English teacher training for Islamic junior secondary schools

The IALF was recently awarded the contract for the design of a project that aims to improve English language training in Islamic Junior Secondary Schools. This project – English Language Training for Islamic Schools (ELTIS) - is one of several activities managed by LAPIS (Learning Assistance Program for Islamic Schools), a faciity supported by the Australian government. The design team – consisting of Denise Finney and Caroline Bentley from IALF Bali, Zuliati Rohmah from IAIN Surabaya and Sholikin from the office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) in East Java – consulted with a range of stake-holders, including MORA, Ministry of National Education (MONE), AusAID, Islamic education institutions (secondary and tertiary) and teacher support groups. The design team traveled to several provinces, including South Sulawesi, East Java and Nusa Tenggara Barat and met with representatives from Islamic and government education offices as well as visiting Islamic training colleges and meeting with principals and English language teachers in madrasah.

A consultative group meeting with English language teaching professionals from the Islamic sub-sector was held at IALF Jakarta on 23 February. This was followed by a larger Stakeholder and Partnership Workshop on 2 March, attended by Professor Abdurrahman Mas’ud, Ph D, Director-General of Higher Education, MORA, Drs Azhar M.A., Head of Institutional Cooperation, MORA and Dr Muhammad Hatta, Director, Centre for Quality Improvement of Teachers and Education Personnel, MONE. These meetings provided crucial input prior to the presentation of a draft project outline in early April and a final design in early May. After consultation and agreement from all stakeholders, project activities are scheduled to begin in June 2007.

For more information on LAPIS visit www.lapis.or.id

Indonesian for NSW high school students

Seven students from Macksville High School and two students from Bellingen High School in NSW recently studied Indonesian at IALF Bali. The short intensive course was a part of their 10-day trip to Bali in April 2007. The students were accompanied by their Indonesian teachers: Lee Gilliland (Macksville) and Maria Ellis (Bellingen). The course was taught by Pak Subagia who had taught on an exchange program at Macksville High School in 2005. The classes focused on communication skills in everyday Indonesian. The students were from Years 10 – 12 and all were studying Indonesian for their higher school certificate. In addition to the language study at IALF the students took part in a number of cultural activities in Ubud.

IALF Bali conducts Indonesian language courses throughout the year. The next intensive Bahasa Indonesia in Bali course commences on 9 July 2007. Please visit our website for further information or contact Dian or Ani at ils@ialf.edu

The IALF is a sponsor of the forthcoming Ubud Readers and Writers Festival being held in Bali 25 – 30 September 2007. Details of the festival events can be found on
www.ubudwritersfestival.com

Indonesia Australia Language Foundation

IALF Language Centres in Indonesia: