ENGLISH TO THE WORLD

Since the globalization era had been widely giving a huge impact all over the
world a long time ago. English, the language used in Britain, the US, Australia, and
some other countries (Cambridge, 2008), at the beginning, is now being an
international language that required in almost everywhere and every sector such as
education, economic, social and politic. Many people believe that schooling at
international class, working at multinational company, or having business known by
many countries nowadays is what they want. Subsequently, it emerges the fact that by
taking English as people life, by measuring their own capability or level in English
through the English Proficiency Test, people can acquire their human needs
accomplished, study abroad and work globally, to face the challenge of ASEAN
Economic Community.
Firstly, Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and philosopher, stated that
each person has a hierarchy of needs that must be satisfied, ranging from basic
physiological requirements to love, esteem, and, finally, self-actualization
(Encyclopdia Britannica, 2009).

Picture 1. Hiearchy of Needs

Based on that theory, after people obtained and satisfied their basic needs,
higher-level needs would become important. This morning, for example, I already got

my physiological needs fulfilled, I have had delicious breakfast and I slept quite well
last night. Now, I feel safe because of staying in my lovely and warm room, and I
have just got good morning honey message from the boy I crush on, this morning is
perfect, there is no doubt that my love and belongingness need is also fulfilled.
Therefore, as a student who wants to achive something in academic everyday is my
desire afterwards and it is impormant for me to get. By attaining some achievements,
I will get more respect from others. That all is for realizing my personal potential as
the highest need from Maslows theory, self-actualization. I would not be more
happier if I could accomplish those all.
In this case, the condition in which English whose countries that dominate
globally, makes people to learn English, to use English, and to speak English. People
are trying to participate, to compete, and to be a part of them, to compensate
theirselves for not to be left behind. Indonesia as the country where English is not
their mother tounge, for instance, has been attempting to compete by starting to adapt
education system with international standard which uses English as the reference and
the second language to do a class or to present the paper as though in my
Administration and Health Policy course, in Airlangga University. At that course,
students have to submit their paper by using English. So, they will get used to use
English and be able to against other students internationally.
Over its importance, people should study about English. However, because
English is not easy to learn and to use by Indonesian people, they should study from
the level where they are and it needs English Proficiency Test to know. Therefore,
they will know how to start learning and then to evaluate themselves are they ready to
go with English or no. Being able to use English by getting a high score on English
test could be listed as an achievement, it can be concluded that English Proficiency
Test is a human need on esteem needs level, so it is essential to be satisfied.
Secondly, the necessity of English Proficiency Test to be fulfilled is
undisputed more than getting a self-esteem. For several people who want to study
abroad or continue their study after getting bachelors degree, they have to take
English Proficiency Test as one of the requirements to be accepted in their destination

school or university. English Proficiency Test is usually used to prove people skills in
English such as listening, reading, writing and speaking by measuring their ability
according to the criteria or assessment which have been standardized. IELTS and
TOEFL are two kinds of English Proficiency Test which is usually taken by test taker.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the worlds
most popular English test to acquire because it is accepted by over 9,000
organisations worldwide, including schools, universities, work and migration. IELTS
assesses four skills of English like reading, writing, listening and speaking and is
designed to reflect real life use of English at study, at work, and at play. The IELTS
test is developed by some of the worlds leading experts in language assessment.
IELTS uses a one-on-one speaking test to evaluate people English communication
skills (IELTS, 2015). IELTS results are graded on the unique IELTS 9-band scale, and
the required score for each university is defferent. Case in point, my friend is going to
continue her masters degree of Midwifery in The Universty of Nottingham and she is
required to have an overall average score of 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element) in
the British Councils International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or
equivalent (The University of Nottingham, 2015). Different from her, if I want to
study in Imperial College London for getting master of science in Epidemiology, I
need to apply by IELTS with overall score is 7, and a minimum score is 6,5 in any
area (Imperial College London, 2015). Having no much dissimilarity, TOEFL can be
utilized as widely as IELTS. It only has different speaking and writing test method. In
Indonesia, TOEFL is commonly being the prerequisite to exit from the University and
to enter magister or doctoral program.
Citated from McKeown, 2009 that studying abroad is an academic experience
where college students physically leave their country to engage in college study,
cultural interaction, and other related pursuits in a foreign host country. The benefits
of participating in a study abroad are authentic, include increased multicultural
awareness, greater foreign language proficiency, better professional and personal
development, and better academic performance. It is supported by the findings of
students returning from studying abroad who have a higher than average curiosity and

