Yes Ketes Ketes

Muhammad Taher, states in The Best Method to Learn English that to learn how to speak English well we have to live in English speaking countries or to ‘create’ an English speaking community. I absolutely agree. However, it is easier to say than to do.

As a result of the failure of English learning at formal schools (sorry to say this) there have been a lot of English courses established. More and more students learn English there. Unfortunately, when they are home, they don’t have English speaking community. Their families don’t speak English.

One day, I met three students in a bemo. They greeted, “Good afternoon, Mr. David.” Although I hesitated to reply, still I did so, “Good afternoon, girls.” We, then, had simple conversation in English. The people in the bemo stared at us. Perhaps they thought this way, “You four eat only pecel. Why should you speak English? Show off.”

Then, a passenger got off the bemo. After paying the fare, he said loudly, “Yes, ketes ketes”. He alluded or, maybe, he was jealous. It seems that our society still doesn’t support people who want to learn to speak English. They often mock the people who speak English as not nationalists. What we need is not only English speaking community but also English supporting community. Oh, yes, ketes ketes. (By David Solafide)

This article is also put on Kompasiana