T1 112010134 Full text

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An Analysis of

Students’ Perceptions toward

the Role of English:

The Case of Students of SMA Kristen 1 & SMA Theresiana

Salatiga

THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Sarjana Pendidikan

Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu 112010134

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY SALATIGA


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i

An Analysis of

Students’ Perceptions toward

the Role of English:

The Case of Students of SMA Kristen 1 & SMA Theresiana

Salatiga

THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Sarjana Pendidikan

Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu 112010134

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY SALATIGA


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An Analysis of

Students’ Perceptions toward

the Role of English:

The Case of Students of SMA Kristen 1 & SMA Theresiana

Salatiga

THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Sarjana Pendidikan

Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu 112010134

Approved by:

E. Titik M., M.TransStud., PhD Athriana Santye Pattiwael, M.Hum.


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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 my knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person expect where due references is made in the text.

Copyright@2016. Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu and Elisabet Titik Murtisari

All right reserved. No part of this thesis may be produced by any means without permission of at least one of the copyright owner or the English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature, Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu:


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PUBLICATION AGREEMENT DECLARATION As a member of the (SWCU) Satya Wacana Christian University academic community, I verify that:

Name : Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu

Student ID Number : 1120110134

Study Program : Language and Literature Kind of Work : Undergraduate Thesis

In developing my knowledge, I agree to provide SWCU with non-exclusive royalty free right for my intellectual property and the contents therein entitled

An Analysis of Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of English: The Case of Students of SMA Kristen 1 & SMA Theresiana Salatiga

Along with any pertinent equipment.

With this non-exclusive royalty free right, SWCU maintains the right to copy, reproduce, print, publish, post, display, incorporate, store in or scan into a retrieval system or database, transmit, broadcast, barter, or sell my intellectual property, in whole or in part without my express written permission, as long as my name is still included as the writer.

This declaration is made according to the best of my knowledge.

Made in : Salatiga

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Verified by signee,

Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu Approved by

Thesis Supervisor Thesis Examiner


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TABLE OF CONTENT

INSIDE COVER PAGE ... Error! Bookmark not defined. APPROVAL FORM ... Error! Bookmark not defined. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ... Error! Bookmark not defined. PUBLICATION AGREEMENT DECLARATIONError! Bookmark not defined.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... v

LIST OF TABLES ... vi

ABSTRACT ... Error! Bookmark not defined. I. INTRODUCTION ... 1

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ... 3

1. Perception/Attitudes ... 3

2. The (Geogpraphical) spread onf English ... 4

3. English in Indonesia ... 8

4. Previous studies ... 9

III. THE STUDY ... 11

1. Context of Study ... 11

2. Participants ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3. Instrument of data collection ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4. Data collection procedure ... 12

5. Data analysis ... 13

IV. FINDINGS ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. English for academic success ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. English for international job opportunities Error! Bookmark not defined. 3. English for international communication ... 16

4. English for global education ... Error! Bookmark not defined. V. CONCLUSION ... 19 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... Error! Bookmark not defined. REFERENCES ... Error! Bookmark not defined. APPENDIX ... Error! Bookmark not defined.


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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Students‟ perception on English generally... 13

Table 2. English for academic success ... 14

Table 3. English for international job opportunities ... 16

Table 4. English for international communication ... 17


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An Analysis of Students’ Perceptions

toward the Role of English:

The Case of Students of SMA Kristen 1 & SMA Theresiana

Salatiga

Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu

ABSTRACT

English is an international language and became a lingua franca. Almost every country in the world use English in order to follow the globalization. English has a very big influence to the other countries in many aspects like language, culture, education, identity, lifestyle, social and professional life, and communication. Of course, various perceptions and attitudes appear from many sides toward it. This paper has a purpose to find out the perceptions of the senior

high school‟s students about the importance of English in four categories. The

data were collected from the questionnaires that were given to 128 students grade XI SMA Kristen 1 and SMA Theresiana Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia. Likert scale questionnaire was used to know about students‟ perceptions. The data were analyzed using manual mathematically system. The finding shows that majority of the participants gave positive attitudes toward the importance of English for academic success, international job opportunities, international communication, and global education.

Key words: Students’ perception, English role, English use, English impact.

I.

Introduction

English is an international language that almost all countries in this world know or use as their foreign, second, or may be first language. As a global language, English has a very big influence towards some other countries in many aspects like language, culture, education, lifestyle, social and professional life. English has many functions for the people in one country who know and able to


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use it. English is assumed to be able raise the class of a country up with its roles and make that country a more developed one. According to Focho (2011), there are four main roles of English, which are English for academic success, English for international job opportunities, English for international communication, and English for global education (Focho, 2011, p. 4).

However, there is a perception that English will be very useful if it is used as an important second language rather than as a first language in non-native English countries. Maintaining their mother tongue alongside with the use of English will keep their cultural identity (Lee, 2010, p. 88). In this way, they can keep up with the globalization or internationalization without losing their cultural identity.

