13 Alasan "Wajib" Anda Harus Mempelajari Bahasa Inggris

Ada beberapa alasan mengapa banyak siswa “harus” belajar Bahasa Inggris. Alasan-alasan ini sepatutnya bisa membuat siswa menjadi lebih termotivasi untuk terus meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggris mereka. Jika anda adalah salah satu siswa tersebut, alangkah baiknya dan mulianya jika anda membaca berbagai alasan belajar Bahasa Inggris ini.

Seandainya alasan belajar Bahasa Inggris hanyalah karena Bahasa Inggris adalah salah satu bahasa Internasional, hmm, basi..... Madingnya sudah siap terbit!!! (upss... kok jadi AADC ya xixixi). Lanjut... meskipun jumlahnya tidak sebanyak “kosakata” yang tertera dalam Kamus, setidaknya alasan-alasan ini bisa mewakili ribuan alasan lainnya. Yuk kita simak saja langsung “reasons” mengapa anda belajar Bahasa Inggris di bawah ini.

PERTANYAAN : WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LEARN ENGLISH? (MENGAPA ANDA HARUS BELAJAR BAHASA INGGRIS?)

JAWABAN : BECAUSE (KARENA . . .)

1. I want to get good marks in English tests and improve my evaluation in the school report (Saya ingin mendapatkan nilai yang bagus dalam tes Bahasa Inggris dan ingin meningkatkan nilai rapor sekolah saya)
2. I want to be able to understand English movies and TV programmes without looking at subtitles. (Saya ingin memahami film dan program TV berbahasa Inggris tanpa melihat terjemahan subtitle berbahasa Indonesia)
3. I want to enter a secondary school or a university of my choice. (Saya ingin masuk sekolah / universitas pilihan saya)
4. I want to be able to read English books and magazines with ease. (Saya ingin bisa membaca buku dan majalah berbahasa Inggris dengan mudah)
5. I want to study at a school or a university in a foreign country if I have a chance. (Saya ingin belajar di sekolah / universitas luar negeri jika saya memiliki kesempatan)
6. I want to make friends with people living in foreign countries by exchanging letters and e-mails.(Saya ingin berteman dengan orang yang hidup di luar negeri dengan saling bertukar surat dan e-mail)
7. I want to get a nice job with good salaries and good working conditions. (Saya ingin mendapatkan pekerjaan yang enak dengan gaji yang “sesuai” dan kondisi kerja yang baik)
8. I want to be able to communicate freely in English with people from different countries. (Saya ingin bisa berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa Inggris secara bebas dengan orang-orang dari negara-negara yang berbeda)
9. I want to get a job in which I can use my English. (Saya ingin mendapatkan pekerjaan yang bisa memanfaatkan Bahasa Inggris yang saya miliki)
10. I want to learn about the lifestyles and customs in foreign countries such as England and America.(Saya ingin mempelajari gaya hidup dan adat istiadat di luar negeri seperti Inggris dan Amerika)
11. I want to work either for an international organisation or for a global company. (Saya ingin bekerja di organisasi internasional atau perusahaan global)
12. I want to know how the English language reflects the way of thinking of English-speaking people. (Saya ingin mengetahui bagaimana gambaran Bahasa Inggris mempengaruhi cara pandang orang-orang yang yang berbicara dengan Bahasa Inggris)
13. I want to get married with foreign celebrity. (Saya ingin menikah dengan artis luar negeri)

BY : TIARA P.B

Cara Ekstrim Lancar Bicara Bahasa Inggris

Mungkin banyak sekali tips dan trik cara agar berbicara Bahasa Inggris dengan lancar, jelas, tepat dan akurat, namun kadang cara-cara tersebut luput dari ingatan kita (mending kalau hanya tidak ingat, kalau tidak tahu gimana ya?). Oleh karena itu, disini saya memfasilitasi anda yang sedang giat belajar Bahasa Inggrisagar mengingat kembali apa saja cara terbaik supaya bisa bicara Bahasa Inggris dengan lancar dan jelas. Saya tidak sedang menasehati anda semua, hanya sekedar mengingatkan kembali ada beberapa saran singkat agar lancar berbicara dalam Bahasa Inggris.

