Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW)’s Language Training Center (PPB) once again organizes Indonesian Language classes for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) for students of Goshen College, Indiana, United States. As part of the Study Service Term (SST) Program, 11 Goshen College students who had previously studied Indonesian language and culture at Goshen College in the fall of 2023 took part in this class.
The BIPA class, also known as the Indonesian 2, consists of 22 meetings, starts on January 15, 2024, and will end on February 23, 2024. This class is held four times a week for six weeks and is facilitated by two lecturers, namely Arida Susyetina, S.S., M.A., and Dra. Mega Wati, M.Pd.
Arida Susyetina, S.S., M.A., Head of PPB UKDW, explained that this class aims to continue learning Indonesian 1 to equip Goshen College students so they can communicate well and effectively with host families and people at SST service placements, including colleagues and clients. The BIPA learning uses the peer tutorials method, where Goshen College students pair with UKDW students as language buddies or friends in learning the Indonesian language and culture. This process allows BIPA class participants to have casual conversations while understanding and appreciating Indonesian culture from their peers.
“The peer tutorial method is part of cooperative learning or learning together. Peer tutorial activities are carried out for a minimum of 12 hours for six weeks or an average of two hours per week. The meeting schedule and topics discussed during peer tutorials are determined based on agreement between the language buddies and Goshen students. “At the end of each activity, study partners must report the activities they have carried out by filling in a journal according to the format prepared by PPB,” she explained.
Furthermore, Arida explained that as one of the lecturers who teaches the Indonesian 2 class, one of the challenges is how to organize material that fits the needs of Goshen students in preparing for SST, especially when going directly into the community. “After discussing with the team and SST supervisors, Susan Miller Setiawan and Benjamin Setiawan, the team was able to determine the theme and activities that would be presented in this program. Then, we select learning techniques and activities that are relevant to the material, both inside and outside the classroom. Our hope is that this program can provide a rich and in-depth learning experience for Goshen College students who participate in the SST program in Indonesia,” Arida concluded. [PPB/Ar/Eng.drr]