In some non-native English speaker countries, English is used a lot in many aspects in order to develop and increase the human resources to follow the globalization, because good English proficiency is very needed for education, social, or professional global contacts (Souriyavongsa, 2013, p. 181). It can also be a vital factor that can influence people‟s individual or professional life because English is on prestigious place as a global language (Bani-Khaled, 2014, p. 400).

Because of that, English is much needed nowadays and becomes an important even main course in schools. English usually affects the younger generation because it is given to them usually since elementary school. This study attempts to collect and find out the perceptions of the students in senior high school about the importance of English in their life. This study is essential because by understanding their perceptions, English could be given to them that in


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effective age of learning language, as its purpose then could be used properly and of course will be very useful for their future life.

This study may help the government and schools to consider what actually the students think or belief about English. By understanding their perceptions of it, we as the language education provider can give or teach English language more appropriately for their education, social, and professional life. This study has a

purpose to find out the perceptions of the Indonesian senior high school‟s students

about English.

This study is conducted with the following research questions:

What are the Indonesian students of senior high school’s perceptions about English?

II.

Literature Review

1. Perception/Attitude

The notion „perception‟ has similar meaning with „attitudes‟ that

according to Johnson & Johnson, “it may be thought of as opinions, belief, ways of responding, with respect to some set of problems. Bani-Khaled also stated that

„attitude‟ may hard to investigate because it seems „fuzzy‟ and „illusive‟ (Bani -Khaled, 2014, p. 401). Based on his study, he concluded that the overall attitudes

of The University of Jordan‟s students were positive in respond to the English


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get positive reaction from the Jordanian students. Or we can say that they had

good perceptions toward English‟s influences to them even to the global life.

2. The (Geographical) spread of English

“The global status of English is partly due to the number of people who speak it”. According to Crystal (2003), 1.500 million from 2.000 million people speak English in the world wide, consisting around 329 million L1 speakers (inner circle countries), 430 million L2 speakers (outer circle countries), and 750 million speakers of English as a foreign language (expanding circle countries). It means that approximately one fourth of world‟s populations are capable of communicating to a „useful level‟ in English (Lauder, 2008, p. 10).

According to Crystal (2003), the inner circle countries refer to the

„traditional bases‟ of English like in UK, USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and

New Zealand. The outer (or extended) circle countries are the countries that feel the earlier spread of English in non-native settings. In this area, English becomes an important second language. The countries in this circle are Singapore, Malaysia, India, and over fifty other territories. The last category is the expanding (or extending) circle countries. Countries in this area are the nations which recognize the importance of English as an international language, but which were not colonized by the countries of the inner circle, and which have not given English any special official status. In this category, English plays a role as foreign language like in Indonesia, China, Japan, Greece, and Poland. (Lauder, 2008, p. 11).


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Based on Focho (2011), there are four main roles of English in the countries that use it for second language or an important official language. The

first role is „English for academic success‟. English is used a lot in academic aspect. In many countries over the world, English becomes a school subject or a medium of instruction across subject. Focho stated that at the beginning of the 21st century, 90% of information in electronic retrieval systems was stored in English, the language of internet, and it made English be more vital and considered as an important need for everyone (Focho, 2011, p. 4). English has a dominant role

compared to other languages. According to Coleman (2010), “45% of the world‟s

international students are in 4 English-speaking countries: USA, UK, Australia, and Canada”. Dickson and Cumming (1996) also added “that even in non-English countries, English is the most popular foreign language as a subject for students worldwide” (Focho, 2011, p. 4). It seems like show the world‟s awareness of the important of English in academic aspect. “Proficiency in English seems to be an important gateway to an education that is easily recognized and valued

internationally” (Focho, 2011, p. 4).

The second English role is „English for international job opportunities‟. Nowadays, the relationship between English and employability becomes more

significant. According to Kirubahar et al. (2010) “employability can be viewed as the ability to get a job, maintain it, or get a new one”, and in some case, it will be

more on the ability in speaking English fluently and effectively (Focho, 2011, p. 4). Many non-native English speakers work in foreign countries where the use of English is very important and be a necessity in the workplace. English is


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becoming more and more necessary at work even in newly industrialized nations

like China, Japan, and India. As Warschauer (2000) observes, “many non-native speakers of English need to use English daily in workplaces for presentations,

negotiations, and international collaboration” (Focho, 2011, p. 5). In many countries, people who are bilingual in the indigenous language plus English are required in international companies, industries, and organizations that usually pay best salaries. Like Cortazzi and Jin (1996) said, “in China, for example, proficiency in English helps in getting well paid jobs, especially those with

international connections”. Kossoudji (1988) also added that “the United States

deficiency in English has a negative impact on migrant workers; they tend to have lower earnings and less job mobility compared to those with greater competence

in English” (Focho, 2011, p. 5). Considering the large number of people who are

proficient in English, today, the job market for both migrant and international workers is more competitive, moreover there is an increasing emphasis on English in the workplace, especially for various professionals (businessmen, medical doctors, nurses, and those who working in technology, agriculture, aviation, etc.). In the other hand, the growing demand of English proficiency opens thousands of job opportunities for English language teachers worldwide (Focho, 2011, p. 5).