Namun begitu, jangan salah saran ini adalah cara ekstrim lancar bicara Bahasa Inggris. Namanya juga ekstrim, jika sobat semua tidak berani, ya alangkah baiknya jangan dipaksakan. Namun bagi yang mempunyai jiwa pemberani, tidak salah jika sobat sekalian memilih cara ini. Berikut adalah beberapa cara ekstrim agar lancar bicara Bahasa Inggris:

1. Jangan Nonton Sinetron (nah ko ga nyambung ya... hoho jangan salah dulu, maksudnya, jangan nonton tontonan yang berbau Bahasa kita, Bahasa Indonesia saja tidak boleh apalagi Bahasa daerah kita, stop doing those !!!!. , selama menekuni Bahasa Inggris, alangkah baiknya Ganti tontonan tersebut dengan nonton video konser Muse, Metallica, Oasis, Queen, My Chemical Romance atau musisi barat lainnya baik yang cewek ataupun cowok, syukur-syukur yang alirannya Rap, kaya Eminem. Khusus untuk Eminem, saat penayangan video klipnya anda harus ikut menyanyikannya. Jika tidak punya video-video tersebut, cukup nonton film barat saja, dan jangan lupa tutup terjemahan yang ada di layar TV anda semua.
2. Baca Novel "Don Quixote" karangan Miguel de Cervantes sampai hafal hingga titik komanya. Jika tidak punya novel tersebut, cukup baca Novel "Middlemarch" karangan George Eliot dan jangan lupa hafalin semua kosakatanya. (Hal ini dilakukan saat waktu senggang karena tidak ada lagi film barat yang di putar di TV atau anda tidak memiliki CD/DVD film barat lagi yang bisa di tonton.)
3. Anggap semua orang di sekeliling kita adalah orang bule semuanya, baik itu teman nongkrong, teman sekolah, teman kuliah, dosen, pengemis, tukang ojek, sopir angkot, supir bis, supir taksi, tukang bangunan, kyai, pedagang cimol, pedagang somai, pedagang bakso, dan semua orang yang ada di sekitar kita bahkan orang tua kita sekalipun. (Hal ini agar kita tidak malu berbicara Bahasa Inggris dengan mereka semua. Kita mau beli baju ya ngomong inggris, kita sms ya nulis inggris, kita beli gorengan ya ngomong inggris, kita nawar sepatu ya pake bahasa Inggris dan terus bicara Inggris tanpa perlu memandang dengan siapa kita bicara> Jangan takut kita dibilang "gila", karena tujuan akhir dari cara ekstrim ini adalah menjadikan kita orang gila........

Saya kira ketiga cara tersebut sudah cukup menghabiskan hari-hari kita, jika ketiga cara ekstrim lancar berbahasa Inggris tersebut sudah dikuasai dalam jangka 3 bulan (alias 3 bulan tanpa berbicara bahasa nasional ataupun bahasa daerah kita, meski hanya satu kata) Maka cara tersebut sudah cukup mewakili sekian ribu cara berbicara Bahasa Inggris dengan Lancar.... 

BY : TIARA S.B

Dongeng Bahasa Inggris - Batu Malinkundang

A long long time ago in west Sumatra, Indonesia there was a fisherman and his wife who lived in a village by the sea.   They had only one son.  His name was Malin Kundang.  They lived a simple life because as a fisherman the husband did not earn much money.  Life got harder for Malin and his mother when his father did not return from the sea.  Perhaps a storm had swollen his boat or maybe a big fish attacked him.  Day by day  passed and they kept waiting for him.  But Malin’s father never returned.  So little Malin had to help her mother sold cookies in a local market.

One day there was a big ship came to the beach of their village.  It was a merchant ship.  Everybody came to see it including Malin.  He was very impressed by what he saw.  Hoping to change his life he applied for a job and he was lucky.  He was recruited by the ship owner.  Then Malin left his mother and his village.

