|
Kang GURU Magazine - June 2006
Welcome from Kaptain KangGURU
What's new from KGRE? For one thing, we are inviting readers to register with KGRE via SMS. This will then allow
KGRE to send you special SMS messages including SMS quizzes and latest announcements.
The Grand Winner for 2006 is Heri Mulyo Cahyo from Malang, East Java. His story is about his experiences with Short Message Service (SMS). The Runner-Up winners are Herdawati from Muna in Southeast Sulawesi and Fajar Setiawan from Kertosono in East Java. The complete versions of their stories, amongst other wonderful entries from all over Indonesia are available on KGRE website on the KGRE Story Page.
Short Message Service (SMS)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Welcome to this latest
edition of the Kang Guru magazine. Everyone here at KGRE hopes that you find this June edition interesting, informative
and most of all, helpful with your English language studies. A lot of work has been put into these pages to make
sure they are varied and interesting for you to read. It is always a big job producing these magazines but we love
doing it just for you! And special thanks to Andi Kusmianto for his Science and Technology cover design for this
magazine. Well done Andi and all the very best for your graphic design career. h
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
Kang Guru and SMSOver the past few months KGRE has been experimenting and trialing SMS Quizzes and registration. Kang Guru Connection Clubs have been a part of the experiment and we would like to thank those club members who have helped us by registering their mobile phone numbers with us. We have also invited radio listeners to do the same thing via a Radio Quiz. Thanks to all those who responded to the SMS Quiz broadcast during KGRE radio programs 5107 - 5212. Now, we'd like you, our valued readers to register with us as well. Just send an SMS to 08123870479 before July 31st but be sure to give us your name, location and your KGRE registration number -if you have one. |
Idiot Box
Dr Pintar was on KGRE's radio program last year and he talked a lot about the idiot
box. The idiot box Boom Box
Electronic audio equipment is popular these days - CD and cassette players, iPods, Walkmans, MP3 players, etc.
Many of these items are very small - a popular modern trend. A few of them can be very large though. Combo players
however, are always BIG. They are generally made up of a radio, cassette player and CD player all in one unit. |
Gig
In the world of entertainment, music and concerts, the word gig is often
used. A gig is a musical event On ya Bike!The bicycle is a wonderful piece of technology. I wonder how many millions and millions of bicycles there are in the world? I often wonder how many bicycles there are in Indonesia? In Australia there is an expression which means to go, get outta here, I don’t want to talk to you anymore – just leave!
"Heh, I have had enough of you. Just get out of here and leave me alone, Okay? On ya bike and don’t
come back!" |
is
an Aussie slang expression for the television. The general shape of a television is sort of like a box, right?
The word idiot is used jokingly to describe the people who sit in front of the 'box' being entertained for hours
and hours.
and
usually from the perspective of the performer or artist. Artists often say they have a gig on, or in other words
they have a work commitment to perform.
'Lots
of young people in Australia send each other text messages using their mobile phones. We use lots of ‘slang’ words
to make the message shorter, because we can send it quicker this way and it also costs us less. We use similar slang
words when chatting to each other over the internet, using programs like MSN. We have conversations over the internet
using written words rather than talking. We also use this sort of language in emails. We often leave out vowels
in words and almost all punctuation. Capitals are rarely used because they take longer to write. If possible we
substitute numbers for letters'. (Rosie)
|
Here are some slang words we use:
lol – laugh out loud (We say this when we are joking or someone has said something funny
|
SLANG SMS CONVERSATION…
Emma, Nina and Yasmin, students from Darwin High School, sent this ‘SMS conversation’ to KGRE. Can
you understand it? |
Science and Technology is a very large and very important topic. It always has been but even more so now as we enter the 22nd century. The subject is far too big to be covered by a magazine such as this one, but KGRE hopes that you enjoy the Science and Technology related stories and information spread throughout this magazine. Many thanks to all of those wonderful KGRE-ites who have helped us, especially our wonderful Fiona - KGRE's science expert. Fiona has researched technology and how it is such a daily part of life for almost everybody in Indonesia.