The third role of English is ‘English for international communication’. Kirkpatrick (2006) just said that English is spoken in every continent of the world in one form or other and giving rise to many models such as native speakers, nativised speakers, or lingua franca users. That justifies its status as a global language. Moreover, as Seidlhofer (2003) points out, “bilingualism is a popular


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trend and English has a stabilization role in bilingualism since most people speak their language and English” (Focho, 2011, p. 6). Jenkins (2006) also added that English is a way to communicate internationally across linguistic boundaries, because it is a shared foreign language that people of different nations and background languages use to communicate with each other (Focho, 2011, p. 6).

The last English role is ‘English for global education’. Focho (2011) stated, “Knowledge is often equated to power, is a catalyst for gaining positive

self image and confidence”. A global education is key to such knowledge gain

since it informs the students in some areas like cross-cultural awareness, global issues, universal values, critical thinking/leadership skills, and experiential

learning. According to Roux (2001), “students must be aware of traditions and

beliefs which are different from their own. Such understanding fosters cross-cultural co-operation, tolerance and peace, and helps minimize hatred, tribalism,

racism, and violence which inevitably lead to war” (Focho, 2011, p. 7).

Global education providers should help the students to develop social responsibility and global citizenship in order to provoke the building of a culture of peace and respect the human rights. The students‟ participation in global issues discussions generally builds their self-confidence and a feeling of being well informed. Focho (2011) points out that “the English class is an ideal location for developing such knowledge because there are few constraints on the subject matter discussed during language learning activities” (Focho, 2011, p. 7).

From that all, we can see that English give many advantages for students.


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easier for them find employment, enables them to communicate internationally, and gives them a broader perspective on the world in which they live” (Focho, 2011, p. 8).

3. English in Indonesia

English as a global language has some roles and also influences in many nations in the world. In Indonesia, English has some important roles, that are : “as a means of international communication in practically all fields or walk of life; as a medium through which scientific knowledge, and new technologies can be accessed implemented with a view to succeeding in the global marketplace; as a source of vocabulary for the development and modernization of Indonesian; and as a way to get to know native speakers of English, their language, culture and

literature, or as a means of expanding one‟s intellectual horizons” (Lauder, 2008, p. 12-13).

According to Halim (1976), the reason that English is needed in Indonesia

is that “a large proportion of the books and other information resources which

deal with modern knowledge and technology which are needed for national development are published in English, and because these sources can be of use in developing term banks in Indonesian” (Lauder, 2008, p. 14).

Besides that all advantages, some educators in Indonesia also worried about the widespread of English that would give a negative impact on Indonesian culture, values, and behavior. Some negative impacts that perhaps English give to Indonesian for examples are western „liberalvalues‟ that on the opposite side with


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Indonesian values; higher prestige for those who able to communicate in English; sprinkle English words in their use of Indonesian which may signaled a decline in nationalistic idealism that could endanger the spirit of national unity; and the wrong understanding about „modernization‟ that has similar meaning with

„westernization‟ (Lauder, 2008, p. 13-18).

Because of that, would be better if English is used as an „additional‟ language rather than a „foreign‟ language or may as a second official language in the country after Indonesian language. As the second official language, it could be used as a medium of instruction in education and in the workplace more frequently, and giving Indonesians more opportunity to develop their communication skills in order to be more competitive in the global marketplace (Lauder, 2008, p. 17).

4. Previous studies

Previously, there are similar studies about the perception on the

importance of English. One of them is Jezifai‟s study (2012) about students‟

motivation and attitudes toward learning English in an English course in Bandung. Her research showed positive attitudes of the students toward the importance of English and the use of it in educational context. Her finding indicated that English is important to the students for their future career, education, and social interaction. Then, Othman (2005) also conclude the finding of his study about English language use among EFL learners in Sunway University College. He said


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that English is used by the students in academic activities to read academic text and in daily activities to socialize with friends.

Other study is from Verma (2005) about learner‟s attitude and its impact

on language learning. She said that there were many factors which demand the people in India to be proficient in English. She also conclude that English has bright future in India because the students aware about the usefulness of English as the target language.

The next is Bani-Khaled‟s study (2014). It is about the role of English as perceived of applied English at the University of Jordan. After analyzed the

students‟ perceptions on English in seven areas (professional concerns, personal

development, education experience, social status, cultural interest, travel & immigration, media & technology), he conclude that the result showed majority of positive attitudes of the students toward the role of English plays in their lives.

