Representation

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

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.

Chairil Anwar Korompot, a TEFLIN Board member and faculty of the English Department of Universitas Negeri Makassar (UNM), was recently invited to attend the 42^nd Thailand TESOL International Conference 2023 on behalf of TEFLIN.

The first Thailand TESOL international conference conducted offline post Covid-19 pandemic, the conference carried the main theme of “ELT for the Future: Navigating the Possibilities”. It was held at the Hotel Ambassador, Bangkok, Thailand, on January 27th – 28th, 2023.

During the conference, Dr Korompot delivered an invited speaker presentation entitled “Toward Closer Engagement with Nonformal and Informal English Language Learning Providers: Navigating the Possibilities”, based on his ongoing research project with his UNM colleagues, Mr Muhammad Miftah Fauzan and Ms Ryan Rayhana.

Dr Korompot made the most of his participation at the conference to network with various participants and reconnect with old friends, especially the other representatives from Thailand TESOL international affiliates. He also promoted TEFLIN’s next international conference which will be held by Universitas Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia, on September 22nd-24th, 2023.

The British Council Indonesia celebrated its 75th anniversary in Indonesia on Wednesday evening, March 1, 2023 at Tugu Kunstkring Palace, a historical Indonesian restaurant located at Jl. Teuku Umar No 1, Menteng, Jakarta. The British Council Chief Executive, Mr. Scott McDonald, together with the British Council Indonesia Country Director, Mr. Summer Xia, expressed their appreciation to distinguished guests attending the celebration. The guests were mostly representatives of various institutions who had been the British Council Indonesia’s partners, including TEFLIN, which was represented by Ms. Harumi Manik Ayu Yamin, the Vice Secretary of TEFLIN.

Also attending the anniversary dinner and delivering opening remarks were Mr. Matt Downing, the Deputy Head of Mission and Consul-General to Indonesia and Timor Leste, and Mr. Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Economy and Creative Tourism, Indonesia. Mr. Matt Downing mentioned that the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and the British Council had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen RI-UK cooperation in creating world-class campuses, developing English language teaching and learning, as well as English-Indonesian cultural exchanges. He believed this signified the important role the British Council Indonesia would play and the ample opportunity Indonesia’s education sector would have.

In his speech, Mr. Sandiaga Uno congratulated the British Council Indonesia for its 75th anniversary in Indonesia and hoped that the British Council Indonesia could continue to thrive and make positive impacts in Indonesia. He also expected that an increasing level of English proficiency would help boost Indonesian economy and more British tourists would visit Indonesia in the near future.

As a token of appreciation for the cooperation between the Indonesian government and the British Council Indonesia, Mr. Scott McDonald and Mr. Sandiaga Uno exchanged gifts, which were a tea cup set from England and a set of traditional Javanese masks from Indonesia. The celebration was then continued with traditional and modern dance performances as the guests enjoyed the dinner provided. It was an anniversary to remember, and TEFLIN wished the British Council every success in the future.

8 – 10 December 2022, Utami Widiati delivers her opening remarks at the 10th East Asia New Directions 2022 in Bali. She represents TEFLIN as one of the conference key partners among other prestigious partners and institutions. She is pleased to welcome all delegates, presenters and participants to the conference as it is aimed at bringing together practitioners and influencers in teaching, testing and the wider educational context into “Bridging divides: towards a comprehensive approach to language teaching, learning and assessment.”

The conference theme implies the importance role of standards and frameworks in breaking down the barriers between teaching, learning and assessment in the learning system. In addition, the theme this year is to explore the myriad of interactions at global challenges and changes from a language assessment perspective, located in the wider educational, social and technological context. With its four strands: (1) standards and frameworks: integrating teaching, learning and assessment; (2) integrating communication: reimagining assessment; (3) a collaborative future: humans and technology; and (4) future of English: insights and mobility, this conference seeks to highlight the interconnectedness of systems, societies and people. She concluded her opening remarks by thanking the organizers and the participants for taking part of the conference.

This year JALT 2022 Conference was held in the Fukuoka International Congress Centre on 11-14 November 2022. Nihta Vera Frelly Liando, Ph.D. was invited to present a speech as the representative of TEFLIN. With the theme of the conference: “Learning from Students, Educating Teachers – Research and Practice”. Nihta presented a speech as part of her research on “Learning from Students: Project based in EFL Writing”. In addition, she also presented a speech as part of the panel in the International Affairs Committee session together with representatives from other Asian countries. Participating in this conference onsite was very fulfilling, especially after Covid19 restriction. The conference was held hybrid to accommodate participants who could not travel due to travel restrictions.