What's Merapi going to do and when's it going to do it?
|
Mount Merapi, an active volcano in Central Java, gets almost as much attention as the President of Indonesia. Merapi is watched night and day by a team of vulcanologists - scientists who study volcanoes. Since the middle of April 2006, Merapi has been showing signs that it might erupt. |
|
Every year Merapi is measured using a network of theodolites and reflectors. If there is a big change in the shape of the volcano it is a sign that it is becoming more active. The magma underneath the volcano bubbles and boils just like water in a kettle. |
|
The vulcanologists are trying to predict when the eruption will happen.
The vulcanologists are using lots of different techniques to measure the changes that Merapi is experiencing.
They use seismographs to measure the earth tremors (gempa) and rockfalls (guguran) caused by the pressure of
the magma building up underneath Merapi. Earth tremors and rockfalls usually happen more frequently and increase
in strength just before an eruption. |
|
This bubbling makes the surface of Merapi expand and contract. Tiltmeters are used to measure these tiny movements. The vulcanologists don't just use scientific instruments to monitor Mount Merapi. Every day a team of vulcanologists climb to the summit of Merapi to take photographs of the crater and to measure the gases escaping from the volcano. They know that if the amount of sulphur dioxide (a gas that smells like rotten eggs) increases, then an eruption is more likely. The vulcanologist's measurements all show that an enormous amount of lava is building up underneath Mount Merapi. The vulcanologists all agree that the volcano will erupt soon but cannot predict when it will happen, it could be in a year's time, or in a month's time, or in a week's time, or maybe it's already happened? |
|
Some local residents living very close to Merapi would rather rely on natural signs than official measurements and warnings. They say those signals include lightning around the mountain's peak and animals moving down the slopes. |
Want to Fly
|
|
Air Conditioning is useful both in summer and winter. It is used as for cooling during summer and as a heater during winter. It is a fallacy to think that aircon is only effective just for making air cooler. Air ConditioningAir Conditioning is useful both in summer and winter. It is used as for cooling during summer and as a heater during winter. It is a fallacy to think that aircon is only effective just for making air cooler.
Willis Haviland Carrier was a very cool engineer. He invented the world's first air conditioning system just
one year after he graduated from Cornell University in America. In 1902 Carrier invented a machine to control
temperature and humidity of the air inside a printing factory. Carrier's invention was so successful that soon
other factories were buying his air conditioning systems - goods produced in air conditioned factories were
of better quality than goods produced in non-air conditioned factories. It wasn't until 22 years later that
air conditioning was first used to make humans feel cool and comfortable. In the summer of 1924, an American
department store installed air conditioning and customers loved it! Soon shops, restaurants and cinemas |
All of the
aeroplanes that you see flying over your town are the direct result of the hard work of two brothers - Wilbur
and Orville Wright. The Wright brothers ran an ordinary bicycle repair shop but they had a very special hobby.
They wanted to be the first people to build a flying machine strong enough to carry people. In the nineteenth
century there was a craze for trying to fly. Lots of unsuccessful inventors built... and crashed... flying machines,
but nobody succeeded until the Wright brothers came along. The first thing the Wright brothers did was read.
They read EVERYTHING that had ever been written about building flying machines. Then they built models to test
every part of their flying machine. Their first successful flying machine was a glider - it could twist and turn
and be steered just like a modern aeroplane, but it had no engine. The Wright brothers designed a special engine
for their flying machine (see front cover) and finally, on the 17th December 1903, they made the first ever flight
in a powered flying machine - and that was the beginning of all the airlines which we use in Indonesia today.
were
all installing air conditioning systems and customers have been shopping, eating and watching films in comfort
ever since!