In her study about English as a global language phenomenon and the need of cultural conceptualizations awareness in Indonesian ELT, Tantri (2013)

conclude that “it is important for English teachers in Indonesia to teach cultural

awareness of diverse communities and build this awareness among their

students”. Still from academic aspect, Soejatminah‟s study (2009) about

internationalization of Indonesian higher education also had a conclusion. It said

that “being informed and highly visible internationally is imperative for local

universities to develop their capacity to fulfill their roles in contributing to the national development, so internationalization in Indonesian higher education is an


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The last is Focho‟s study (2011). It is about students‟ perceptions of

English as a developmental tool in Cameroon. Her findings showed that the

students‟ awareness on the importance of English in four categories (academic

success, international job opportunities, international communication, global education) were increase after an English program was given in all school.

III.

The Study

1. Context of the Study

This study was conducted in Christian Senior High School 1 and Theresiana Senior High School Salatiga. I chose these schools because I had some access to the schools.

2. Participants

The participants of this study were 128 students of class XI from Christian Senior High School 1 and Theresiana Senior High School Salatiga. I chose them because in the belief that they still on their effective level on learning English. It will be easier to collect and analyze the data if the participants are from the same level.

3. Instrument of Data Collection

This study used a descriptive qualitative method using quantitative data. Likert scale questionnaires were distributed to the participants during the second


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semester of academic session 2015/2016. Each question had 4 options of answer:

“strongly agree”, “agree”, “disagree”, “strongly disagree”. I adapted the

questions from Focho‟s (2011) and Ekky‟s (2015) studies. The questionnaire

contained 18 items consist of 4 sub-topics. Item number 1 and 2 are general

questions about students‟ perceptions toward English. Item number 3-5 are

questions about students‟ perceptions on English for academic success. Item

number 6-9 are questions about students‟ perceptions on English for international job opportunities. Item number 10-15 are questions about students‟ perception on English for international communication. Item number 16-18 are questions about

students‟ perceptions on English for global education. Indonesian language was chosen to make students understand better about the questions of the questionnaire. (Appendix).

4. Data Collection Procedure

It was started by asking permission from the headmaster of the target school by using a letter faculty. Before giving the questionnaire in the target school, I did piloting first and found the questionnaires were clear enough for senior high school students. After looking the acceptable result, the questionnaires were distributed in the target school.


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The results of the questionnaires were analyzed using manual mathematically system. To analyze the data, I counted how many participants

chose “strongly agree”, how many chose “agree”, and so on.

IV.

Findings

This section discusses the research findings in order to answer the research

question about “What are the Indonesian students of senior high school‟s perceptions toward English?”

From the responses to question number 1, we can see that the majority of the students liked the English course (76,6%). 18,8% of them answered strongly agree and 57,8% agree. However, there is a significant number of them that disliked the course (23,4%), 22,7% disagreed and 0,8% strongly disagreed. For question number 2, almost all students showed a positive attitude towards the advantages that they got from learning English generally. 97,7% of the participants agreed (43,8% strongly agree & 53,9% agree) and only 2,3% of them disagreed with the question number 2.

Table 1. Students’ perceptions on English generally

No. Questions SA A (+) D SD (-)

1 I like English courses. 18,8% 57,8% 76,6% 22,7% 0,8% 23,4%

2 I agree with the benefit I got from learning English generally.


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From these two questions, we can say that the majority of the participants like English course and enjoy the advantages they got from learning it. In the other side, a few of them think that they dislike their English course. It could be an obstacle in developing their English abilities, because someone would find some difficulties in learning something if he/she did not like what he/she learnt first.

The rest of the questions which will be discussed are divided into 4 categories according to Focho‟s classification (2011), they are: English for academic success, English for international job opportunities, English for international communication, and English for global education.

1. English for Academic Success

The results of this category will indicate the students‟ views of the

importance of English in academic aspect.

Table 2. Students’s perceptions on English for academic success

English for academic success SA A (+) D SD (-)

3 I agree that learning English will wider my knowledge.

48,4% 49,2% 97,7% 1,6% 0,8% 2,3%

4 English is important to continue study abroad.

68,8% 31,3% 100% 0,0% 0,0% 0%

5 English is important for information research (book/internet).


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Based on the result above, we can see that each item has more than 90% positive attitudes. It means that most of the participants realized about the importance of English in academic aspect. It is not surprising because they were on their academic stage and of course on their effective age of learning English.

The finding is equivalent to Focho‟s finding that shows the significant number on

the increment of students‟ awareness towards the importance of English for university studies in Cameroon (Focho, 2011, p. 15). All participants agreed that English is important to help them in continuing their study abroad. This positive

attitude is similar with one of the students‟ perception of Bani-Khaled‟s study that

said “knowledge of English is the best way to get good education” (Bani-Khaled, 2014, p. 414).

