What is the best way for Indonesians to speak and write in English?

There are so many great ways for Indonesians to learn English, and as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher from the UK teaching here and in China for nearly 17 years, I want to share some simple and relatively easy ways to speak and write English naturally. I don’t think there is only ‘the best way’, as there are many great ways to speak and write English naturally. You need to choose what is the best way for you.

Moreover, the following steps can not only be used by Indonesians, but can be used by anybody wanting to become fluent in English. Below, I am going to suggests ways which may be expensive, cheap and even for free. So, whether you live in a village (kampung) or a city, whether you’re rich or poor... the most important qualification you need to speak and write like a native speaker (bule) is a positive ‘never-give-up’ attitude.

First, here’s 3 questions you need to ask yourself... decide how fast you want to learn, what level of English you want to learn, and perhaps why you want to learn. Just pause and think about these parameters before reading further. Okay, let’s get started...

Step 1. Imagine that your English is already excellent

It’s really important to visual yourself as a natural English speaker and writer. Have you ever heard an Indonesian talking in English just like a native speaker? Have you ever seen an article or post written by an Indonesian? You haven’t? Read some of the excellent posts by Indonesians right here on Quora. They write just like me! Can you imagine yourself doing the same; writing and speaking English easily and naturally? Take one moment and just imagine you can speak or write fluently. Why is this visualization important? Simply because you will automatically think about goals and objectives.

Set a target. For example, how about becoming a natural English speaker in 6 months from now? This is the first step. If you don’t set a time limit or deadline, your visualization will remain a dream or a wish... it will never happen. So, set a target and then everyday, remind yourself that on a certain day (in 6 months/1 year, etc.) you will be able to switch between English and Indonesian naturally, almost without thinking about it. I can almost hear you thinking... this is not possible. Well after teaching in China and Indonesia for almost two decades, I can assure you that even if your English is close to zero, you can become fluent in English very quickly... faster than you can ever imagine. I have hundreds of Indonesian students who are now fluent and they have all followed both this important step and the steps below. So, before you read further... set a target and write it down. If you don’t write it down, it will remain only a wish, not a reality.

Step 1, write your target down right now. [email protected].

2. Learning in English about what you love

A couple of years ago, the parents of a young 12-year old Indonesian girl asked me to help their child because despite going to language schools, she just couldn’t talk or write in English. Do you know why? It was because her friends laughed at her when she tried to talk in English, so she had zero self-confidence and had simply given up. I quickly realized that she was really smart and that she had secretly written some small stories about her favourite Korean kpop idols such as Baby V.O.X. Even her parents didn’t know. Yet, her English was so bad that I simply couldn’t understand what she had written. However, I knew she was passionate about these Korean idols. Her passion was enough! So, I began to teach her online to watch and/or listen to YouTube videos posted by Korean artists. She would write one sentence, I would correct it, she would then turn the page and write down the sentence again... this time in better English. Again, I would correct, then she would turn another page and rewrite the sentence.

Do you understand what is happening here? She wasn’t getting bored with learning grammar and struggling to repeat vocabulary, she was learning to write complete sentences which directly related what she had seen and listened to, and about something she loved. This is just one way in using resources such as You Tube to have fun and learn quickly. I used other resources such as books and movies to do the same thing. Her progress was so rapid, that she could speak and write better English than her parents who had studied overseas and were good English speakers. Now she is 15 in SMP, and I am now teaching her via [email protected] to write a 100-page Masters thesis... about what? Well you’ve guessed it... the Korean kpop phenomenon! So, in 3 years, she has gone from beginner English to writing at Masters level... she loves it and she’s only 15!

Step 2, stop learning just from a textbook, start learning about what you love.

Step 3. Think in English naturally

When I listen to Indonesians talking in their home language they use idioms, slang, shortcuts, phrasal verbs, etc., to naturally communicate with each other. This is the same with most languages including English. Some nationalities use a lot of body language and emotions to communicate, others don’t so much. To speak and write in English up to an IELTS Band 7.5 level or TOEFL 100/120 level, or simply to become fluent in English, you need to get inside the meanings, not the words. Learning words and grammar is like trying to dance to music without ever listening to it. Learning words and grammar is useless on its own. Everything we say or do has meaning. So why don’t we learn English in schools the same way? For example, Indonesians often say “ngak apa apa” which directly translated is “no, what, what”. How can anybody from overseas understand that... it’s crazy! Yet Indonesians are simply trying to tell you “it doesn’t matter”. An English example is “once in a blue moon”. Have you ever seen a blue moon? It simply means “almost never”. Learning English is all about meanings. When you understand the importance of meanings in English, you can have fun with grammar... it’s way easier to learn. I was planning to stop here as I have a kepala pusing (headache)... but let’s have some fun with grammar... naturally and with real-life meanings.

For example, we have ‘Simple Present’ (now)... some Indonesians call it Verb 1... aduh! We use this tense to talk about routines and facts. Every morning, my mom wakes me up for school, and after she leaves my room I turn over and go back to sleep. That sometimes happens, right? Indonesians ride their motorbikes like there is no tomorrow... it’s a fact, right? Here’s two more... ‘Simple Past’ and ‘Present Perfect’. What’s the difference? What’s the difference between “I went to Bandung”, and “I have been to Bandung”? Both are in the past, both completed actions... so what’s the difference? If I say that I went to Bandung it means that I went there sometime in the past... it’s just a past event... no big deal! If I say that I have been to Bandung it means exactly the same... except for a small difference. If I use the present perfect verb tense I am really saying that my visit to Bandung is still important or relevant now. That visit has a meaning now in my life.

Essentially, as we think naturally in English, learning and using grammar has real-life meanings. It’s not learning about the rules of grammar, it’s thinking inside why we use grammar... it’s about meanings not rules... you automatically learn the rules as you understand why you are using different forms of grammar.Kids get bored with grammar because it is made of words and rules, kids have fun with grammar if they understand why we use it and they have fun applying it to everyday real-life meanings. They remember different verb tenses simply by remembering important or funny things which they have experienced. Many years ago, I published an article about how to become fluent in English in only thirty-seven days. My inbox at [email protected] was swamped by a tsunami of emails. It’s all about thinking and staying inside the language, it’s not about jumping between 2 languages and learning words. Google the top 100 English idioms and apply them to your own life; that’s another great way to speak and write English naturally.

Step 3, stop learning English words, start to think in English... in terms of meanings which effect your everyday life and are important to you.

This beautiful country will soon be one of the world’s largest economies (number five). Just Google for yourself and you will see that by 2030 this will be a reality. This means that becoming fluent in English, and speaking English naturally will not be an option but a necessity. I predict that in a few short years, millions of tourists and business people will not come only to Bali, but more likely turn up right here on our mainland.

So, who is going to talk with all these incoming people?

Who is going to communicate with them via email, FB, and other platforms?

For you the reader it will be you. Just think of all the opportunities to gain new friends and make money with all these people wanting to discover what the world’s fifth largest economy is all about.

Do you want to be a part of the new Indonesia?

Do you want your kids to enjoy all the new money and investment which is already beginning to pour in?

Tell me what you think. [email protected]