 Plastic Bags |
Been shopping lately? Haven't got anything to carry your shopping home in? All you need to do is ask the shop assistant to get some ethene gas, heat it up with a little bit of oxygen and roll the product out into a thin flexible sheet. Well, that's what the scientists at ICI did in 1933 when they invented polythene - the plastic that plastic bags are made from. Plastic bags are great - they're light, cheap, strong, waterproof and they never rot or go mouldy. They're perfect for carrying home shopping, or for stopping your nasi bungkus from getting mixed up with your pisang goreng. But plastic bags have a negative side too - they never disappear! Polythene isn't degradable - this means that it never rots. It stays forever! |
|
Scientists and environmentalists say that thousands of birds, animals and turtles are killed every year because they have eaten plastic rubbish and we all know that plastic rubbish makes our beaches and rivers look dirty and ugly. Scientists are now busy inventing a whole new range of degradable plastics. These plastics will be light and strong and waterproof but they will rot after a few months - just like paper. Until these new plastics are ready, perhaps we ought to copy our grandparents and take our own re-usable bag with us when we go shopping! |
|
Paper Clips
|
|
Television
Can you imagine life without television? How many televisions do you see every day? There's probably one in your house, one in the cafe where you ate your breakfast, one in your local shop, there might even be one in your school staff room for the teachers to watch in between lessons! |
What can
be used by punks and little girls to make chains and necklaces; by untidy students to hold their shirt together
when they lose a button; and by organised teachers to keep sheets of paper together? The humble paperclip, of
course! An American called Samuel B. Fay patented a bent-wire clip in 1867 but he used it for attaching price
tags to clothes in shops. In1899 a Norwegian called Johan Vaaler was the first person to patent a bent-wire clip
that was specially designed to hold together several sheets of paper. Since then dozens of people have invented
dozens of differently shaped paperclips, and millions and millions of paperclips have been produced and sold
around the World. So why is it always so difficult to find one when you need one?
Something very
strange happened in Indonesian sitting rooms in 1963 - lots of families stopped sitting facing each other. Instead
they all started staring at the corner of the room. No, they weren't angry with each other - so what happened?
In 1963 TVRI made its first television broadcast in Indonesia and life changed for everyone! The television was
invented by John Logie Baird, a Scotsman, in 1923, but Indonesians had to wait for 40 years before they got their
own television programs.
Cold Drink Anyone?
|
|
|
It usually can be found in the kitchen. It does not make much noise and is generally white in color. A refrigerator is a standard feature in many houses in Indonesia and certainly in Australia. It keeps food fresher for longer. It makes drinks cold. Refrigeration also allows hospitals and medical centers to keep medicines at a constant low temperature so that they remain effective. In fact, medicine was the key to the refrigerator’s development when American physician, John Corrie, built on earlier designs to make ice to cool the air for his yellow fever patients. That was in in 1844. Every time you drink a nice cold glass of iced tea you should also think of Australian James Harrison, because he invented the world's first refrigerator in 1856.
|
Did you know that Australians and Indonesians are great inventors? Here are a few more useful ideas and gadgets that you may be interested to know more about. |
|
|
|||
|
|
Do you
have a radio in your car? Almost every car in Indonesia has a radio in it. Did you know that Australians
were the first people in the world to be able to drive their cars and listen to the radio at the same time?
In 1934, Kelly's Motors were the first company in the world to fit radios in cars. Nowadays, there are CD
players and even DVD players in some cars.
|
|
|
|
What happens
when you ferment soybeans? The result tastes and feels something like mushrooms. It's called tempe by the
Indonesians, who invented this use for the soybean. And what an invention! Delicious! High in protein and
fiber, low in saturated fats, an excellent meat substitute not just for vegetarians. Soybeans are the only
food containing isoflavones, which are thought to possibly reduce the risk of cancer. But soybeans also contain
phytates, which prevent the absorption of minerals. Cooking doesn't get rid of the phytates, but the fermentation
of tempe does. And unlike most beans, including soybeans prepared in other ways, tempe won't disturb anyone's
intestines because fermentation gets rid of the oligosaccarides that can produce gas.
| AusAID, the Australian Government's Overseas Aid Program, aims to help reduce poverty in Indonesia by supporting sustainable development. The Australian Government will provide an estimated AUD$344.3 million (Rp 2.3 trillion) in aid to Indonesia in 2006-2007. As Kang Guru always says, and as AusAID is proving, "Good Neighbours Make Good Friends." |
While dairy products
are not a traditional part of the Indonesian diet, tourist demand has motivated a small business entrepreneur, Mr
Adi Kharisma from East Java, to ask for help. The Australian Business Volunteer (ABV) organisation brought in an
experienced cheese maker from Australia to help him. Volunteer cheese maker, Delvae Edwards from Queensland, says
she spent the first week of her ABV assignment investigating the local conditions and demand for different kinds
of cheeses. After confirming that a market did exist, Delvae set up operations in a small cheese factory in East
Java that had been built by a Dutch company, but had been abandoned two years ago.