2. English for International Job Opportunities

The questions in this category try to invite the participants to imagine how their future life with and without English in finding a job or in a workplace.

From the finding of this category, we can see that majority of the participants actually realized the importance of English for their future life in finding a job or in the workplace, even to look for a job with international base inside or outside their country. This result is equivalent with Bani-Khaled‟s

finding that has “Professional Concerns” as the first rank of the „Applied English‟ students at the University of Jordan‟ perceptions about the role of English (Bani -Khaled, 2014, p. 411). Nevertheless, there a significant number of the students


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Table 3. Students’ perceptions on English for international job opportunities English for international job

opportunities

SA A (+) D SD (-)

6 Speaking English ability is important to support my career.

48,4% 48,4% 96,9% 3,1% 0,0% 3,1%

7 English helps you get a job with international base.

60,9% 37,5% 98,4% 1,6% 0,0% 1,6%

8 English helps you get a job abroad.

63,3% 34,4% 97,7% 1,6% 0,8% 2,3%

9 English skills help you to get promoted or get a good position at your job.

28,1% 51,6% 79,7% 18,8% 1,6% 20,3%

that gave negative attitudes about item number 9. Around 20% of them disagreed with the assumption which said English would help them to get a higher or better position in their workplace. Perhaps, they thought that it is not always about English, but there are also some possibilities that they can rely on like performance, achievement, and good relation in the workplace.

3. English for International Communication

This category tries to find out the students‟ perceptions toward the

importance of English in communication.

This finding is surprising. More than half of the participants assumed that communicate in English is not easy. It means they found some difficulties and it


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Table 4. Students’ perception on English for communication English for international

communication

SA A (+) D SD (-)

10 Communicate in English is easy.

10,2% 31,3% 41,4% 53,9% 4,7% 58,6%

11 I want to improve my English abiliities.

46,9% 49,2% 96,1% 3,1% 0,8% 3,9%

12 English is important for social life.

30,5% 53,9% 84,$% 14,1% 1,6% 15,6%

13 English helps you increase your self-confidence.

32,8% 54,7% 87,5% 10,2% 2,3% 12,5%

14 English helps you communicate with tourists.

39,8% 53,1% 93,0% 7,0% 0,0% 7,0%

15 Everyone should be capable in English because it is an

international language.

31,3% 56,3% 87,5% 11,7% 0,8% 12,5%

could decrease their motivation to learn English. The possible solution that may the government or the educators could do is give an English program to the students to raise their awareness of the importance of English in order to give them a motivation to learn it, like what the government of Cameroon done (Focho 2011, p. 10).

However, the rest of the items of this category show a good result. More than 80% of the students gave positive attitudes towards item number 11 to 15. It means a huge number of participants were aware about the importance of English in communication. It does not take any differences with Jefizai‟s result that said


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the biggest students‟ intrinsic motivation in learning English is to improve their

language skill and for their social interaction with native speakers (Jefizai, 2012).

4. English for Global Education

This last category is an attempt to figure out the students‟ perceptions

toward the importance of English in globalization.

The result of this category shows that more than 90% of the participants gave good attitudes to each item. It means the majority of the students were aware about the importance of English for global education. Besides believing that English is important for the globalization, the participants saw that English is needed by their country to follow the global development, like Zacharias (2003) said that without English, people in Indonesia would be left behind and unable to compete (Zacharias, 2003, p. 58). Not only by their country, they also thought that

Table 5. Students’ perceptions on English for global education

Bahasa Inggris dalam globalisasi SS S (+) TS STS (-)

16 English is important for the global world development.

41,4% 53,1% 94,5% 4,7% 0,8% 5,5%

17 English is needed by Indonesia to follow the global world development.

42,2% 53,9% 96,1% 3,9% 0,0% 3,9%

18 English helps you to know much about the global world.


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English is even needed by each of them as a tool to know and learn about global

world. It is equivalent to the students‟ quote on Bani-Khaled‟s result that said,

“English is a way for connecting the outside world” (Bani-Khaled, 2014, p. 416).

V.

Conclusion

This study tries to figure out the students‟ perceptions toward English in

four categories based on Focho (2011): English for academic success, English for international job opportunities, English for international communication, and English for global education.

Based on the first two general questions, majority of the participants said that they like the English course in their schools and believed that it would give them some benefits which could be very useful for them. From this result, we can see that the students enjoy their English course and also the advantages by learn it generally.

The finding of the first category shows that almost all participants agreed with the benefit of English in their academic life. They believed that learning English could wider their knowledge and also could help them to get information from books or internet. They were really sure that English is important for them to continue their study abroad. It means that the students were aware about the importance of English for their academic success.


