The West Sumatra Chapter of the Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia (TEFLIN) organized an English Teacher Competency Training Program at the 4th Floor Auditorium of the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS), Universitas Negeri Padang (UNP), on Saturday (July 18). The event brought together dozens of English teachers from districts and municipalities across West Sumatra as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of English language teaching in schools.
The training program was officially opened by TEFLIN President, Prof. Dr. Utami Widiati, M.A., Ph.D. In her opening remarks, she emphasized that continuous professional development is essential for teachers to meet the demands of 21st-century education, particularly in integrating digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into English language instruction.
Throughout the program, participants engaged in sessions designed to strengthen their professional competencies. The training covered topics such as an overview of the Academic Competency Test (TKA), developing reading-based multiple-choice questions, teaching strategies for literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, and evaluative reading. As a tangible outcome of the workshop, participants developed reading assessment items aligned with the TKA framework for different text types.
The training was conducted in a highly interactive atmosphere. Participants actively exchanged classroom experiences, discussed current challenges in English language teaching, and explored practical solutions for integrating effective pedagogical strategies in the digital era. The event also served as a valuable platform for strengthening professional networks among English teachers and academics, fostering a collaborative learning community across West Sumatra.
As the host institution, the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting teacher professional development and educational quality improvement through partnerships with professional organizations, government agencies, and other educational stakeholders.
Through this training program, the West Sumatra Chapter of TEFLIN hopes that participating teachers will implement the knowledge and skills they have acquired in their respective schools. Such initiatives are expected to contribute to improving the quality of English language education in West Sumatra and to preparing students with stronger English proficiency and greater readiness to compete in an increasingly globalized world.
