Teacher training for Indonesian classrooms

IALF Bali has developed a series of one-week teacher training workshops focusing on Communicative English Language Teaching, to meet the need for training in communi cative language teaching in the local context. The workshops have been designed to give the participants a combination of classroom input, the chance to observe experienced teachers, as well as the opportunity to plan and deliver short English language lessons to other participants (peer-teaching) and to a group of ‘real’ students.

Thirteen teachers from various National Plus schools and NGOs involved in the teach ing of English in Bali attended the pilot workshop Introduction to Communicative Language Teaching, 24 – 28 October 2005. The participants attended input sessions each morning covering topics such as lesson planning, monitoring and feedback, classroom management, giving instructions and error correction techniques. In addition, each participant took part in a short observed teaching practice session lasting 30 minutes and observed some of IALF Bali’s General English classes.

Feedback from the participants was very positive. They commented on the practical nature of the workshop and on how useful the techniques will be in their own teaching.

IALF Bali plans to run further workshops on the following topics: Teaching the Four Skills; Teaching Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation; Teaching Young Learners;
Materials Adaptation and Design; and Teaching Large/Multi-level Classes. For more information, contact Sumiasih at wsumiasih@ialf.edu

A month in Western Australia

Under an agreement with the Western Australia Indonesian Language Teachers Association (WILTA) Diah Susanti from IALF Bali recently spent a month as a teaching assistant in five different schools in Perth, Albany and Bunbury.

Susan taught primary and secondary students in both government and private schools. Each day she would visit several Indonesian classes and answer questions from students regarding language, culture and Indonesia in general. She also introduced language games and communicative activities for learning Indonesian and led some of these activities with groups of students.

At the School for Isolated and Distance Education in Perth Susan led a workshop on ‘Culture and Language Activities about Ramadhan and Idul Fitri in Indonesia’. Susan demonstrated how to make damar kurung, which is a traditional lantern usually made during the fasting month to entertain children waiting to break their fast. This tradition is slowly becoming unpopular as children have access to more modern forms of enter tainment. By demonstrating this craft Susan tries to preserve the traditions of Java. Around the topic of Ramadhan/Idul Fitri Susan demonstrated language learning acti vities that focused on vocabulary and communication.

In several classes Susan also taught students the traditional poco-poco dance and how to make the woven basked for ketupat, the rice cake for the Idul Fitri feast.

Susan was very impressed by the enthusiasm of the students in joining the cultural activities as well as their eagerness to hear about the latest developments in Indonesia. She enjoyed answering their many questions and was pleased that they showed so much interest in Indonesia, both past and present.

Indonesia Australia Language Foundation

IALF Language Centres in Indonesia: