Economic Environment
During the period of this consultancy we have seen the Rupiah fall in value from an already all-time low of Rp 9,000 to the US$1.00, to rates as low as Rp17,000 to the US$1.00. The economy has been progressively shutting down, with unemployment increasing daily (boosted by the riots in May 1998). It has been reported that 60% of the businesses in Jakarta are already bankrupt (Jakarta Post July/98 - probably an underestimate).In many Indonesian schools students are unable to afford school fees, uniforms, and books. The government is trying to address these issues and keep school participation as high as possible.
Learning Environment
One of the major difficulties confronting teachers of a foreign language is the development of strategies which enable students to practise and develop their listening and speaking skills. Second Language (SL) learners generally have the advantage of being able to utilise their environment (immersion) to continually develop and enrich their oral skills performance outside the classroom. However, foreign language (FL) learners, learning a foreign language in their own country, need to maximise all available mediums in order to gain experience and enhance both their language skills and confidence using the target language (TL). Indonesian high school students generally do not have access to native speakers of foreign languages. Therefore, it is imperative that we integrate appropriate technologies into their language programs which can help to address these issues. The affective implementation of this technology requires close links between the stakeholders and the developers of national curriculum. The current curriculum fails to adequately address the needs of the majority (70%) of students completing SMU in that it does not place sufficient emphasis upon communicative skills. It is imperative that curriculum designers liaise effectively with teachers in the field so that high motivation levels are maintained so that both the desired academic and vocational needs of the students are achieved.
The current learning envirionment of the students, and the working conditions of the teachers in the schools (which were never adequate) are rapidly degenerating. Students are unable to purchase books and schools are unable to provide (afford) sufficient photocopying to address the problem. The economic situation is placing an enormous burdon upon the teachers who are struggling to maintain basic teaching quality.
Vocational Environment
In the workplace the two most common criteria for entry into employment are foreign language and computer skills. During this economic crisis international trade has become even more crucial to economic stability. Some rural export industries are now achieving incredibly high Rupiah incomes, and public awareness of the need to learn a foreign language is probably going to increase dramatically over the next few years due to the persuit of foreign markets .
Personal Comments
Throughout this current 'economic crisis' I have been continually concerned about the effective appropriation of resources so that they will best serve both the short and long-term interests of SMUs. To this end I believe that it is best to prioritize the upgrading, modification and strengthening of existing facilities, and the establishment of affective support systems. The greatest sustainable achievements towards upgrading the use of language technology in Indonesian schools will come, not from the addition of extra hardware, but from the establishment of a responsible body to provide planning, quality materials, affective teacher training, and technical assistance to the teachers in the field (issues addressing quality).