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Then, the result for the second category indicates that most of the participants thought that English is important in their professional life. They believed that good English skills especially in speaking English fluently could support them in their workplace. They assumed that English could help them to get a job with international base moreover for them who want to work abroad. They also thought that with English abilities, they could get a better or higher position in their workplace. This finding shows that the participants understood about what English could do for their future life especially for their career.

Next, the finding of the third category refers to the students‟ perceptions on the importance of English in communication. Majority of the participants agreed that English is important in communication moreover for international base. However, more than half of the participants still had a perception that communicate in English is a difficult thing. Realized it, almost all participants felt that they need to improve their English skills to be better. They believed that good English abilities especially in speaking could help them to increase their self confidence and also help them in social life including communicating with tourists. They assumed that every people should be capable in English because it is an international language and become a vital factor in communication internationally.

The last category has the result which shows that most of the participants agreed with the importance of English in global world development. They thought that English is needed by their country to follow the global development. They also believed that English could help them to know much about global world. It


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indicates that the students were aware about the importance of English for global education.

From the findings above, we can see that majority of the participants who

are the senior high school‟s students had positive attitudes toward English in four categories based on Focho (2011). They were aware about the importance of English for their academic life, career, communication, and globalization. Although many of them thought that communicate in English is not easy, they realized that English is very useful and helpful for them in many aspects. It is

equivalent to Focho‟s study (2011) that shows the increment of the students‟

awareness on the importance of English in four categories as the result. Students‟

perceptions toward English became more positive after English program is given to them in all schools in order to raise their awareness of the importance of English as development tool.

The result also shows us that although in „the expanding circle‟ of the three circle world Englishes, Indonesian students have a high awareness of the importance of English. This good attitude indicates that students agree with English role as a development tool for the globalization.

Based on that all, this study attempts to tell the government and the educators to consider about what English that actually needed by the students and give them the useful English to be their effective tools to reach their dreams and get a great quality of life in the future even give a contribution on the global development.


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to dedicate my acknowledge to Jesus Christ that always bless me in working this study. I also thank to My mom for always support me in my study, and for being my heroine in my life. I am very thankfuk to my supervisor, Dra. Elisabet Titik Murtisari, M. TransStud., PhD. Thank you for being very patient in handling me and also very kind to me. Thank you for the suggestions and the ideas that you gave to me. I am so happy to have you as my supervisor. Then, my examiner, Athriyana Santye Pattiwael, M. Hum. Thank you for being a good examiner. Also for SMA Kristen 1 and SMA Theresiana Salatiga. Thank you for the permission for collecting data there. For all my friends, Kord_End, Los Galilos, and The Mailuhu‟s squad. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for ED and SWCU that make me enjoy my college life so much.


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REFERENCES

Bani-Khaled, T. A. A. (2014). The role of English as perceived by students of applied English at the University of Jordan. European Scientific Journal, 10(5), 400-420.

Focho, G. N. (2011). Student perceptions of English as a developmental tool in Cameroon. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Dreams and realities: Developing countries and the English language (pp. 1-25). London: British Council. Jefizai, A. (2110). Students' motivation and attitudes toward learning English in

an English course in Bandung. Indonesia University of Education, Bandung. Retrieved from:

https://www.academia.edu/4961960/STUDENTS_MOTIVATION_A ND_ATTITUDES_TOWARD_NATIVE_SPEAKER_TEACHER_IN_L EARNING_ENGLISH

Lauder, A. (2008). The status and function of English in Indonesia: A review of key factors. Sosial Humaniora, 12(1), 9-20.

Lee, S. K., Lee, K. S., Wong, F. F., & Ya'acob, A. (2010). The English language and its impact on identities of multilingual Malaysian undergraduates. GEMA Online™ Journal of Language Studies, 10(1), 87-101.

Othman, J. (2005). English language use among EFL learners in Sunway University College. Sunway Academic Journal, 2, 93-100.

Soejatminah, S. (2009). Internationalisation of Indonesian higher education: A study from the periphery. Asian Social Science, 5(9), 70-78.

Souriyavongsa, T., Rany, S., Abidin, M. J. Z., & Mei, L. L. (2013). Factors causes students low English language learning: A case study in the National University of Laos. International Journal of English Language Education, 1(1), 179-192.

Tantri, N. R. (2013). English as a global language phenomenon and the need of cultural conceptualizations awareness in Indonesian ELT. International Refereed & Indexed Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 1(1), 37-49.

Verma, M. H. (2005). Learner‟s attitude and its impact on language learning. Zacharias, N. T. (2003). A survey of tertiary teachers’ beliefs about English


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24

global language. Unpublished MA-ELT Thesis, Assumption University of Thailand.


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25

APPENDIX

KUESIONER

Teman-teman yang baik,

Sehubungan dengan penyelesaian tugas akhir atau skripsi yang sedang saya lakukan di Fakultas Bahasa dan Sastra jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, maka saya melakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui persepsi siswa SMA terhadap bahasa Inggris, yang nantinya diharapkan dapat membantu para pengajar sebagai fasilitator dalam memberikan pelajaran bahasa Inggris sesuai dengan kebutuhan siswa.

