experience when studying English in ELT Department of SWCU. I have
been learning English language for about 12 years since I was in the fourth grade of
elementary school. As long as I learn it, sometimes I code switching into English on purpose
to show my identity as English learner to my friend or someone I talk to. Several months ago
in my boarding house, I discussed about a movie “Forrest Gump” with my friend named
Kuncoro. I used some terms in English for example: “Filmnya sangat interesting” and “Aku
akan beritahu teman- teman yang lain, because this movie is highly recommended”. I
consciously used the English terms to inform my friend about my identity as English learner

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and user. Kuncoro understood with those English terms I mentioned. He did not comment or
complain anything about my language switch.
However in another day, I experienced negative perception when I talked using
English terms to my other friend named Ari. At that time, he invited me to play football
together. He invited me by using Bahasa Indonesia and then suddenly I replied using English,

“I‟m sorry, I‟m busy”. He laughed at me and said, “ah, mentang- mentang anak Inggris
ngomongnya pake bahasa Inggris”. I just smiled and entered my room. I sit alone and talked
to myself, “Am I wrong using English?” I just wanted to be fluent in speaking English but in
another side my friend judged me as arrogant. I felt enthusiastic to learn and use English
because someday I wanted to go abroad. I believed it will be very useful to communicate
with foreigner. Another reason was I also wanted to be an English teacher, so being
competent and fluent in speaking was needed to convey the material to students. However, I
was afraid if my friends misjudged me. So, it was better for me to reduce the quantity of
using English and also considered the interlocutors whether they were competent in English
or not.
Kramsch (2009) stated that people who study foreign language might be considered as
part of the elite. It happened in my experience. I talked using English term with my friend,
Ari, in my boardinghouse and he laughed at me. It might suggest that English was still
assumed as for educated people only and people who studied it would be considered as a part
of elite. It pushed me to reduce the quantity of using English in order to not be assumed as
arrogant. However, Kuncoro did not show his complaint about my English use. He knew
English and understood what I said. Therefore, I should consider my interlocutors whether
they are competent in English or not. I keep using English if my interlocutors know and
understand it because it gives me opportunity to increase my ability in speaking that will be

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useful for me someday when I become an English teacher and go abroad. Those are
“investments” for me to learn English (Norton, 2000: 10).
My experience illustrates the strategy in negotiating English learning and use outside
the classroom. It also shows the „investment” or my effort on learning English for my future.
In Indonesia, the “investment” leads many Indonesians to be enthusiastic to learn and speak
English. However, they have expressed concerns more than just an enthusiasm to learn and
speak it might contribute negatively to national identities. According to Pramono (2009),
code mixing Indonesian and English is the deterioration of nationalism. He believed that
good Indonesian is the one who speaks Indonesian in good manner, without influence from
English accent and Indonesian- English mixed words. He views that the concept of national
identity as static and unified. His view might be justified in the context where English is not a
global language. However, in this world, identities, including national identities, are
continuously constructed, reconstructed, negotiated and transformed on on-going basis
through and by languages (Hall, 1996; Norton, 1997, cited in Zacharias, 2012). English is the
world language now, it certainly become major force in the construction of multilingual
Indonesian identities. The view that good Indonesian is the one who speak Indonesian in
good manner does not accommodate the very nature of Indonesians who are multilingual and
multicultural (Zacharias, 2012). Pramono‟s concerns are also shared by Onishi (2010). Onishi

observes that upper-middle class parents will be proud if their children can speak English
well, even though their competence in Indonesian is questionable.
The increasing of Indonesian‟s enthusiasm of English led me to find the strategies in
negotiating English learning outside the classroom. I want to do a study about multilingual
English in the context EFL (English is Foreign Language) in Indonesia. Then, as I state in the
beginning, my experience led me to do this research because I want to know how the students

