“If you want to be good at a language, then you have to go to the country where the language is spoken.”

Are you familiar with that sentence? Or maybe, has anyone ever told you that?

If yes, you are not alone. That statement is quite a common refrain for language learner to hear. That might not be a problem if you have the opportunity to study or stay in that specific country. However, this can be a very big loss for those who get no chance at all to spend their time abroad.

My stand on this issue is that I oppose it. The statement is nonsense. It is not where you stay that makes you a successful language learner; in this case an English language learner. What I mean by being successful here is that you are good at the four language skills. You can listen, read, speak and write in English language.

You do not have to spend your time in America, study in England or stay in Australia in order to be good at English. Let me tell you a new statement that can be the mantra for your language learning:

“You can be good at English language no matter where you live, even in Indonesia.”

How can that statement be true? What should you do to be successful?

Before I answer those questions, let me give you some preamble. The only simple reason why people who get the chance to study abroad are more likely to be good at this language is because they use English most of their time. The words ‘more likely’ are used here is because of the fact that not all people who study in English speaking countries are really good at English.

Those who are proficient usually surround themselves with English from the time they start their day to the time they sleep. Take my fictitious friend Andy, for example. Here are some activities he does in a day and consciously he practices his English the whole day:

  • Soon after he wakes up, he turns on his TV to get updated with some news: there he practices his listening.
  • On his way to the campus, he stops by Starbucks to get his breakfast and coffee: there he practices his speaking with the staff, and with his friends.
  • At campus, he listens to some lectures, reads some books, joins some discussions and takes notes on his lectures: there he practices listening, reading, speaking and writing.
  • Back at home, he does his assignments and essays: there he practices his writing.

The points above should give you a hint that the secret of success is not from the place where you stay, but the secret is just as simple as applying the right strategy. That is the strategy you have to apply in your life no matter where you are.

If you want to be good at English, then you have to live as if English were your first language and Indonesian were your second language, meaning that you have to spend most of your time using this language. Just imagine that you are an American who learns to speak Indonesian here in Indonesia. So, you only use your Indonesian when you interact with the other Indonesians and only if you need to. You have to live with English language as much as you can, 24/7 if possible.

That is the real secret of how to be a successful English language learner. So, you can just stay and study here in Indonesia and be good at English language.

My next post will focus on the steps you have to take to be good at English here in Indonesia…