Language Barrier: Theory of Truth in Intercultural EFL

Abstract

This paper elaborates the explanation of an incorrect and misconception
understanding of meaning in teaching English as a foreign language in
Indonesia. This research is conducted with a discussion consisting of logical
reasoning about the detailed explanation as a method to deal with the issue.
It was done by cross-checking and reviewing eclectically from dissimilar
sources in the related field of study as well. Moreover, the discussion and
result are affirmed and evaluated by utilizing the relevant existing studies
and research. The scoop and limitation in this study are that the subject is
referring to the Indonesian students that learn the English language as a
foreign language in formal education school.
The study found that this phenomenon is happening because of the
pedagogical need based on the standard formal education school curriculum
in Indonesia that focusing English as a communication language rather than
anything else. A teacher neither needs nor bother to explain the language
in a deeper sense of meaning and only teaches what is necessary for the
student requirement. This makes the English language used in Indonesian
schools lose its true meaning and understanding because of the difference
in intercultural understanding. This mostly happens in a school that uses
localized English that has been adapted in our culture and habits as foreign
speakers. Hence some vocabularies and phrases end up being simplified to
reduce teacher time effort to explain further about language meaning and
truth.