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negotiate their identity as English learning outside the class in EFL context. Moreover studies
about multilingual English users in EFL context especially in Indonesia are very rare.
More studies are needed to focus on the multilingual English users in EFL context
where English is acquired in institutional settings and it is not the language of the community
(Block, 2007). This study aims to address the following research question: how did ELT
Department students negotiate their English learning outside the classroom? The participants
in the present study are multilingual who function in more than one language for purposes of
communication and not necessary as someone with high level of proficiency in those
language (Kramsch, 2009; Pavlenko, 2006).
Factors Affecting Identity Construction in EFL Context
As I have mentioned earlier that most research is conducted in monolingual setting

where English is predominant language and the research participant is from language
minority group. More studies are needed to investigate the influence of English on the
identities of language learners from a multicultural setting where English is being learnt as
foreign language (EFL). The studies on foreign language learning in EFL context illustrated
that learners gain more competence in the target language; their identities are contested and
becomes an issue (Block, 2007).
The first factor affecting EFL identities is multilingualism. In this study, both the
participants as English learners and society are multilingual. It is resulted from our society is
heterogeneous, and the languages are heterogeneous too (Trudgill, 1974, p.37). Because of
that in our society, there must be language variation. The variation of language use in a
society is known as multilingualism and bilingualism. The term multilingualism can refer to
an occurrence regarding an individual speaker who uses two or more languages, a community
of speakers where two or more languages are used, or between speakers of different
language. Therefore, in multilingualism often occurs language mix and switch.

4

Language mixing happens when people use more than one language to communicate
to other people. For example, students use English and also Indonesian when they talk with
their friends, whether he or she realizes it or not, is an example of code mixing. People use
code mixing because they think that with code mixing they can get more appropriate words
when explaining a topic because the language use tends to mean different thing to different
people in a different place. People also use code mixing to show off. Young people like to
mix language, in this case Indonesian and English, because they consider it as something
impressive and they also tend to use code mixing because they want to show off to their
friend. Another reason is when the mix or use English in the conversation they show that they
are capable to speak English and they will consider as a well educated people. Hammer and
Blanc (2000, p 271) state that using more than one language in conversation or using code
mixing is a marker or high social status and membership of educated elite people, and it also
express power and prestige. In the multilingualism, there also occurs language switch. It
occurs when bilingual substitutes a word or phrase from one language with a phrase or word
from another language. For example in conversation, a speaker wishes that he could stick to
the same type of code without changing it to another. The speaker presents various codes
within his/her speeches. When individual of society are able to speak more than one
language, switch from one language to another in the same conversation a common
communicative behavior. This notion of switching is broadly known a code switching. The
term code switching may simply be defined as the use of at least two languages within the
same discourse which is any instance of language use for communicative purpose. The switch
in code switching is the switching between sentence boundaries and not just word.
The second factor affecting EFL identities is investment. Norton (2000) defined
investment accurately signals the socially and historically constructed relationship of learners
to the target language. She likes to use the term investment rather than motivation because

5

traditional concepts of motivation dominant in the field of SLA do not take into account the
complex relations of power, identity, and language learning. If learners invest their time and
effort in learning a second language, they do so with the expectation that their efforts will be
rewarded with a “wider ranges of symbolic and material resources, which will in turn,
increase the value of their cultural capital” (Peirce, 1995, p. 17). Learners expect or hope to
have good return on their investment, a return that will give them access to “hitherto
unattainable resources” (p. 10). Norton emphasizes that her term of investment conceives of
the language learner as having a complex social history and multiple desires. It might suggest
that investment in learning the target language is not static but constantly shifts across time
and space. The current study helps to display perspectives of the learners as multilingual
English users, why they learn English and how they negotiate learning it. Those perspectives
have relationship with Norton‟s concept of investment and contribute to an extension of the
concept of investment in a target language. The investment in the target language becomes
the reason why they have enthusiast to learn it. However, it may contribute negatively to
national identities if they express concerns more than just an enthusiasm to learn and speak it.

The Study
Context of the Study
The setting of the study is English Language Teaching (ELT) Department of Satya
Wacana Christian University. It is located in the small city of Salatiga, Central Java,
Indonesia. English is not actively used in oral communication in this place. The subject of
this small- scale study is the undergraduate students of ELT Department. They rarely have
opportunities to communicate orally and directly with foreigners.
In this study, I will focus specifically on language learning and use in EFL contexts.
The language learners‟ associations with English in EFL context are different from ESL
context. Norton (2010 cited in Zacharias 2012) stated an important concept in this

6

sociocultural view of learning is that language learning is not a neutral process but is
“conflictual and transformative”. However in fact, studies on foreign language learning in
EFL context illustrates that learners gain more competence in the target language, their
identities are contested and become an issue (Block, 2007, cited in Zacharias, 2012).
Participants
For this study, 10 participants ELT Department students were selected. The
participants were in the third or fourth year in the English Department. They consisted of 5
female and 5 males. They were trilingual with Bahasa Indonesia, local language and English.
Four of them claimed that they were quadrilingual. Two of the participants completed school
in other language communities and then moved to Java where the present study is located and
acquire Javanese. As expected, the participants had not lived or studied outside Indonesia.
Many of them learned and acquired English at school as a school subject.
Table 1 below presents the profile of the participants.
Table 1

