TEFLIN collaborated with the British Council Indonesia’s English Programme team to organize an online continuous professional development (CPD) training series. This series was in partnership with The Hands Up Project, aiming at developing English teachers’ capacity to use drama effectively in both face-to-face and hybrid/remote teaching environments. The training series targeted English teachers working in basic education in Indonesia and the ASEAN region, but it was open to in-service English teachers, ELT professionals, and researchers alike.
The series consisted of seven weekly webinars, held via Zoom from February 16 to March 16, 2023 with a focus on drama activities for language learning. TEFLIN President, Prof. Utami Widiati, opened the webinar on February 16, 2023 by emphasizing the importance of continuous professional development for English teachers. The webinar sessions were led by Nick Bilbrough, an experienced teacher, teacher trainer, and ELT author who also shared insights from The Hands Up Project, along with other speakers. Haneen Jadalla, an English teacher in Gaza, and Amal Mukhairez, a teacher of English at UNRWA schools for Palestinian refugees, also shared their experiences and knowledge with the participants. Each session was moderated by representatives from TEFLIN (Harumi Manik Ayu Yamin, Maria Hidayati, and Ika Lestari Damayanti), and also from Universitas Negeri Malang (Nabhan F. Choiron and Mirjam Anugerahwati).
The series covered a range of topics related to drama activities for language learning, such as creating a space for drama in the classroom, mime and physical theatre, roleplay and improvisation, working with scripts and dialogues, creating and devising theatre, setting up and running a drama club, and giving feeedback on drama and theatre.
The online CPD training series was a success, with participants showing great interest in the topic related to the use of drama as a tool for English language learning. The webinars were not only held on Zoom but also livestreamed on Facebook, and recordings of each session can be accessed through this link for repeat viewing. This training series was a valuable opportunity for English teachers to enhance their teaching skills and improve their students’ language learning experiences.
*Narrated by Maria Hidayati