Many years gone by without any news from Malin.  Malin’s mother missed him so much.  Everyday she looked at the sea, hoping to see Malin came home.  She always prayed to God that Malin become a successful merchant.  Then God heard her pray.

On a beautiful day there was a big ship came to the beach.  Many people came there to see it.  Malin’s mother was expectant.  She was sure that it was Malin’s ship.  So she hurriedly came to the beach.  When she was there she asked someone that she wanted to see the owner of the ship.  Then a lovely lady met her.  She wore a luxurious dress and jewellry.  She was Malin’s wife.

‘Is Malin Kundang here?’

“Do you know Malin?”

‘Yes, of course I know him,  he’s my son!’

‘But Malin told me he had no mother.  She passed away a long time ago’.

Malin’s mother was very surprised to hear her answer.  Then Malin came.  Her wife asked him.

‘This poor woman said that you are his son’

Malin Kundang who had became a rich merchant and had a wife from a rich family was ashame with his mother who looked poor.  He denied his humble background.  So when her mother hugged him he repelled her.

‘Malin, my son, I miss you so much’.

‘Who are you? I am not your son’.

Malin’s mother was was crying.  She was really irritated.  Her heart was deeply hurt.  Then she prayed to God.  And she cursed Malin.

Suddenly there was a storm.  The sea was raging.  Big wave came and Malin’s ship was rushed ashore and destroyed.  And Malin suddenly changed into a stone statue.  Today people can see Malin’s statue in Teluk Bayur beach in west Sumatra.  When there is a storm or rain people often hear someone’s crying.  They believe it is Malin’s cry.

BY : TIARA P.B

Dongeng Bahasa Inggris - Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying: "Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don't ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm."

Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother and ran off. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll run all the way to Grandma's without stopping."

Full of good intentions, the little girl made her way through the wood, but she was soon to forget her mother's wise words. "What lovely strawberries! And so red."

Laying her basket on the ground, Little Red Riding Hood bent over the strawberry plants. "They're nice and ripe, and so big! Yummy! Delicious! Just another one. And one more. This is the last. Well, this one Mmmm."

The red fruit peeped invitingly through the leaves in the grassy glade, and Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth. Suddenly she remembered her mother, her promise, Grandma and the basket and hurried back towards the path. The basket was still in the grass and, humming to herself, Little Red Riding Hood walked on.

The wood became thicker and thicker. Suddenly a yellow butterfly fluttered down through the trees. Little Red Riding Hood started to chase the butterfly.

"I'll catch you! I'll catch you!" she called. Suddenly she saw some large daisies in the grass.

"Oh, how sweet!" she exclaimed and, thinking of Grandma, she picked a large bunch of flowers.

In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree a strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood's heart thump.

Now quite afraid she said to herself. "I must find the path and run away from here!"

At last she reached the path again but her heart leapt into her mouth at the sound of a gruff voice which said: "Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods?"

"I'm taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path," said Little Riding Hood in a faint voice.

When he heard this, the wolf (for it was the big bad wolf himself) politely asked: "Does Grandma live by herself?"

"Oh, yes," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "and she never opens the door to strangers!"

"Goodbye. Perhaps we'll meet again," replied the wolf. Then he loped away thinking to himself "I'll gobble the grandmother first, then lie in wait for the grandchild!" At last, the cottage came in sight. Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door.

"Who's there?" cried Grandma from her bed.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood. I've brought you some cakes because you're ill," replied the wolf, trying hard to hide his gruff voice.

"Lift the latch and come in," said Grandma, unaware of anything amiss, till a horrible shadow appeared on the wall. Poor Grandma! For in one bound, the wolf leapt across the room and, in a single mouthful, swallowed the old lady. Soon after, Little Red Riding Hood tapped on the door.

"Grandma, can I come in?" she called.

Now, the wolf had put on the old lady's shawl and cap and slipped into the bed. Trying to imitate Grandma's quavering little voice, he replied: "Open the latch and come in!

"What a deep voice you have," said the little girl in surprise.

"The better to greet you with," said the wolf.