Wanto

Java

Javanese

First
Second
Third
Forth
Language Language Language Language
Javanese
Indonesian English
Germany

Wina

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

-

Gino

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

-

Jojo

Kalimantan Dayak

Dayak

Indonesian English

-

Subject

Home

Ethnic

Ngaju
Lulu

South

Lampung Indonesian Javanese

Sumatera

Javanese

Nini

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

Mandarin

Patty

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

Mandarin

Rena

Java

Chinese

Javanese

Indonesian English

-

7

English

-

Bobby

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

-

Yayas

Java

Javanese

Javanese

Indonesian English

Mandarin

Instrument of Data Collection
This research used semi-structure interviews in answering the research questions.
Patton (1990 cited in Zacharias 2011) stated that semi-structure interview provides a greater
flexibility because the order of questions can be changed. Semi-structure interview also
provided a bigger chance to follow-up the questions and got richer data.
Table 2 below shows the information of the interviews.
Table 2
Subject

Date (DD-MM-YYYY)

Duration

Wanto

01-06-2012

00:11:18

Wina

12-06-2012

00:11:27

Gino

29-07-2012

00:10:52

Jojo

25-07-2012

00:24:59

Lulu

23-07-2012

00:25:47

Nini

07-06-2012

00:21:51

Patty

27-07-2012

00:20:53

Rena

13-05-2012

00:12:34

Bobby

11-05-2012

00:09:03

Yayas

29-07-2012

00:13:36

The interview was conducted in less formal situation where the interviewer and the
interviewee sitting side by side create natural conversation (Nunan, 1992). The aims of
conducting the less formal and semi structured interview were first in order to encourage the

8

students‟ recount their experiences, opinions and so on. Second, to control the open questions
that may arise during the interview. The general idea of interview questions in this study was
going to ask about opinion or value questions, but there were interview steps in order to
organize a good order of asking and answering. As mentioned by Patton (1987) who offers a
set of question types that can help organize an interview, there are behavior, opinion, feeling,
knowledge, sensory questions.
This study arranged the questions based the first three set of questions (see the
appendix, for the complete interview questions). The first step was behavior questions. The
behavior question functions as an opening to begin the interview. One example of this
question used in this study was “What languages are you mastered?” and “What language is
inside and outside the class?” After the behavior questions, the questions like “How do you
think of the people‟s reaction when you use English for conversation?” revealed students‟
opinion. The last step was the feeling questions were asked to students. The questions like
“What changes do you feel after learning English?” asked the students‟ feeling.
Procedure of Data Collection
To conduct the research, I had to do some steps as following:
1. I gathered information of language and identity by reading books which available in the
library also by retrieving data from the internet.
2. I arranged appointment with the participants. It is used to find the subject or participant
for collecting the data related to language and identity. Interview as data gathering
instrument used to collect data that permits a level of in-depth information gathering, free
response, and flexibility that cannot be obtained by other procedures (Seliger & Shohamy,
1989, pp.166-168). I let the participants to choose the time when the interview will be
held.

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3. I recorded the interviews. The interview took 15- 20 minutes on average and were
recorded and transcribed. I prepared a list of questions in English. To anticipate the
students do not understand the questions, the interview will be conducted in Indonesian.
4. I analyzed the data. After conducting the interview, I transcribed the recorded interviews
to make it easier for analyzing the data.
Data Analysis
The interview data in the study were analyzed using Gee‟s unit of analysis (Elliot,
2005). In transcribing interview data, it was important to maintain the basic unit or the line of
discourse that organization speech. Each line was made up of a short sequence of words
comprising one “idea unit”. The ends of the lines were marked by the speaker with a short
pause and a fall in the pitch of the voice (Elliot, 2005). The analysis focused on the following
emerging themes:
1. Negotiating English in public spaces.
2. Negotiating English with native speakers.
3. Investment of learning English and personal gain.
4. Negotiating English with first language and culture.
Elliot (2005 cited in Zacharias 2011) stated that transcribing interview data using
Gee‟s unit breaks the context into relatively small units. It focused attention on the practice
detail of what was said. The drawback of this type of transcription was taking long time to
listen to the tape and identify the beginning and the end of the line. She advised not to use it
for the whole interview transcript. Rather, used it with short sections that you had already
identified as being specific interest and needing particular analytic attention.
Finding and Discussion
As I state before that this study aims to know how the students of ELT Department of
Satya Wacana Christian University negotiate their identity as English learner outside the class

