AMERICAN ENGLISH AND BRITISH ENGLISH

in #language7 years ago

Nowadays, the use of English accent is being the common issues for the English speaker either in the United Stated (US) or the United Kingdom (UK). According to Montgomery (1996:69), he defines accent as a term ‘exclusively reserved for the whole patterns of pronunciation typical of a particular region or social group’. An accent is a way of pronouncing a language. Moreover, it is impossible to speak without an accent. In my perspective, I prefer to use American English or American accent rather than British accent. American accent is much more easier to comprehend when listening to it. It sounds more clearly than the British accent. Nevertheless, I used to listen English songs that mostly have American accent since I was in junior high school.

As a teacher in training, I do prefer to use American accent in teaching learning process for the students. The american English is the standard accent that widely used in the world. Indeed, since it sounds more clearly and comprehensible, so it will make the students easier in comprehending the materials that the teacher explains to the students. In addition, the students need to adopt the specific accent in the teaching learning process in order to gain their knowledge about English. It is supposed to make them comfortable in speaking English and avoid them from the confusion of the variety accents in English.

In recent years, American accent is mostly influenced than British accent in Indonesia. Therefore, the English textbooks that widely used in Indonesia is also used American accent. According to Roger Seguin (1989: 20), a textbook can be conceived as a working tool either for the teacher or for the pupil. In the other words, a textbook is more a tool for the students to learn and a tool for the teacher in the teaching learning process. Indeed, since the teacher used American accent in teaching English, the textbooks are also used American spelling. It helps the students to syncronize their speaking accent in the teaching learning process and their comprehension in spelling of English textbooks. Even though some English textbooks in Indonesia used British spelling, but most of teachers used American spelling in order to gain the specific accent especially American accent. Simply, the English textbooks are a great help for the teachers to stimulate the students’ accent in English.

In my way of thinking, Indonesia should make a policy on the English accent that should be used by the teacher in the teaching learning process. Nevertheless, Indonesia still not have a policy that regulates the use of English accent. Indeed, a policy is a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by the government. Moreover, the policy could uniform the English accent that will be used in Indonesia. The existence of policy could help and stimulate either the students or the teacher in improving and strengthening their English accent especially American accent. Thus, the role of a policy of the English accent is really crucial in educational institution in Indonesia.

References:

Seguin, Roger. (1989) The Elaboration of School Textbooks, Amerika: Unesco.

Montgomery, M. (1996) An Introduction to Language and Society: 2nd Edition, London and New York, Routledge.