Local farmers supplied the milk. The first production attempt resulted in twenty kilograms of fresh mozzarella and four kilograms of ricotta cheese. These first products were quickly sold to clients in Bali. The word quickly spread about the cheese enterprise. A nearby small dairy owner, who owns seventy five cows, approached Delvae for advice on cheese making. "This set-up had a lot of potential," she says, "and by the time I left Indonesia they were making three batches of cheese from 360 litres of milk a day." Distribution and delivery methods have been established, with the cheese being kept on dry ice and delivered by trucks to a cold room in Bali, where the cheese can mature for two to three weeks before being delivered to customers.
Teaching Books to Aceh Universities
As part of
the $15 million spending program on education in tsunami ravaged Aceh, the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction
and Development (AIPRD) presented educational reference books worth $206,000 (Rp. 1,5 billion) to the Library of
the Education Faculty (FKIP) of Syiah Kuala University and the General Library of the State Islamic University (IAIN)
in Aceh. These two institutions were badly affected by the tsunami. Around 4000 books will be distributed to the
Education Faculty (FKIP) Library of Syiah Kuala University and another 3000 books will be delivered to the General
Library at IAIN. "Aside from these contributions, AIPRD is also providing rental assistance to more than
800 lecturers at both universities, as well as providing tuition fees for 2000 IAIN students,” Didi Marjimi
said. AIPRD’s support is helping to improve teaching quality and resources, particularly in these and other
educational institutions in Aceh.
|
KGRE Calling ALL Aussie Alumni
Have you studied in Australia? Maybe at university or at high school? Maybe an ELICOS course? If you have studied
in Oz then KGRE wants to know about YOU! KGRE is currently developing a special alumni website page about people
just like you. If you would like to be a part of that new page, then please contact KGRE immediately- send your
alumni history and some photos to kdalton@ialf.edu |
ADS and APS Scholarships
|
"Australian Development Scholarships, offered by AusAID, will open on the 19th of June and close on
the 8th of September.
..... from ADS awardees, Shinta, Ayu and Ary who work with AusAID's ACCESS project based in Bali.
|
|
|
Full
information about ADS scholarships will be printed in provincial newspapers during June and July. People who
are interested in applying for an ADS scholarship can get information from our website - 
Sandra Irawanto
is from South Sulawesi. He is Head of the Social Service section in the kelurahan in Luwu province. He finished
his 9 months of English language study at IALF Bali in April 2006. Later this year he will be in Australia as
an ADS awardee. He told KGRE that he loved studying at IALF Bali because he loved his fellow ADS awardees and
also working daily with IALF teachers. Sandra certainly worked hard to improve his English language skills. Well
Done! What do you think he is looking forward to the most upon arrival in Australia? He is most interested in
making friends in Australia and learning more about Western culture. The other thing he wants to do is to travel
and see more of Australia, especially the nightlife, the cities and local society.
Sugiono
is a well known teacher in the Probolinggo area of East Java. For one thing, he has been very proactive in setting
up connections with KGRE. He really motivated students at Pondok Pesantren Nurul Jadid to start an English language
club - the Galilei Club, KGCC #022. Sugiono has also been active with Radio SMANJA FM, based at Nurul Jadid in
Paiton. He managed the English language section of the station for quite some time and now English is a really
busy part of the station's regular programming. Sugiono was at IALF Bali in April/May 2006 preparing for his
journey to Australia as an Australian Development Scholarship student studying for his Master of Education degree
at Flinders University, Adelaide, specialising in educational leadership and management. Alistair Welsh, ISELP
Aussie teacher trainer at Nurul Jadid told KGRE "I think he's a great candidate. He's an excellent teacher.
Students and his fellow teachers recognise he's a very, very good English teacher. He's also a very nice guy
and a good operator."
|
Most students in Australia have a mobile phone - handphone. A text message costs around 25cents. PDAs - Personal Digital Assistants - are seldom used by teenagers at our schools though some of our parents have them. A lot of students have camera phones and use them to record their everyday lives, and then share the pictures with each other. Some students have their own digital cameras and they can put the pictures they take on their websites for friends to look at.
|
Electricity is surely one of the most amazing and important discoveries EVER! What would we do without it? Just
imagine your day without it.