10

in EFL context. Therefore, there are four emerging themes such as (1) negotiating English
use in public spaces, (2) negotiating English with native speakers, (3) investment of learning
English and personal gain, (4) negotiate English with first language and culture.
Negotiating English Use in Public Spaces.
Similar to Zacharias (2012), the data analysis reveals that the participants navigate
English use depending on the context. Some of them adapt to the group they are interacting.
In certain contexts, the participants‟ identities are co-constructed through interaction (Ochs,
1993). In Extract 1, Lulu who is fluent in English tends to use English with her friends in
public spaces. However, sometimes she encounters rejection when she uses English:
EXTRACT 1
1. Sometime we talked to our friends in café;
2. we know that the context was a public place,
3. when we talked using English, people stare at us
4. they thought that we were boasting something like that.
5. they said they did not understand what we talked about
6. and said to us that we were boasting,
7. they wanted me to be as usual.
8. Until now, they still assume that as elite language.
9. I think that is one of my obstacles for me to be fluent in English.
10. Unconsciously, sometimes I use English word when talking in Bahasa Indonesia
or in reverse.
11. When I “code switching”, there are some people who do not like it.
12. I will be assumed as arrogant.
13. For example in café we used English language, we were be assumed as alien or
freak.
14. So, sometimes I think to myself, am I wrong using English?
(Lulu, Interview, July 23rd 2012, my translation)
In Extract 1, the rejection of using English cannot develop Lulu‟s ability in speaking English
because she cannot use it freely in campus. In line 3, when she speaks using English, people

11

around her stare at her. They make her feels awkward when using English in public space
such as cafe. In line 8, she realizes that English language is still considered as an elite
language (Kramsch, 2009). Actually, Lulu does not mean to show off that she can speak
English fluently. Lulu says that she just unconsciously uses English in cafe. In the line 12 and
13, Lulu admits that she gets resentment such as be assumed as freak and arrogant when she
codes mixing into English unconsciously in café of Satya Wacana during waiting for the next
course. Lulu‟s narrative shows that resentment still exists towards using English among
particular society that is not proficient in English. She believes that if she speaks using
English with interlocutor who is not proficient in English, they interpret her as “boasting”,
“showing off” (see line 6) and arrogant (see line 12).
The next participant is a Dayak people from Kalimantan named Jojo. His experience
is little different with Lulu‟s experience. Jojo assumes that public places give chance to use
English in order to increase his speaking ability. In extract 2 Jojo tells his experience when he
uses English outside the class room:
EXTRACT 2
15. Because I have been demanded by the faculty to actively communicate using
English,
16. I feel more accustomed with it.
17. I feel English is not a kind of strange language anymore.
18. Learning English so far is very helpful for me, I do not feel any disadvantages yet.
19. I often speak using English outside classroom in order to practice speaking more
fluently,
20. however when I come back to my boarding house,
21. I try to decrease the use of English by speaking slowly and find appropriate term
in Dayak or Indonesian language.
22. Because I think if we want to be the part of one group (which is incompetent in
English), we have to adapt with the group, right?
(Jojo, Interview, July 25th 2012, my translation)

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Extract 2 shows Jojo‟s reason why he often uses English in daily life. He wants to be fluent in
English, so he uses it as much as possible. As a result, in line 16 and 17, he does not feel
English as a strange language anymore. Identity is investment that requires the user/ learner
to know when to mask or unmask it (Pierce, 1995). Jojo consciously uses English outside the
classroom in order to increase his ability in speaking. However, he knows when he has to
mask his identity as English user. When he comes back to his boarding house, he decreases
the quantity of using English in order to be accepted by his friends (see line 20-22). It might
suggest that he wants to respect his friends who are incompetent in English and talk using
Indonesian or Dayak because he knows that too much using English words can distant
himself from his friends.
A little different condition experienced by Patty, a Javanese student from Tuntang,
Central Java. If in extract 2, Jojo reduces the quantity of using English because he knows that
using English too much can distant himself from his friends. Patty‟s experience has different
context from Jojo‟s. Jojo in his boarding house faces his friends who are also educated
although they study in different faculty, but at least if Jojo unconsciously using English in
conversation, they still understand Jojo as English learner. In the extract 3, the context
experienced by Patty is her village environment. She faces people who are less educated.
Below is the reaction of the society around Patty when she uses English in conversation:
EXTRACT 3
23. As an English student, I have to practice my ability in English,
24. but when I speak English,
25. people (out the class) stare at me and maybe feel jealous because I used English
word in my conversation.
(Patty, Interview, July 27th 2012, my translation)

Kramsch (2009), people who study foreign language might be considered as a part of elite. It
can be associated with Patty‟s experience that she gets kind of resentment, people stare at her
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and feel jealous when she uses English outside the class. Actually, in line 23, she sees public
space as good spaces to learn English, but the society give kind of rejection to her because
she is considered as a part of elite (Kramsch, 2009).
Overall, the extracts in this section displays the participants‟ awareness of resentment
to language mix and switch into English. The resentment could be form of humiliation (see
Extract 1) or just a stare from people who feel annoyed when the participants use English (see
Extract 3). Same as Zacharias (2012), code-switching between Indonesian-English and the
use of English in public places are viewed negatively as “showing off” or “boasting” (see
Extract 1). In certain situation (see Extract 3), those resentment might caused by English is
still as an elite language (Kramsch, 2009). Thus, people who are not proficient in it, feel
inferior and jealous. However, when Jojo mixes in a certain social group, he has to adapt with
the group and sometimes he has to sacrifice his identity as English learner and be more
grounded into the language that is usually used by the group in order to be accepted in it (see
Extract 2). Everyone is demanded to be wise using the right language in the right way
according to the expectation of the member of the society in order to be accepted in it.
Negotiating English with Native Speakers
The participants named Bobby shares his experiences and first assumptions that
native speakers are those who speak perfect and accurate English (Zacharias, 2003, 2006).
Good NNSs are those who speak English like the idealized NSs. It leads him into a pressure
to be like a native speaker. In Extract 4 shows how he negotiates his identity as Javanese and
English user in EFL context:
EXTRACT 4
26. At the first time, I wanted to be like native speakers.
27. I tried to speak like them,
28. but I was still influenced by my original accent, Javanese accent.
29. I thought it was embarrassed,

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30. humiliated by my friends because my accent. I felt unconfident at the time.
(Bobby, Interview, May 11th 2012, my translation)
In the first time entering Satya Wacana, Bobby assumes that the native speaker is the best
model for learning English (Zacharias, 2003, 2006). So, he tries to be like native speaker,
especially the way he speaks until he gets stressful condition when he cannot imitate native
speaker one hundred percent. The pride and pleasure of someone who is language learner in
EFL context resulted from praise from the interlocutor. But, a different condition experienced
by Bobby who gets humiliations from his friends in campus because he speaks English with
Javanese accent (see line 30). In line 29, he feels embarrassed when speaking English in
conversation because of his accent. However, in the next extract shows Bobby‟s reasons why
he keeps speaking English with his Javanese accent.
Humiliations never make Bobby to stop speaking English in campus. Below is the
reason why he keeps speaking English with his accent. The reasons resulted from his ability
in searching information in internet and following CCU (Cross Culture Understanding) class
in ELT Department of Satya Wacana. His mind becomes more open and realizes that in this
world are many different accents. It leads him not to imitate the native speaker as the best
model anymore:
EXTRACT 5
31. I: So you keep speaking like that way? Why?
32. Booby: Why am I shame with my accent?
33. I just want to be myself, I proud of my own culture, Javanese”.
(Bobby, Interview, May 11th 2012, my translation)
He thinks that it is better to become himself, Javanese, and speaking using its accent. By
using his ability in reading information from the internet and learns from the cultural lesson
such as CCU, Bobby wants to change his first impression of the nativeness. In line 32 means

15

that Bobby does not want “mask” or withdraw his original accent anymore. In line 33, he
keeps using English in his own accent because he is proud of his Javanese culture, and
ignores the opinion of the society when he speaks like that. It means that language use has
highly contextual dependence.
Bobby does not imitate the native speakers and keeps speaking English using his
Javanese accent although he gets humiliations from his friends in campus. One of his reason
is that he is proud of his Javanese culture. His statements in extract 6 show that he has
“investment” in the target language (Norton: 1997). Bobby confesses that now he often uses
English language. He does not care anymore to friends who disapprove of his accent in
speaking English because he really believes that the native speaker is not the best model
anymore for him. He does not want to reduce the quantity of using English because he wants
to be fluent in it. If he feels irritated, more often he uses English to annoy them:
EXTRACT 6
34. More I feel annoyed by people around me; more often I uses English to them.
35. I do that because I think that I am right.
36. Here, I want to be fluent speaking English, so I have to use English as much as
possible.
37. Now, I know that I do not have to be like native speaker.
38. I just want to be myself, I am Javanese,
39. and then I will use Javanese accent.
(Bobby, Interview, May 11th 2012, my translation)
Peirce‟s (1995) theory of language identity investment for positive gains, these examples
demonstrable the switch identity for strategic purposes to annoy, to irritate, to gain “negative”
attention, to gain power over one‟s audience. Bobby‟s investment is for positive gain such as
desire to be fluent in speaking English (line 36). As I state before that he realizes that there
are many different accents in the world. It is not necessary for Bobby to be like native
speaker. It is better become himself as Javanese and speak using its accent as long as it is
16

understandable for his interlocutor. In line 34, he gets humiliation by the society because
they think his Javanese accent is annoying. So, he deliberately speaks English with Javanese
accent when he feels irritated to annoy and intimidate them.
In sum, Bobby‟s experience shows his assumptions about native speakers. His
investment or his effort on learning English leads him not to imitate the native speakers as the
best model anymore. His experience also shows that language use has highly contextual
dependency. In the different social situations and context, it has expectations of behavior as
well as language use. The participants as the human are social and cultural being, they are
affected by the social-cultural contexts and interaction with others. The findings of this theme
is that identity is not static but dynamic, expressed by a choice language, and it depends on
the social interactive context.
Investment of Learning English and Personal Gain
Another theme that emerged from the data is about investment from my participants
in learning English. As I said before that investment is a factor that affects identity
construction in EFL context. It suggests that investment is the reason why the participants
want to negotiate their English use outside the classroom. For example, one of my
participants named Bobby wants to be fluent in English because he has a dream to go abroad
and be an English teacher, so he sees negotiating English use outside the classroom or in
public spaces as a good chance to increase his ability in English to achieve his purpose:
EXTRACT 7
40. Someday I want to go aboard
41. I believe my English will help me to communicate and gather some important
information there.
42. Another advantage is I not only know how to learn English
43. I know how to teach it to my student if someday I become an English teacher.
(Bobby, Interview, May 11th 2012, my translation)

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Bobby has a dream to go abroad someday (see extract 7 line 40). He needs to be competent in
English so he “invests” the learning and use of English, and then someday he becomes proper
to go abroad and communicate with foreigner (see line 41). Moreover he can gather all the
information he need there. Then in line 42, he also tells another advantage in learning
English. He wants to be an English teacher (see line 43). Those dreams are the “investment”
why Bobby wants to learn English.
The participant named Rena in extract 8 below also shares her experiences in
negotiating English use outside the classroom. Learning English more than 3 years makes her
more competent in it. She admits that it gives advantages for herself, so it leads her to keep
using her ability in English outside the classroom to access a lot of information from the
internet for her assignments:
EXTRACT 8
44. I understand using technology after for about 4 years learning English deeper.
45. For example, when I operate computer and access internet because as we know
that every program in computer is in English. So, my ability in English is very
useful.
46. Then, I capable to chat in social media with foreigner so I can practice to be more
fluent in English.
(Rena, Interview, May 13th 2012, my translation)
Almost all the computer language translated in English. It demands people to be competent in
English. So, they can operate it well and access all the information in the internet. It happens
in Rena‟s experience in extract 8 line 44 that by learning English for about 4 years, she can
use technology such as computer. In the next line she states that she can access internet to
communicate and chat with foreigner. Indirectly, learning English makes people understand
to use technology and then gives opportunity to learn English deeper by practice it with
foreigner via chatting.

