Maintaining Students’ ‘Indonesian Identity’ with a Multicultural Teaching Approach

Abstract

Experts agree that using English as an International Language (EIL) has directly and indirectly shaped the speakers’ ways of thinking which may finally shape their identity. This paper theoretically examines impacts of learning English towards students’ identity, i.e. Indonesian identity. First, it explains the possibility of Indonesian students’ changing identity as learning English in school. Then, it recommends what teachers should know about their students in order to reduce negative impacts of English to the students’ national identity. Finally, the paper purposes the notion of a multicultural teaching approach when teaching English.