The Importance of Applying Bilingualism in English Learning Process

This is a repost of my old writing which was previously published here. The previous blog was hacked by some unknown bad guy :( Hope this is still useful :)

Language as a means of communication is undeniably important for us. People need to communicate every day, every time. It includes both normal people who can communicate verbally and ‘un-normal’ ones who cannot communicate verbally; they need special language such as sign language. Even, communicating becomes one of the primary needs of human beings, apart from their need of food, housing, and clothing. People, for example, can stand not eating one day, but they cannot stand not communicating even for only a half day! However, we need to remember that people communicate with many other people, even with those who do not share the same language. Here, we talk about the world in which there are so many different languages. Like what we have already known, world has an international language: English. Remembering the importance of English as international language, here, I’d like to talk about its effective learning process in non-native English countries, such as Indonesia.
We need to know that learning language is not as easy as acquiring language. The difference is that learning language will make the languages as our second language, while acquiring will make it as our first. The process is also different. Learning language is of no difference with learning other things: science, math, physics, etc that needs intention; acquiring is not formal like learning, we have no intention of learning language but we still can speak language just that way. It is best done during our childhood. Thus, what we will focus on in this posting is not the acquiring process but learning, as we have seen more problem in the learning itself.
What we need to do as an effective way in early English learning process is to apply bilingualism. Bilingualism is two languages used together in the same time. This way is considered more effective than to apply monolingualism, either the language used is the English or the mother tongue, such as Bahasa Indonesia.
Maybe you wonder why it can be so. Of course it is because bilingualism will give more benefits towards the learners than monolingualism. Besides, it also eases the teacher in either giving the lesson or explaining the materials. In bilingualism, the teacher will use both English and Bahasa Indonesia. English should be used since the learning is about English itself. When English is not used, it feels like the learning is merely about theory. Whereas, to learn language is of course to communicate as its main function is as a means of communication. Thus, when the learning is only about theory, it will not be too good for the students since language should be dealt mostly with practical stuff.
Knowing that the main function of language is to be a means of communication and that applying full-Bahasa Indonesia in the learning is not really good, it does not mean that applying full-English is then good. As long as it is monolingualism, the result will not be of difference. We should remember that this is early English learning as the second language. The ability of the learners to catch everything said in English is not really good yet. Thus, at every end of the lesson, it will also be not good when the learners do not have any idea of what is said by the teacher. Finally at the end, it will raise a question: “How can we expect them (the students) to improve, when they get ‘nothing’ from the lesson they join?”
After knowing the lack of applying monolingualism in early second language learning, we should look for another effective method: bilingualism. As bilingualism involves the use of two languages: English and Bahasa Indonesia, it eases all sides, especially the learners. Firstly, it applies Bahasa Indonesia that eases the learners in catching every detail the teacher gives them. It is good as the students can really understand the rule, including grammar and tenses, of English. Secondly, the appliance of English in the learning also brings benefit: it is as a way for the learners to be familiar with English words. They can, not only, learn the theory (the rule), but also learn practically through listening and speaking, for example, when they have questions. Thus here, the appliance of bilingualism brings not only the benefits that monolingualism might bring, but it also is better since the problem that is faced by monolingualism can be solved here.
Finally, we have come into the point of conclusion. In considering the method that might be used in the early second language learning, we should regard the need and ability of the learners. Their need is the practical stuff to get them used to English. However, their ability is still lacking since they are early learners. Bilingualism is an effective way to apply since it regards those two things.