Kang Guru Indonesia 1989 – 2011

The Australian Government has supported Kang Guru Indonesia (KGI) since 1989. During those 22 years, this innovative English language project has not only helped Indonesian students with their English, but also assisted them to have a better understanding and appreciation of  Australia. Providing positive information about both countries and thereby bringing people closer together has been an important goal of KGI. As KGI has always said, ‘Good Neighbours Make Good Friends’. This is especially true for those people who have been studying English and those who are also interested in the Australia-Indonesia relationship. On behalf of the Australian Government, AusAID would also like to thank all of you for your support of KGI over the past 22 years. Now, the great news is that KGI is continuing on. Beginning in 2012, KGI will become an integral part of Australia’s new Education Partnership with Indonesia and AusAID looks forward to continuing its support of KGI within the new partnership.

(Jacqui DeLacy, Minister Councellor, AusAID Indonesia)

Australia’s Education Partnership with Indonesia
Bigger and Better than EVER!

Do you know that one of the very best ways to alleviate poverty is through education? Education is the key to the future. A solid education equips students with the necessary skills to find better jobs and to more successfully participate in society.

Did you know that 330,000 extra Indonesian children will receive a better education in their local junior high schools because of the new $500 million Education Partnership between Indonesia and Australia? The kemitraan will continue to assist Indonesia improve education quality, and school management. This new commitment will continue the  work done by the Australia Indonesia Basic Education Program (AIBEP 2007 - 2010) which funded the construction of more than 2000 schools in poor and remote areas. These schools are already providing great education for students. The new partnership will mean 2,000 more schools and thousands of new school places for students. This partnership is part of a broader program of support to Indonesian education that also involves the European Union and of course, the Government of Indonesia.

“Tapping the Research Potential”

Since 2010 Australian Scholarship Alumni Workshops across Indonesia have been looking at the importance of research and how high quality research can impact on development in Indonesia. During 2011 these workshops have been held in Kupang, Manado and Malang with Pontianak and Jayapura later in the year. The theme of Australia Awards’ Alumni Professional Development Activities is “Tapping the Research Potential”. The focus is on developing skills amongst future research students in Indonesia as well as looking at post-research options for graduates.

The speakers at the workshops are Government of Australia Awards Alumni themselves and they have talked about:
• The identification of suitable research topics
• The process of undertaking research
• The process after research – what’s next for a researcher?

Congratulations to Julie and her Alumni team in Jakarta for putting together these innovative and valuable events.

Muslim Exchange Program

The Muslim Exchange Program (MEP) has been building people to people links between Australia and Indonesia since 2002. Over the past 10 years MEP has introduced many young Indonesian and Australian Muslims to each other. One recent Australian participant was Ms Yasmin Hassen from Melbourne (second from right, center above). Yasmin is completing her Master of Arts in Asian Studies at the Monash Asia Institute. She has a strong interest in policy and advocacy for women’s rights and in international conflict resolution strategies. One of the reasons Yasmin joined MEP was to find out more about organisations in Indonesia that support human rights, social and community cohesion. During the two week program in Indonesia in May 2011, Yasmin and her 4 fellow participants built friendships by visiting Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung to meet with community and religious leaders, academics and media representatives. The delegation also took part in the Buddhist Waisak celebrations in Yogyakarta and spent a day with students and teachers from Pesantren Daar el Qolam in Tangerang.

Keep up with all the latest news about Kang Guru Indonesia 2011 - 2012

Be sure to follow the latest KGI news and updates on the KGI website, and KGI’s very active Facebook pages - Kang Guru Indonesia FANS, Sue Rodger, Kapt Kang Guru dan Ayu Kang Guru.
Are you interested in the environment? Of course you are! The KGI Team is too and that’s why we have included this flyer from AusAID in this edition. Read the bilingual Q & A information about AusAID’s Climate Change activities in Indonesia. We are sure you will learn a lot from the flyer. Please share it with your friends, family and teachers.
The KGI Team has been working hard this year to help teachers and students all over Indonesia with their English. Big thanks to all those
wonderful supporters who have joined the KGI  Facebook pages and who have told us about just how important KGI is to them.

Kang Guru and AIBEP schools

As a part of KGI’s teacher workshop activities, KGI has been presenting specially designed workshops for teachers of English from AIBEP schools in the Bogor, Kupang and Kolaka areas. After a workshop in Bogor in July, KGI visited two of the  participating AIBEP schools. First was with workshop participant, Ibu Utari, to her school, MTs PSA Nurul Huda Kencana, about 30 minutes from Bogor.

The next day it was MTs SA Ma’arif Sabilul Huda, with teacher Didin Hafizuddin.Both schools were really amazing and the community members, teachers, and especially the students, were thrilled to have visitors from KGI. Many thanks to everyone for the effort and planning put into these short visits – the welcome dances, songs and the riverside lunch. It is ALWAYS great to see students and community members happy and proud of their schools and to see teachers dedicated to making learning a happy and rewarding experience.

Thanks to the Australia Indonesia Basic Education Program (AIBEP) for building over 2000 schools just like these, and there are more junior high to come between now and 2017.

Improving fluency

Speaking activities for students can focus on different skills such as correct grammar, pronunciation and fluency.  Before setting fluency activities there are a few points to consider.