Adapun salah satu cara untuk mendapatkan data adalah dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada responden. Kuesioner ini tidak mempengaruhi nilai teman-teman, untuk itu saya mengharapkan kesediaan teman-teman untuk mengisi kuesioner ini sebagai mana adanya. Atas ketersediaan teman-teman saya ucapkan terima kasih.

Peneliti, Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu

Petunjuk Pengisian:

Centang atau Silang pada salah satu pilihan SS, S, TS atau STS di setiap pertanyaan yang ada, SS = Sangat Setuju, S = Setuju, TS = Tidak Setuju, STS = Sangat Tidak Setuju.

No. Pertanyaan SS S TS STS


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26

2 Apakah Anda setuju akan manfaat yang didapat ketika belajar Bahasa Inggris secara umum?

Bahasa Inggris untuk pemerolehan informasi dan keberhasilan akademik

3 Apakah Anda setuju dengan manfaat belajar bahasa Inggris akan membuka wawasan Anda menjadi lebih luas?

4 Bahasa Inggris penting untuk melanjutkan studi ke luar negeri.

5 Bahasa Inggris dapat membantu dalam memperoleh informasi (buku/internet).

Bahasa Inggris dalam kesempatan kerja

6 Kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris sangat penting dalam mendukung pekerjaan saya di masa depan. 7 Menurut Anda, apakah Bahasa Inggris akan membantu

Anda dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan yang bersifat internasional?

8 Menurut Anda, apakah Bahasa Inggris akan membantu Anda dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan di luar negeri. 9 Apakah Anda berpikir kemampuan bahasa Inggris akan

membantu Anda dalam memperoleh jabatan yang baik dalam pekerjaan?

Bahasa Inggris dalam komunikasi

10 Apakah Anda setuju berkomunikasi dalam bahasa Inggris itu mudah?


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27

11 Apakah Anda ingin mengasah kemampuan bahasa Inggris Anda menjadi lebih mahir?

12 Apakah Anda setuju jika bahasa Inggris dapat membantu Anda dalam bersosialisasi?

13 Apakah Anda setuju jika keterampilan Bahasa Inggris akan meningkatkan kepercayaan diri Anda?

14 Apakah belajar bahasa Inggris di sekolah membantu Anda dalam berkomunikasi dengan orang asing?

15 Apakah Anda setuju bahwa bahasa Inggris harus dikuasai oleh setiap orang, karena merupakan bahasa

Internasional?

Bahasa Inggris dalam globalisasi

16 Apakah Anda setuju bahwa bahasa Inggris penting bagi perkembangan dunia secara global?

17 Apakah menurut Anda Bahasa Inggris dibutuhkan negara kita untuk dapat mengikuti perkembangan dunia secara global?

18 Apakah Bahasa Inggris dapat membantu Anda lebih mengenal dunia secara global.

Data responden:

Usia :

Jenis Kelamin : Laki-laki / Perempuan *coret yang tidak perlu Berapa lama mempelajari bahasa inggris :


(1)

22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to dedicate my acknowledge to Jesus Christ that always bless

me in working this study. I also thank to My mom for always support me in my

study, and for being my heroine in my life. I am very thankfuk to my supervisor,

Dra. Elisabet Titik Murtisari, M. TransStud., PhD. Thank you for being very

patient in handling me and also very kind to me. Thank you for the suggestions

and the ideas that you gave to me. I am so happy to have you as my supervisor.

Then, my examiner, Athriyana Santye Pattiwael, M. Hum. Thank you for being a

good examiner. Also for SMA Kristen 1 and SMA Theresiana Salatiga. Thank

you for the permission for collecting data there. For all my friends, Kord_End,

Los G

alilos, and The Mailuhu‟s squad. Thank you for

being a part of my life.

Thank you for ED and SWCU that make me enjoy my college life so much.


(2)

23

REFERENCES

Bani-Khaled, T. A. A. (2014). The role of English as perceived by students of

applied English at the University of Jordan.

European Scientific Journal, 10

(5), 400-420.

Focho, G. N. (2011). Student perceptions of English as a developmental tool in

Cameroon. In H. Coleman (Ed.),

Dreams and realities: Developing countries and the English language

(pp. 1-25). London: British Council.

Jefizai, A. (2110).

Students' motivation and attitudes toward learning English in

an English course in Bandung.

Indonesia University of Education,

Bandung. Retrieved from:

https://www.academia.edu/4961960/STUDENTS_MOTIVATION_A

ND_ATTITUDES_TOWARD_NATIVE_SPEAKER_TEACHER_IN_L

EARNING_ENGLISH

Lauder, A. (2008). The status and function of English in Indonesia: A review of

key factors.