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The next participant is Wina. In extract 9 shows that learning English gives
opportunity to her as student of ELT Department in Satya Wacana to have conversation
outside the classroom with native speakers that possibly enhances her status as English user.
She feels happy if she can communicate well with the native speaker because it means that
her English learning is not useless at all:
EXTRACT 9
47. The advantage that I have got after I learn English here is I can speak it fluently.
48. It also gives me opportunity to communicate with native speakers if I meet with
them.
(Wina, Interview, June 12th 2012, my translation)
Similar to Rena in extract 8, Wina also confesses that learning English in English Department
gives advantages so she can speak it more fluently (see extract 9 line 47). She “invests” the
learning of English to be good in communicating with native speaker. English as international
language gives opportunity to people to communicate with other people although they have
different language or social background. In line 48, Wina is now ready to communicate with
native speakers if she has opportunity to talk with them because she is fluent and competent
in English.
Another experience showed by Wanto in extract 10. He uses his ability in English
outside the classroom to gather important information in doing the college‟s assignments. He
uses internet and some books written in English to get certain information for his assignment:
EXTRACT 10
49. I feel developed after I learn English
50. we know that almost the information is written in English.
51. So, I can get information that I need easily.
(Wanto, Interview, June 1st 2012, my translation)

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Almost similar as Rena in extract 8, Wanto tells his feeling in extract 10 above. He is still
studying English in ELT Department. In line 49 he has felt the development from learning
English. As I state before, English as the international language gives opportunity to people
to master the technology because almost all the information in the internet written in English.
Wanto uses his competence in English to find the information he needs to help him finishing
some assignments from lecturer.
In extract 11 below, a participant named Nini shares her personal gain since learning
English for about four years in ELT Department. She is criticized by people around her when
she uses English. However she keeps using English and admits that it is useful for her to
open and access the worldwide because English is an international language:
EXTRACT 11
52. Yes, from my point a view, I get changed.
53. I feel more open.
54. People usually ask why I learn English; in other side I do not really master my
national language, Bahasa Indonesia.
55. I think it was for skeptic people.
56. If we learn English, our mind will be open.
57. It is easier to get information, such as in searching the material for my
assignment.
(Nini, Interview, June 7th 2012, my translation)

Nini is an ELT Department student who confesses in extract 11 line 52 that her point a view
has changed. She feels more open to other language especially to English itself (line 53-55).
People around her argue that why she learns English whereas she does not master her own
language, Indonesian yet. However, she has a good reason why she wants to learn it. By
learning English, she can get all information she needs such as material for her assignment
(see line 57). That is her experience in negotiating English with his own language, culture

20

and society. Although, she often gets kind of resentment from people around her, she keep
learning English because she know English is useful for her.
Norton (1997) stated that she has used the term investment to “signal the socially and
historically constructed relationship of learners to the target language and their sometimes
ambivalent desire to learn and practice it” (p.411). She concerns on what the learner‟s
investment in the target language is and how the learner‟s relation to the target language is
historically and socially constructed. The learner has a complex history and multiple desires
and that investing in the target language is an investment in the learner‟s social identity
which changes across time and space. If learners invest their time and effort in learning the
target language, they do so with the expectation that they will be rewarded with a “wide
range of symbolic resources, which will in turn increase the value of their cultural capital”
(Pierce, 1995, p.17)
Negotiating English with First Language and Culture
Knowing a language gives a chance for one to cross to another cultural border and
access the idea of another culture. It brings along with it an exposure to alternative views and
ideas. It also can facilitate a more reflective and critical attitude toward one‟s own culture. In
extract 12 below shows Lulu‟s experience related to negotiate her culture with other culture
in a public space. In ELT Department, Lulu learns how to speak, listen, write, and reading in
English. She uses her competency in reading English text to find some important
information. She reads novel of English writer to understand their opinions and ideas. By
reading some cultural book, thus she can cross the cultural border and understand that every
place and society have different cultural value. She also capable to make comparison with
other cultural (US culture) to reflect on her own culture (South Sumatera):
EXTRACT 12
58. I feel the differences from their culture, as Indonesian we have such toleration say
goodbye, but they are different.
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59. I say “see you then”, they are like ignore it.
60. They say thank you, then yes that‟s it.
61. So, if I meet with foreigner again, talking about “goodbye” or “see you then”
maybe would be too privacy.
62. Actually, I want be like friendly to them but they respond so flat.
63. I was told by my teacher, if we met a foreign people, then we asked “where are
you going?” it was included into impolite question.
(Lulu, Interview, July 23rd 2012, my translation)
Being proficient in English enables Lulu to transcend their cultural boundaries and access the
world views and ways of thinking or others (see extract 12 line 58). Furthermore, many
writings from all over the world have been translated into English. Actually, in extract 12,
Lulu shares that she can read about differing views that helps to broaden her mind, even if
she doesn‟t necessary agree with some of the ideas.
Multilingual English are also associated with the behavior inside the class. The
participant in the extract 13 below is Javanese girl named Patty. Javanese sees silent is gold.
It leads her to be silent in the class:
EXTRACT 13
64. The one of my obstacles is I am a person who assumes that teacher is the
source of knowledge,
65. so in the class I just sit down and listen to my teacher.
66. But now the condition is no longer like that.
67. I am demanded to be more active in the classroom.
68. It may because I am the Javanese person who is known as silent person.
69. I am demanded to express my own opinion and ask question if it is
needed.
(Patty, Interview, July 27th 2012, my translation)
In extract 13 above, Patty who is still studying English in ELT Department, negotiates her
identity as English learner and a Javanese. Javanese person is known as silent person (see
extract 13 line 68) because the Javanese culture assumes the silent as gold, so the Javanese
22