uess what? No one actually invented electricity but you could ask who discovered it. There are two types of electricity - one natural and one man-made. About 1400 years ago, a Greek man called Thales of Miletus, discovered static electricity. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin discovered that lightning was a natural type of electricity. Countries all around the world have to supply vast amounts of electricity to satisfy the increasing demand for it. Indonesia is the same, and over the years it has built a series of power stations all over the country. The YTL Jawa Timur power plant is one of three coal powered power stations in Paiton, East Java. They were first built during the 1990s. PT. YTL Jawa Timur supplies power to industries, businesses, offices and homes as far away as Jakarta and Denpasar. Coal, which is transported by ship from East Kalimantan, is crushed, refined and fired to boil sea water in enormous boilers. The YTL Jawa Timur power plant utilizes state-of-the-art technology in electrical engineering, and adheres to strict environmental emission controls and safety guidelines. It is owned by a consortium of Malaysian, German and Indonesian partners, and is operated by YTL of Malaysia. Australian engineers with experience in coal power plants were employed in the early phase of construction, and more recently in monitoring emissions from the boiler stack and the waste water treatment process.
Australian teacher Julienne Welsh, a former ISELP teacher trainer in Paiton, now works afternoons and evenings
teaching English to Engineering and Commercial staff at the plant. In the international power company English
is used extensively in the workplace and she has many keen learners. |
We
use computers/laptops for MSN and emails, Myspace and other chatting sites. At school we use computers for researching,
typing assignments and printing. Technology provides us with entertainment such as Play Station and XBox. There
are some students who don't have access to technology at home but they are able to use the facilities at school
to complete tasks and assignments, so that they are not disadvantaged. 
My name is Tio
and I'm a student at Teknik Informatika at Universitas Islam Indonesia in Jogjakarta. I'm in my final year. I
was blind about computers before I went to university. I didn't even know how to use word processing. But now
I am addicted to computers, especially internet. Internet really helps me with my studies. For 4 years now our
school has used internet as a one-stop service for students, parents and staff to find information such as school
fees, class schedules, and for book catalogs. Now we use internet as a medium for long distance learning. Students
can download school materials and even do their exams through internet. Apart from school, I use internet to
help me with my daily activities: communicate with friends, making friends, getting information, downloading
articles or tutorials, and for learning English. Technology may also bring bad influences into our lives but
as long as we use technology wisely and properly we will get many benefits.
Islamic Schools English Language Program (ISELP) in Indonesia
Aussie teacher trainers have been working for over 18 months in pondok pesantrens with the ISELP program. They are very busy people. Their main jobs are to improve the quality of English used by English teachers and to improve the capacity of those teachers to teach English to their students. They arrange and conduct workshops for teachers and assist with the development of more effective teaching programs for schools. They arrange and encourage teachers to mix together from the different areas and to work together helping each other. ISELP is a joint program between Australian Volunteers International and AusAID.
 Cheryl Reid
works in Pondok Pesantren Sunan Drajat, Desa Banjar Anyar in Paciran, Lamongan, while Prue Price is based at
Pondok Pesantren Qomar-rudin, Bungah, Gresik. Motivating teachers and students to teach and study English has
always been one of their basic priorities. In April 2006, the ISELP teacher trainers, with special help from
Prue, invited her good friend TEAMO the Clown to visit their students. TEAMO surprised everyone! He wore clown
make-up, he performed tricks and he sang songs. He only used English and you know what? Everyone understood him
perfectly - words and actions say a lot, don't they? |
|
It was a very hot day but that didn't stop TEAMO from performing and entertaining the students for almost two
hours. There were at least 600 students, including Cheryl's students, watching the TEAMO 'English For Fun' performance
that day at PP Qomarrudin. After the main performance, he conducted several workshops with students. He taught
them how to juggle and walk on stilts. TEAMO has been teaching juggling in Australia and overseas for over 25
years. He really knows what he is talking about. During his 10 day visit to Indonesia, TEAMO also performed
in Madura, Malang, Probolinggo, Kediri, Banyuwangi and Jombang, where other ISELP teacher trainers are based.
He was a very busy clown indeed.