Sosial Humaniora, 12

(1), 9-20.

Lee, S. K., Lee, K. S., Wong, F. F., & Ya'acob, A. (2010). The English language

and its impact on identities of multilingual Malaysian undergraduates.

GEMA Online™ Journal of Language Studies, 10

(1), 87-101.

Othman, J. (2005). English language use among EFL learners in Sunway

University College.

Sunway Academic Journal, 2

, 93-100.

Soejatminah, S. (2009). Internationalisation of Indonesian higher education: A

study from the periphery.

Asian Social Science, 5

(9), 70-78.

Souriyavongsa, T., Rany, S., Abidin, M. J. Z., & Mei, L. L. (2013). Factors causes

students low English language learning: A case study in the National

University of Laos.

International Journal of English Language Education, 1

(1), 179-192.

Tantri, N. R. (2013). English as a global language phenomenon and the need of

cultural conceptualizations awareness in Indonesian ELT.

International Refereed & Indexed Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 1

(1), 37-49.

Verma, M. H. (2005). Learner‟s attitud

e and its impact on language learning.

Zacharias, N. T. (2003).

A survey of tertiary teachers’ beliefs about English


(3)

24

global language.

Unpublished MA-ELT Thesis, Assumption University of

Thailand.


(4)

25

APPENDIX

KUESIONER

Teman-teman yang baik,

Sehubungan dengan penyelesaian tugas akhir atau skripsi yang sedang saya lakukan di Fakultas Bahasa dan Sastra jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, maka saya melakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui persepsi siswa SMA terhadap bahasa Inggris, yang nantinya diharapkan dapat membantu para pengajar sebagai fasilitator dalam memberikan pelajaran bahasa Inggris sesuai dengan kebutuhan siswa.

Adapun salah satu cara untuk mendapatkan data adalah dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada responden. Kuesioner ini tidak mempengaruhi nilai teman-teman, untuk itu saya mengharapkan kesediaan teman-teman untuk mengisi kuesioner ini sebagai mana adanya. Atas ketersediaan teman-teman saya ucapkan terima kasih.

Peneliti, Immanuel Raymond Arthur Mailuhu

Petunjuk Pengisian:

Centang atau Silang pada salah satu pilihan SS, S, TS atau STS di setiap pertanyaan yang ada,

SS = Sangat Setuju, S = Setuju, TS = Tidak Setuju, STS = Sangat Tidak Setuju.

No. Pertanyaan SS S TS STS


(5)

26

2 Apakah Anda setuju akan manfaat yang didapat ketika belajar Bahasa Inggris secara umum?

Bahasa Inggris untuk pemerolehan informasi dan keberhasilan akademik 3 Apakah Anda setuju dengan manfaat belajar bahasa

Inggris akan membuka wawasan Anda menjadi lebih luas?

4 Bahasa Inggris penting untuk melanjutkan studi ke luar negeri.

5 Bahasa Inggris dapat membantu dalam memperoleh informasi (buku/internet).

Bahasa Inggris dalam kesempatan kerja

6 Kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris sangat penting dalam mendukung pekerjaan saya di masa depan. 7 Menurut Anda, apakah Bahasa Inggris akan membantu

Anda dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan yang bersifat internasional?

8 Menurut Anda, apakah Bahasa Inggris akan membantu Anda dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan di luar negeri. 9 Apakah Anda berpikir kemampuan bahasa Inggris akan

membantu Anda dalam memperoleh jabatan yang baik dalam pekerjaan?

Bahasa Inggris dalam komunikasi

10 Apakah Anda setuju berkomunikasi dalam bahasa Inggris itu mudah?


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27

11 Apakah Anda ingin mengasah kemampuan bahasa Inggris Anda menjadi lebih mahir?

12 Apakah Anda setuju jika bahasa Inggris dapat membantu Anda dalam bersosialisasi?

13 Apakah Anda setuju jika keterampilan Bahasa Inggris akan meningkatkan kepercayaan diri Anda?

14 Apakah belajar bahasa Inggris di sekolah membantu Anda dalam berkomunikasi dengan orang asing?

15 Apakah Anda setuju bahwa bahasa Inggris harus dikuasai oleh setiap orang, karena merupakan bahasa

Internasional?

Bahasa Inggris dalam globalisasi

16 Apakah Anda setuju bahwa bahasa Inggris penting bagi perkembangan dunia secara global?

17 Apakah menurut Anda Bahasa Inggris dibutuhkan negara kita untuk dapat mengikuti perkembangan dunia secara global?

18 Apakah Bahasa Inggris dapat membantu Anda lebih mengenal dunia secara global.

Data responden:

Usia :

Jenis Kelamin : Laki-laki / Perempuan *coret yang tidak perlu Berapa lama mempelajari bahasa inggris :