SERAMBINEWS.COM – The Head of the Aceh Education Office, Marthunis ST, DEA, officially opened the Deep Learning Training and Workshop (DLTW), organised by the Aceh regional branch of TEFLIN, at the Auditorium of the Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar Branch Education Office (Cabdisdik), on Thursday, 23 May 2025.
TEFLIN, short for The Association of Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia, is a professional association of English teachers that serves as a platform for members to share knowledge and upgrade their teaching skills.
This event was attended by dozens of English teachers from across Aceh and took place over two days in Banda Aceh, from 23 to 24 May 2025.
The in-person training was also opened virtually by the President of TEFLIN’s central board, Prof. Utami Widiati.
Among the attendees were the Head of Senior High School and Special Education Development at the Aceh Education Office, Syarwan Joni, M.Pd.; Acting Head of the Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar Branch Education Office, Jhon Abdi, M.Pd.; Head of Teacher Management at the Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar Branch Education Office, Masrul, M.Pd.; senior high school supervisor, Samsul Bahri, M.Ed.; Head of the English MGMP (Teacher Subject Forum) Banda Aceh, Michael Tianame, M.Pd.; as well as other invited guests.
From the university sector, the event was attended by the Chair of TEFLIN Aceh and the head of the organising committee, Prof. Zulfadli A. Aziz, and the Head of the Language Centre at Syiah Kuala University (USK), Dr. Kismullah.
The event began with the national anthem Indonesia Raya and the TEFLIN Hymn, guided by Viza Suhana, S.Pd., MTSOL, Head of SMP Negeri Unggul Calang and national finalist for the Inspirational School Principal award.
Head of the Aceh Education Office Marthunis appeared visibly moved as the TEFLIN Hymn was played.
“TEFLIN strives for the best, not the second best,” he remarked, receiving applause from the audience.
Marthunis urged teachers to rekindle the spirit and grand vision once held by the Acehnese people, who had described themselves as *teuleubeh ateuh rhueng donya* (above the roar of the world).
He argued that this phrase is not merely nostalgic or a subject of ridicule, but a reflection of Aceh’s aspirations to remain present and acknowledged in global affairs.
“One of the keys lies in language—especially English, the world’s principal international language today, alongside Mandarin, Spanish, and German,” Marthunis noted.
A graduate with master’s degrees from France and the United States, Marthunis said that the training is a concrete step toward realising this dream.
“Through a deep learning approach, we aim to help teachers bring English into real, meaningful, and enjoyable practice,” he explained.
Marthunis also emphasised that language proficiency could serve as a strategic solution to unemployment in Aceh.
“Language opens access to job opportunities, both domestically and abroad,” he stated.
He added that the Education Office would continue to improve the quality of its programmes, including teacher and student competency assessments.
In addition, said Marthunis, the Education Office will collaborate with university-based language centres such as those at USK and UIN Ar-Raniry, to ensure more accurate and reliable teacher assessments across Aceh.
In his report, Prof. Zulfadli Aziz, Chair of TEFLIN Aceh, explained that the workshop is part of TEFLIN’s national campaign to promote deep learning in the teaching of the four English language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
“TEFLIN has 20 chapters across Indonesia. Currently, each of them is disseminating the deep learning approach in their respective regions,” Zulfadli explained.
He also shared his observations about the state of English teachers in Aceh, categorising them into three groups. First, those who are ready to teach and adapt to curriculum dynamics; second, those not yet ready but with potential for improvement; and third, those who are neither ready nor willing to improve.
The workshop was facilitated by four master trainers from TEFLIN Aceh: Prof. Zulfadli Aziz (TEFLIN Aceh Coordinator), Dr. Kismullah (Head of the USK Language Centre), Eridafithri, S.Od., MTSOL (Senior High School teacher and national instructor), and Marisa Yoestara, M.A. (English Lecturer at FKIP).
Meanwhile, in her online address, TEFLIN President Prof. Utami Widiati encouraged teachers to fully engage with the training.
“We at TEFLIN Central will continue monitoring and receiving reports from all regions. Hopefully, this workshop contributes meaningfully to the ongoing improvement of our English teachers’ quality,” she concluded.
This article was first published by SerambiNews.com under the title “Kadisdik Aceh Buka TEFLIN Workshop untuk Guru Bahasa Inggris Se-Aceh”, aceh.tribunnews.com/2025/05/24/kadisdik-aceh-buka-teflin-workshop-untuk-guru-bahasa-inggris-se-aceh.
Reporter: Yarmen Dinamika | Editor: Amirullah