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
Alistair Welsh is an ISELP teacher trainer working at PP Nurul Jadid in Paiton, East Java. However, his first
visit to Indonesia was on a school trip with Geelong High School as a student in 1978. That Indonesian Language
Study Tour went to Jakarta, Bandung, Jogja and Bali. Then in 1984, when he was 22 years old, he was a participant
in the Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) with extended stays in Lampung and Central Java. Then
in 1989 he came back to Indonesia as a teacher in Maluku province in Tual and Ambon. It was during his time
in Tual that he first experienced KGRE. He was sent a KGRE work booklet and cassette recording which he immediately
 used
with teachers in his teacher workshop sessions. The materials were very interesting, very modern and at that
time very appropriate for teachers. Alistair is in East Java until late 2006 and he loves Indonesia - and always
has!
|
|
"In the English Resource Centre at Al Maarif, teachers and students can request songs. The lyrics are
all printed out for them so they can sing along. The teachers in my English class have asked me to teach them
songs and dances. I tried to teach them a dance called the 'Heel and Toe Polka' (a bush dance), but I didn’t
have the music… and I’m not 100% positive I remember it properly. But I did successfully manage to
teach them the 'Hokey Pokey' and 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'. These are quite physical and involve everyone
looking a bit funny. I always ensure that I leave the curtains open in the classroom so that all the students
can
 have
a giggle at their teachers", said Jules at Al Maarif school in Singosari, Malang - East Java at the
opening of the The English Learning Centre Al Maarif on April 29th, 2006.
|
Congratulations to all the very active members of the Excellent Club (KGCC #026) in Jombang and the Brownish Club
(KGCC #048) in Purwokerto. They have won the very special Homophones Competition from the 'POUCH' Connection Club
Bulletin for Jan- March, 2006. Hakim, the chairman of the Excellent Club, made a special trip to Bali to collect
their prize. Alwi, a wonderful KGRE staff member, went to Purwokerto 
in
May to deliver their special prize. Both clubs were full of smiles when receiving the Polytron combo radio/cassette/CD
players from KGRE. What great prizes! 
If your club is a member of the KGRE Connection Club (KGCC) network then your club could win prizes just like these. So, get into action and join the KGCC, and enter the Transport Competition from the latest POUCH - April/June 2006.
|
Warung TALK
At PP Qomarrudin in Bungah, the ESQOM English Club (English Speaking - Qomarrudin) have had a wonderful idea.
When TEAMO the Clown visited their pesantren last April, the audience of hundreds and hundreds of students and
teachers needed somewhere to eat. The club’s idea was that if people could speak, or were willing to try
to speak English |
|
then
they could order food and enjoy eating it at Warung TALK. The food was sensational and the service was even
better AND all in English. Even work-ing out the bill and giving change – memberi kembalian - was done
in English.
Bima's KGRE English Day
Three
English language clubs in Bima - Bifi English Club (KGCC #044), Best Partner English Club (KGCC#053) and Smart English
Club (KGCC#025) - initiated the idea of having an English Day for students and teachers in Bima. The idea, welcomed
by students and teachers alike, was to promote English clubs to schools in Bima. About 200 students and teachers
from 14 schools participated. Krista, an Aussie teacher from IALF Bali, and Ogi from KGRE, went to Bima on May 7th
and accepted the invitation for KGRE to support 'Bima English Day'. There were great (and fun) English language
activities such as 'Where Am I', 'Unjumble Words', plus 'Skimming and Scanning Articles'. Many students contributed
songs and were very talented. It was obvious they liked singing English songs. The highlight of the day's activities
was when KGRE presented the Music Quiz. Students just loved that quiz and were all so eager to answer the questions.
They were thrilled once again when Krista taught them two famous Aussie songs 'Kookaburra Laugh' and 'Home Among
The Gum Trees'.
Although it is not always easy, schools and teachers sometimes need to be willing, and keen, to organize and develop activities in the interests of their students and their educational experiences. It is not always enough to wait for someone else to organize things. Do you remember Pak Hamzah from Makassar, KGRE magazine - August, 2004? He conducts regular student exchange programs to Australia for example. Hamzah knew that if he didn't organize these trips then his students may never have the opportunity to go to Australia. Ibu Wahyuning from Pasuruan felt the same way about a visit to a television station in Surabaya. Iffah, from PP An-Nuqayah in Guluk Guluk Madura has developed many new activities too for her school and for her students. Great job and well done to you both.
Teacher Organizing Excursions in East Java – fantastic!!!!
Student motivation and interest are important for successful learning. Based on my research, student motivation
and interest increases if they feel happy and if they enjoy learning English. When I saw that many of my students
wanted to become reporters, I had an idea. Maybe it was time for a Study Tour. Where to go in nearby Surabaya
was my next decision. Number One was SCTV - a television studio. Armatim and Bumimoro were also on our list.
They are Indonesian Naval areas. We did our study tour activities on Friday 7th of April 2006. We left at 7.30am
and arrived at SCTV at 8.30am. Eight students became reporters there. They reported on their friends' activities
in English and Indonesian. Mr Ismoyo Herdono allowed us to look around the TV studio and sit in the presenter’s
chair in the studio. These activities made the students very happy. At 10.30 we continued our journey to Armatim.
Armatim’s people allowed us to come onto |
|
First of all, she decided to use teacher assistants who were An-Nuqayah university students hoping to become English language teachers and who could be called upon to be relief teachers in her absence. Secondly, Iffah introduced a peer mentoring program in which she trained some of her higher ability students to provide support and guidance to other students in the same class. This offers additional encouragement on aspects of school work, as well as helps build the confidence and self-esteem of the whole class. By Wahyuning Ariyani (Ayu), S.Pd., SMP Miftahul Alum Al-Yasini, Ngabar Kraton, Pasuruan. |
an
Indonesian warship. We went on to Bumimoro. We had an interesting experience there just like the others. The
students learned about the planetarium and naval history there. We took a rest and prayed in the Al Akbar mosque,
then we went shopping at the Giant Shopping Mall. The day was full of great learning activities and we all felt
tired on the journey back to Pasuruan.
Iffah
Al_Batul is an outstanding English language teacher at Pondok Pesantren An-Nuqayah, Guluk-Guluk, Sumenep and
has been working constantly with ISELP Teacher-Trainers John and Margaret Rollings, since their arrival at An-Nuqayah
eighteen months ago. During that time Margaret and John have watched Iffah juggling her two roles, one as an
extremely busy and devoted English teacher and the other as a young Nyai with demanding and unrelenting religious
obligations and responsibilities. Following courses at IALF Surabaya and PDA Malang, Iffah understood that she
could use more up-to-date teaching methodologies to enable students to cope with the increased workload required
by the new Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi (KBK).
|
Anggun is one of the few Indonesian artists who is also an international artist. In Europe, for example, Anggun
is a superstar. Anggun writes and performs songs in Bahasa Indonesia, English and in French. Her CDs have sold
in the millions. The latest CD is titled 'Luminescence'. The majority of songs on the CD are in English.
|
|
Dewi says that she learnt her basic English language skills by watching endless re-runs of ‘The Muppets’. When she was young and living in Medan, Dewi and her family really had little to do at night so their father bought a video player. They recorded anything and everything they could, much of it in English, and then they started watching those videos over and over. Dewi went onto study English at school BUT she clearly says that it was The Muppets’ – Miss Piggy, Kermit and Animal - that got her into English. Such simple beginnings for sure, but these days Dewi’s love for, and use of, English is remarkable to say the very, very least.
|
Kevin
met Anggun in Jakarta in late May 2006 and was lucky enough to sit down with her at her hotel for a 30 minutes
chat. When they first met, Anggun immediately shook hands with Kevin and welcomed him to sit down with her
for the English language interview. Kevin explained briefly about KGRE in Indonesia and how the interview was
not going to be quite what she was perhaps used to. Kevin wanted to ask questions about learning languages
for example. Anggun already speaks French and English and she told Kevin that she is now trying to learn Italian.
She added that she was finding it quite difficult. Be sure to listen to KGRE in July and August to hear Anggun's
interview and about learning languages. Check the September magazine and the KGRE website for more news of
Anggun and KGRE.
As
for modern technology? Tommy is surrounded by it everyday at work. However he told KGRE that his radio is his
most important piece of technology. He listens to the radio, especially FM in his car, as often as he can. Tommy
loves jazz, rock and heavy metal music.
Dewi Lestari
is quite an amazing person. She is a singer, songwriter and a novelist. One of her most popular literary works
is the ‘Supernova’ series of novels. Have you read them? Dewi is also a guest speaker and presents
seminars both here in Indonesia and overseas. Dewi lives in Bandung but KGRE was lucky enough to meet her at
Balai Sarbini in late April 2006. She was there appearing in a concert with her husband, Marcell. Dewi was so
kind as to sit down with Kevin for a few minutes to talk about her life, her work and her amazing interest in
English. It was hard to find a quiet place but they eventually found a back corridor to do the interview in.