student like Patty tends to silent inside the class. It is considered as her obstacle in the
learning process. In the ED, she is demanded to be more active in the learning process.
Palincsar and Brown (1984) stated that actually active learning can be more attractive for the
learner than more passive forms of learning because the learner can become more motivated
and interested when the learner has a say in his/her own learning and when his/her mental
activity is challenged. It might suggest that being involved in the decisions about learning the
learner can connect to the prior knowledge, needs and interest. For example, Patty is
demanded to be active in discussion in order to be more understand the topic.
Tension between Patty‟s Javanese culture and English culture is not only related to
behavior inside the class but also manner in calling someone. Different language means
different culture. Patty learns English and gets different culture from her Javanese culture. In
extract 14, Patty reveals her experience in manner of calling someone‟s name in this kind of
situation below:
EXTRACT 14
70. As you know that I am a Javanese.
71. Usually if I call someone who is older than me with “Pak or Bu” (Mr or Mrs),
72. but one of my lecturer asked me to call her with the name only.
73. I think that is very impolite for my culture.
74. It means that you do not respect her.
(Patty, Interview, July 27th 2012, my translation)
In extract 14, Patty also tells her experience related to a manner in calling someone. As
Javanese girl, she should call someone who is older than her with “Mr or Mrs” (line 70 and
71). It is in order to respect them, the elder. However, one of her lecturer tells her to call her
(the lecturer) with the name only. That is the contrary manner to the Javanese culture and it is
considered as impolite (line 73). Now, she knows the culture of her target language. Hence it

23

shows that English offers another cultural prism which to view life. It also allows her to slip
in of one‟s cultural boundaries.
In sum, all languages carry within them a particular worldview and a particular
culture. The language we acquire determines the way we construct our vision of the world
(Kim, 2003). Thus, if the learners have only learnt and exposes to writings and texts written
in Indonesian, they would have acquired literacy through one worldview and one cultural
lens. So, by learning other language, in this case is English, they know its culture within the
language.
Conclusion and Pedagogical Implication
This study aims at investigating students‟ strategies in negotiating their English
learning outside the class room in EFL context. Although the study is carried out on a small
scale and does not reflect the identity of all multilingual English users (MEUs) in Indonesia.
It might give insight into identity construction of MEUs in EFL context.
Similar to Zacharias (2012), a major finding is founded that the participants in this
study are fully aware to the effect of using English to their Indonesian‟s identity and it is
contrary to Pramono‟s (2009) assumption. For example, experiences of the participants when
they negotiate their English learning outside the class. The participants often use language
switch and mix into English on purpose. However the reaction of the society is like kind of
resentment because they are incompetent in English and still assumed that English is elite
language (Kramsch, 2009, p.4). It also supports Hammer and Blanc‟s (2000) statement that
using more than one language in conversation or using code mixing is a marker or high social
status and membership of educated elite people, and it also express power and prestige. So,
the society feels jealous and inferior. The resentment makes the participant to be wise in
using English and reduce the quantity of using it.

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The second major finding is that the participants “invest‟ their English learning.
Someday one of them wants to go abroad and he believes learning English will be very useful
for him to communicate and gather important information there. That investment leads him to
be active using English outside the classroom in order to be more fluent and competent in it.
Learning English also gives advantages in mastering technology because almost all the
information translated in English, then they can get it faster and easier. It support Norton‟s
(2000) statement that if learners invest their time and effort in learning a target language, they
do so with the expectation that their efforts will be rewarded with a good return that will
useful in the future.
The next major finding is that the participants‟ point a view is changed after for about
4 years