In this globalization era, the English language is vital and demanded by almost all professional service and learning activities. Communicating via email or conference call and face to face also uses an international language that is certainly English. English is the most widely spoken language in the world. English is also a communication tool that can help you get more relations. Yet, you can learn English at school, study with a tutor, join extracurricular activities, or practice with various applications on mobile phones.
Furthermore, in the current pandemic situation, schools, especially KALAM KUDUS High School, conduct teaching and learning activities via online mode. Online learning is not an obstacle, English Language Education Department ELED) Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana UKDW) and SMA Kalam Kudus Sukoharjo held the online activities via Google meet. Organizing a virtual tour and pointing out fascinating places as the results of ELED students’ assignments becomes authentic examples of the development of talent and skills in language learning.
Not only to communicate, but also it turns out that English is as important as it is for self-happiness, especially for those who have traveling as a hobby. They can travel the world and improve their English skills in a variety of ways. Today, with the ease of technology, everybody can participate in active and interactive learning.
In the first meeting on Friday, 21 January 2022, Anesti Budi Ermerawati, M.Hum, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education and Humanities and Naomi, one of the ELED students opened the session with an introduction. After that, the participants were invited to share their thoughts by guessing some pictures related to the destinations. They guessed the name of the country through an image of one of the country’s food products. Anesti Budi Ermerawati used menti.com as a tool to check the participants’ knowledge of interesting places like South Korea. Then, Naomi continued by playing a Youtube video about a fascinating place in South Korea and explained the brief contents of the video before inviting students of Kalam Kudus High School students to determine what places they could find in the video, what interesting things they could do while visiting there, and what is the brief history of the place.
In the second meeting on Friday, 4 February 2022, after Naomi open the session with the facilitators’ introduction, Arida Susyetina S.S., M.A, one of the lecturers in ELED UKDW invited the students to share their thoughts by using Menti.com as a tool to improve their understanding on how to prepare a virtual tour video. Seeing the example from ELED students’ works shown in the classroom FLIPGRID, the students from SMA kalam Kudus Sukoharjo could have better ideas on how to combine pictures, history, fascinating places as tourist destinations and identify attractions to be included in the video. Arida highlighted that we have to optimize the five senses in the video; the eyesight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste to be involved in the execution of the virtual tour video. Then, Naomi continues with language focus and practice to ensure that the participants know how to express and communicate their ideas effectively for their virtual tour video project. (PBI/Naomi)