Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Madrasah Ibtidaiyyah: Facts and Challenges
Abstract: The mastery of English
as a tool of communication among nations and people around the globe is an
undeniable fact. Islam world also needs tofollow this by equipping its people
with English as a communication tool.As Arabic is used for the communication
inside Islam, English is neededto communicate Islam to other people around the
earth both to Muslimsor Non-Muslims. Teaching English has become an
increasingly significantelement in Islamic education. For this, the issue of
teaching English atmadrasah is an important concern for practitioners in the
area of TEFL inIslamic institutions. This paper explores the writer’s ten-year
experience in teaching English at a madrasah ibtidaiyyah in Cirebon, West
JavaIndonesia. The conditions that will be pictured are the culture, the students,
the teaching and learning process, and the outcome of thecurrent practices in
madrasah ibtidaiyyah, mainly in the area of TEFL. Then,all these conditions
will be contrasted to up to date research findings and theories so that the
facts and the challenges can be clearly seen. This will also be seen from the
perspective of current curriculum in Indonesia, namely curriculum 2013, which
bears contradictions with the presence of it. In fact, the curriculum 2013
eliminates English as a subject learned atprimary school level. What madrasah
ibtidaiyyah will do in the next years can direct the expected outcome of the
teaching of English at this level. Kinds of program that can be designed to
empower the state of English mastery are an essential case to discuss. This all
facts and challenges can provide insights so that people working in and with
madrasah ibtidaiyyah understand and are ready to face the global communication
era.
Author: Wakhid Nashruddin
Journal Code: jppendidikangg150154