interest in academic matters. They become more interested in academic issues and
less often distracted by non-academic and age-related stimuli (Hadis, 2005). The
impact after studying abroad has also been proved more significant mainly because
students appear to have increased confidence in their linguistic abilities due to length
of exposure and amount of practice (Dwyer, 2004). In addition, Sutton (2004) found
students who had studied abroad have a higher level of functional knowledge than did
their peers who lacked this horizon-broadening experience.
My friend, Siska, graduated from Airlangga University as an accountant, has
an intention to study at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands. She hopes that
she can gain knowledge and widen her networking, especially in accounting and
financial management, for being able to make the government-owned companies to
be better. She choses the university due to its high quality. Erasmus University
Rotterdam has internationally competitive level and is located in the country which is
known as one of the countries that has the best educational quality. She is one of the
example of people who believes in the advantages of studying abroad.
Preparing students for active global citizenship, which would enable students
to strengthen international development efforts and enhance their countrys image
abroad is also expected from studying abroad. Public policymakers have recognized
the value of an international study experience, they argued that study abroad
experiences should be the norm in higher education, rather than the exception
(Bandyopadhyay, 2015). Hence, there is no doubt if today, with the mass
development of higher education, millions of students decide to go abroad for
studying, and acquire new language skills to a greater, new academic knowledge, and
interpersonal and intercultural skills, more than only the intention to be eventually
awarded a degree (Teichler, 2015).
Overall, to be able to go abroad for studying, wherever the destination,
globally, English proficiency is needed, so taking English Proficiency Test is
important. This is Siskas IELTS score in order to apply Erasmus University
Rotterdam.

Picture 2. IELTS test report

Thirdly, Indonesia as a part of ASEAN is going to actualize the AEC 2015, as

known as ASEAN Economic Community 2015. The ASEAN Economic Community
is the goal of regional economic integration which tries to realize a single market and
production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable
economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy.
Developing human resources to recognize the professional qualifications, building
enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity, integrating industries
across the region to promote regional sourcing, and enhancing private sector
involvement are the efforts and the challenges to all 10 countries for the ASEAN
Economic Community 2015. In short, the ASEAN Economic Community will
transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment,
skilled labour, and free flow of capital (ASEAN, 2015).
ASEAN Economic Community 2015 might create the condition in which
investors can invest anywhere, workers can go work anywhere, and various product
will distribute continously in these countries with no tight restriction. This will be the
international competition scale, so, all 10 countries agree to use English as the
language. Indonesia has chance to be international through the ASEAN Economis
Community, no excuse for not joining. However, those challenges exist as the threats
as well. Taking one case, if the free flow of skilled labor is really going to happen in
ASEAN Economic Community 2015 and many workers around the world will come
to Indonesia and compete with the residents to fill the vacancy on companies in
which must have been increasing the qualification, so the companies need qualified
labor. Unless indonesian people can speak English and have skills or competencies,
they will not be able to dominate their own country and threaten to be dominated by
other countries.
Therefore, to be ready confronting the ASEAN Economic Comunity 2015 in
which English proficiency and professional skill is required, working overseas could
be one of another alternative except studying abroad. Working overseas, even only for
temporary to get experience in training as an instance, is proved to be able increasing
the ability of using English and develop the personal skills. Mr. Aji, for example, my

classmate when I was on TEST English School, decided to accept the opportunity for
working in one of the company in Australia at about 6 months. At the first time, he
was doubt because his English is not good and the company only gave two months
for him to learn and to get IELTS certificate. He admitted that two months was too
short, but he tried it. After taking English course and he was able to get 6 on IELTS,
he still felt his English was not really enough because he was often stuck to
communicate something. However, he just have to go to Australia and it had been
through. Two weeks ago, he had come back to Indonesia and yesterday, he told me
his experience in a fluent English. He said, beside he can expand his skills to develop
his company in Indonesia later, working abroad and staying around natives who
speak English is more effective to learn English, and I concede it because after
learning English for about 7 months, I still need dictionary to translate, to write
something, and even to speak.
Stilwell (2004) found that sendirng workers to go abroad, especially to
developed countries for training is usually made by the government and the
companies or institution in developing countries and it is followed by the finding of
the workers who had experience from developed country usually classed as highly
skilled labor. As a point, this is a big motive for Indonesia sending its youngster and
potential worker to go abroad and helping Indonesia in the future, more specific is to
be well-prepared on competing other countries in any chance.
Finally, as the impact of English to The World, where English dominate the
world and the world needs English to live, showing that people are able to speak
english by getting a high score in English Proficiency Test, has been being the one of
human needs which is needed to be satisfied. It will make people get more confidence
and something to respect. Moreover, knowing the advantages of studying abroad are
many, such as cross cultural understanding, greater experience on sophisticated
technology and educational system, developed mindset and attitude, it makes people
know how important English Proficiency Test. By taking English Proficiency Test, it
might be TOEFL or IELTS, people will be able to apply universities overseas. Last, in
order to confront the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 in which English is agreed

to use and outstanding skills or competencies are required, people need to have
English Proficiency Test. It can be used to work abroad as an alternative to get
English ability and more experience in many aspects. In Indonesia, the government
provide many chance such scholarships to expand the potential of their citizen by
sending their people to developed country for studying or working. Thus, why dont
Indonesian people try to get required English Proficiency Test to take that chance
someday.

Picture 3. One-to-One illustration, where two things are matching and giving
influence each other. English to The World

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

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