EYL in Indonesia: Implementations, Problems, and Challenges

Abstract

English is becoming more and more important language in th2 21st century. To respond this condition, some countries start introducing English to their school students earlier. In the newest Curriculum 2013, Indonesian government changes the status of English in elementary school to be an extracurricular activity which was stated as a local content in the previous curriculum. This policy becomes a great concern for some teachers and educators in Indonesia. To address this problem, the writer try to analyze it by proposing three problems; How is the implementation of teaching English as a foreign language in Elementary schools, What are the problems in teaching English in Elementary schools, and What are the challenges of teaching English in Elementary schools. Data were collected from previous research findings, and find out that many elementary schools still teach English with some problem such as unqualified teachers and unsatisfactory learning outcome. Thus, it is challenge for all the stake holders, especially government and higher education institutions.