     Provide careful preparation – give lots of vocabulary practice and language practice beforehand as a class and in smaller groups.
     Offer visual support – a grid to follow, a table to complete, a series of picture cards to hold will all help students focus and remember language.
     Short ten minute bursts are better. Half an hour is too long.
     Plan class management – everyone has to know what they are supposed to be doing or the class breaks down.
   Demonstrate with students. Run through an example with a pair of students. Don’t rely on verbal instructions. Show them what to do.

Visit the Kang Guru website for a fluency activity www.kangguru.org

Getting a good score on a test might help give you more confidence, or it might be a personal goal that you want to work towards. IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC are the most common International English tests. But what are the differences between them and how can you prepare for them?

IELTS has two versions – Academic Training for those who want to enter university or other higher education institutions and General Training for those wishing to gain work experience or immigration -   www.ielts.org

TOEFL also has two tests – one a paper based test and the other an internet based test. The internet based test has a total score of 120 points whereas the paper based test ranges between 310 – 667 points -   www.ets.org/toefl

TOEIC is an English language test designed specifically to measure the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment. www.ets.org/toeic  More information  on the Kang Guru website.

Applicants for Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) are required to have a Band 5 in IELTS or 500 in a paper based TOEFL or 39 in the Internet based TOEFL. The IELTS band scores range between 0 through to 9.

During Series 74 of KGI radio shows, there was a segment called, ‘What makes a good teacher?’  KGI posted this question on Facebook and sent it to teachers and students all over Indonesia. Here are a few of the remarks sent to KGI by teachers and students.

Samsul Latief from Banyuwangi said, “I think a good teacher is someone who can handle his students so they can understand what the teacher’s taught.”
Meylina from Bengkulu said, “Remember, low motivation, passive students, students who are not creative or lazy are not the students’ problems but the teacher’ ... they are a challenge for a teacher to solve.”

Mswarda from Bireun, Aceh wrote, “A teacher in any condition does not only transfer knowledge to students but more than that, she should also be a facilitator, a guide, a counsellor for the students.”

If you would like to listen to one or all of these ‘teacher’ radio segments go to - www.kangguru.org/kgi_podcasts_videos.html

Teachers, how do you develop your knowledge of English and keep up to date?

As teachers, it is important we develop our knowledge of English and keep up to date with new methods, vocabulary and ideas. Here are some ideas. Which of them do you do regularly with your students?
     read a lot
     listen to Kang Guru radio shows
     watch films and video clips
     speak English with native speakers
     take courses / attend workshops  to improve my qualifications
     use a good course book
     use free Kang Guru materials on the Kang Guru website – www.kangguru.org
     use a  good grammar book and dictionary
     listen to music
How do you continue to develop your knowledge of English and keep up to date?
Write and tell Sue - srodger@ialf.edu
Or maybe your English is so good you don’t need to improve it!

Long-time KGI supporter, Pak Dodol (Rahmad Fudoli), has started a terrific new Facebook page for presenters of English language programs on radio stations in Indonesia.

If you are a presenter of an English language show, or you know someone who presents a program on the radio in English, then why not join Dodol on his Facebook page and share ideas. Search for English Radio Presenter Community on Facebook, okay? Dodol is very keen FB follower and he now he is combining that with KGI and radio - great job Dodol.

The Joeys have just celebrated Indonesia’s 66th Independence Day.   The Joeys participated in many different sorts of activities and competitions held during Independence Week. 

What did some of you do?

Parisi Asih from Kebumen, Central Java -
On 17th of August, I had fun with my friends. We saw carnivals which included a marching band. There were special August 17th competitions in my village. We watched the national flag ceremony (upacara bendera) in Jakarta via TV. I always love to see when the flag waving is done by a group of pusaka flag wavers or PASKIBRAKA. It is very interesting and heart-trembling for me.

Irka Maharani from Blitar -
I live in Blitar so I visited Bung Karno’s grave in Blitar. It reminded me of his hard struggle in getting our freedom. As students we should continue his struggle by studying hard and not forgetting our country. I hope our beloved Indonesia can become better and better. Keep up the spirit  Indonesia!

Smarty House from  Sampang, Madura -
We gave small red and white flags to drivers at the traffic lights at Monumen crossroad in Sampang Madura. We prepared 1,000 flags for FREE. We had a ceremony first at about 8.30am.

How do you like these new Joeys’ t-shirts?
Would you like to have one? Okay, make sure you check the Joeys’ website for all the competition details. Entries MUST be sent to KGI before Oct. 10th.  Twenty-five winners will receive a brand new JOEYS t-shirt.

Kang Guru Indonesia 2011

Did you know that since 2000 KGI has visited hundreds and hundreds of schools all over Indonesia meeting thousands of students, teachers and members of school communities.

During 2011 KGI has visited  Papua, Aceh, West Timor, Lombok, West, Central and East Java, North and South-east Sulawesi and West Sumatra. Feedback from teachers and students tells us that KGI is making a difference to peoples’ lives by helping them with their English, and by providing  valuable information about the Australia Indonesia Partnership and the terrific work that is being done in development areas such as health, education and the environment.

Check out this cooperation on KGI’s website AusAID pages.