In fact Kevin was somewhat in awe of Dewi when they met. Kevin had listened to Dewi’s latest CD while he
was flying to Jakarta a few days earlier. The CD, titled ‘Out of Shell’, is nothing short of incredible.
It may not be to everyone’s liking, but without a doubt, the English language Dewi uses is simply fantastic.
Tracks such as ‘Simply’ and ‘The End’ are two of Kevin’s favourites. The music
and the words are quiet and relaxing - a feast for the ears and the heart.
Her latest
CD, ‘Out of Shell’ is all written in English. Dewi says that sometimes ideas come to her in English
and sometimes in Indonesian. The songs on this CD came to her in English. Kevin asked Dewi if the lyrics could
be translated into Indonesian so that the vast majority of Indonesian people could also enjoy the CD. According
to Dewi this is not possible AND she should know, right? KGRE spoke with Shanty last year about her wonderful
song ‘Di Belahan Langit Hati’. The song was written by Dewi but in English. Shanty loved the song
and wondered whether Dewi could change it into Bahasa Indonesia. The answer? No! Dewi did agree however to translate
some of the lyrics into Indonesian BUT not all of it. Dewi says that some words and concepts just can’t
be translated properly between languages.
Beware of Flying Water and Fighting Cats
One Saturday night recently I was walking through my village on my way to the radio station when I saw a couple
of cats on top of a wall howling at each other. The noise was deafening. As I passed them, someone came out of
the warung on the other side of the wall and threw water at them. He missed the cats, but the water went all over
me. I automatically called out ‘Waduh!’
and everybody who heard me laughed. I don’t speak much Javanese but I said that word with a lot of feeling.
Now when I walk down that street on Saturday nights I keep an eye and an ear open for fighting cats. (Cheryl)
KGRE Note: Until mid-July 2006, Cheryl Reid was an Aussie ISELP teacher trainer in Paciran, Lamongan, East Java. As a part of her role at the PP, Cheryl also assisted her radio co-presenter, Pak Alimin, with their weekly interactive radio program on Persada FM 109.9 in Pondok Pesantren Sunan Drajat. Cheryl now works for KGRE. And don't worry Cheryl, there are no pussy cats fighting on the walls near KGRE office.
Magic Machines?
|
There are two pieces of technology in Australia that I found really amazing. The first one is a machine where you can get small change. In July 2003 I was about to visit Prof John Janes, former Director of Muresk Institute at Curtin University in Perth. I worked for him at the Indonesia Australia Eastern Universities Project back in Bali from 1994-1996. My friend was parking the car and I was looking for small change for the parking fee but unfortunately I only had bank notes and so did my friend. I was worried and asked, "How can we get the small change? We are in the parking lot. The canteen is far away." And then she pointed to the machine at one corner of the parking lot. I put a $10 note into the machine and within seconds got small change. How fantastic! In Indonesia I usually go to a petrol station to get small money or buy something at the nearest shop.
|
|
The other magic machine that I found very interesting is the vending machine. It was on my first day in Darwin.
I stayed at the NT University campus
|
accommodation.
In the afternoon on my first day in Darwin, I was hoping to buy some snacks. But there were only books and
souvenirs available. As I was looking around in front of the shop I found a tall machine just standing there.
As I came closer I was surprised to see stuff inside that box. There were many types of snacks, chocolates
and soft drinks. The prices were tagged below each of the items.
"Wow, what is this? A shopping machine? How can I get one of the crackers out?" I read the instructions
and put in some small change. I pressed the buttons and suddenly a packet of Lays Potato Chips dropped out in
front of me! It was like magic! Days later I found more of those magic machines in many places. However I don't
want that machine to be available here in Indonesia. Because that means more people will be without a job and
I don't want that to happen.
|
Home • Australia
Indonesia Partnership (AIP) • Latest
KGI News Forum • Magazine • Radio • Travel • Stories • Quickies • Competitions • In the Classroom Joeys • Idioms Inggris • Quick Fix • Connection Clubs Oz Indo Connection • Different Pond Different Fish • Interviews KGI in Indonesia • KGI Staff • KGI 20th Anniversary Contact Us |
|
|
|