"Goodness, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

"And what big hands you have!" exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood, stepping over to the bed.

"The better to hug you with," said the wolf.

"What a big mouth you have," the little girl murmured in a weak voice.

"The better to eat you with!" growled the wolf, and jumping out of bed, he swallowed her up too. Then, with a fat full tummy, he fell fast asleep.

In the meantime, a hunter had emerged from the wood, and on noticing the cottage, he decided to stop and ask for a drink. He had spent a lot of time trying to catch a large wolf that had been terrorizing the neighborhood, but had lost its tracks. The hunter could hear a strange whistling sound; it seemed to be coming from inside the cottage. He peered through the window and saw the large wolf himself, with a fat full tummy, snoring away in Grandma's bed.

"The wolf! He won't get away this time!"

Without making a sound, the hunter carefully loaded his gun and gently opened the window. He pointed the barrel straight at the wolf's head and BANG! The wolf was dead.

"Got you at last!" shouted the hunter in glee. "You'll never frighten anyone again.

He cut open the wolf's stomach and to his amazement, out popped Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, safe and unharmed.

"You arrived just in time," murmured the old lady, quite overcome by all the excitement.

"It's safe to go home now," the hunter told Little Red Riding Hood. "The big bad wolf is dead and gone, and there is no danger on the path.

Still scared, the little girl hugged her grandmother. Oh, what a dreadful fright!"

Much later, as dusk was falling, Little Red Riding Hood's mother arrived, all out of breath, worried because her little girl had not come home. And when she saw Little Red Riding Hood, safe and sound, she burst into tears of joy.

After thanking the hunter again, Little Red Riding Hood and her mother set off towards the wood. As they walked quickly through the trees, the little girl told her mother: "We must always keep to the path and never stop. That way, we come to no harm!" 

BY : TIARA P.B

DONGENG JUDULNYA BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Once upon a time as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three daughters what she would like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to her father:  

 "All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"   

When the merchant had finished his business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle, bathed in light.   

"I hope I'll find shelter there for the night," he said to himself. 

When he reached the door, he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside, still calling out to attract attention. On a table in the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served. The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of the castle. But no one came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a hearty meal.  
Overcome by curiosity, he ventured upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. 

When he woke next morning, an unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and some fruit by his bedside.  The merchant had breakfast and after tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his generous host. But, as on the evening before, there was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree. 

Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.  Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared at him and a deep, terrifying voice growled: 

"Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I shall put you to death for this slight!" 

Trembling with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the Beast.  "Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me! I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her back a rose from my journey!" 

The Beast dropped the paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.   

"I shall spare your life, but on one condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.

 
"Dear father, I'd do anything for you! Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.  

"I never did doubt your love for me. For the moment I can only thank you for saving my life." So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however, had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it was surprisingly pleasant.  

In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. 

She had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the Beast became good friends. 

Then one day, the Beast asked the girl to be his wife.  Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather die! But she did not want to  hurt the feelings of one who, after all, had been kind to her. And she remembered too that she owed it her own life as well as her father's.   

"I really can't say yes," she began shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.   

"I quite understand! And I'm not offended by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing further was said. 

One day, the Beast presented Beauty with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped into it, she could see her family, far away.   

"You won't feel so lonely now," were the words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside the magic mirror.   

"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.               

"My father is gravely ill and close to dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.  "No! You will never leave this castle!" And off it stalked in a rage. 

However, a little later, it returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.  

"If you swear that you will return here in seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in delight.  "I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are! You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality, the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he embraced her again, he was soon on the road to recovery. 

Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end, describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that the Beast was really good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had failed to notice that seven days had gone by.  Then one night she woke from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and calling for her, twisting in agony.   

"Come back! Come back to me!" it was pleading. The solemn  promise she had made drove her to leave home immediately.  "Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said, whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead. Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.  

"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a handsome young man.  "How I've been longing for this moment!" he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to accept me as I was, could transform me back into my real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll marry me."  The wedding took place shortly after and, from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day, the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.

BY : TIARA P.B