The IMPACT Conference for the English Language Teacher Training (ELTT) program was held on Friday, March 10, 2023 at Novotel Cikini Hotel, Jakarta, with attendees representing various institutions and associations, including TEFLIN. Ms. Maria Hidayati, the Secretary General of TEFLIN, represented the organization. The conference was aimed at giving insights about the research conducted by twelve (12) Master Trainers participating in the ELTT program, an initiative funded by the Regional English Language Office (RELO) of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and implemented by World Learning. The program seeks to enhance the English language teaching capacity of madrassah and pesantren educators across Indonesia through a scalable, multi-stage cascade training program model.
The conference was opened by Michael Quinlan, U.S. Embassy spokesperson who emphasized on the importance of the the program’s impact and the continued collaboration between the U.S. Embassy and educational institutions in Indonesia. Rick Rosenberg, a Regional English Language Office Director, also delivered his opening remarks, commending all parties involved in the ELTT program and thanking representatives from the institutions and associations attending the conference.
The conference was structured into four panel sessions, covering topics such as Researching English teaching in the context of Madrassahs; Using ELTeach program units to guide research: “Activities”, “Feedback”, and “Professional Knowledge”; Studying English teacher agency and confidence; and Focusing on classroom instructions and management. The panelists were 12 master trainers from various universities, including UIN Fatmawati Sukarno Bengkulu, IAIN Metro, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, UIN Sumatera Utara, IAIN Salatiga, IAIN Palangka Raya, UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh, UIN Antasari Banjarmasin, IAIN Kendari, UIN Raden Fatah Palembang.
The conference concluded with a facilitated group discussion focusing on the sustainability of the research program and the ELTeach program. Some of the discussion led to the increasing awareness of the English language to madrassahs and also to the students. In addition, the conference participants agree to expand similar program not just limited to pesantrens and madrassahs but also to vocational high schools. The IMPACT conference was also livestreamed through the ELTT Programs YouTube Channel, and recordings of the conference’s two parts are available at youtube.com/watch?v=HWID5YAJUMw and youtube.com/watch?v=eSXBsE5nhUw.
Maria Hidayati provided this report.
