At the ‘English and TOEFL ITP Training’ activity held on 24-26 June 2024 via online yesterday, Adiba Qonita Zahroh, S.S., M.Litt., who is an Expert Assistant at the Department of Language and Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, introduced a TOEFL Pocket Book. This book is specifically designed to help students, educators, and institutions in understanding and preparing for the TOEFL Institutional Testing Programme (ITP) exam.

The book, titled ‘Handbook of TOEFL ITP’, is a comprehensive guide that provides detailed information on the structure of the TOEFL ITP exam, question types, preparation strategies, as well as additional resources to ensure examinee success. ‘The purpose of this book is to provide a useful tool for those who want to better prepare for the TOEFL ITP. We hope that this book can be the main reference that facilitates the learning process and prepares test takers for the TOEFL challenge,’ said Adiba Qonita Zahroh.

This project has the support and co-operation of Bappenas NTB, demonstrating their commitment to educational development and exam quality improvement at the local level. This handbook is expected to be a valuable resource for various groups involved in TOEFL ITP preparation. With the launch of this book, Adiba Qonita Zahroh hopes to make a significant contribution towards improving TOEFL ITP exam results as well as supporting broader education efforts in the area.

Yogyakarta, 28 June 2024 – Prof. Dr. I Dewa Putu Wijana, S.U., M.A., Professor of the Department of Language and Literature, contributed as a resource person in the 2024 Academic Writing Paraphrasing Training organised by the Language Unit of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). The event took place on 28 June 2024 and was attended by master and doctoral students at the Faculty of Education and Psychology UNY.

In this training, Prof Dr Wijana shared valuable knowledge and experience about writing for scientific journals. The material presented included the importance of selecting writing topics, as well as in-depth observations needed before starting paper writing. Prof. Wijana also explained the stages of writing an article in detail, from the preparation to the filling of the article.

In addition to the material sessions, the training also involves practical exercises for participants to apply paraphrasing techniques in academic writing. It aims to strengthen participants’ understanding and skills in writing in an effective manner and in accordance with academic standards.

This event is part of a collaboration with the Language Unit of the Faculty of Education and Psychology UNY, which is committed to improving academic writing skills among students. This training is expected to enrich participants’ insights and skills in composing quality scientific papers.

Medan, 4 July 2024 – Dr. Suhandano, M.A., Head Lecturer of the Department of Language and Literature, was one of the prominent speakers at the 2nd National Virtual Seminar on Mother Language organised by the Linguistics Doctoral Study Programme of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) of North Sumatra University (USU). The seminar, held on 4 July 2024, was attended by students, lecturers, and language researchers from various regions in Indonesia.

On the occasion, Dr Suhandano presented a talk entitled ‘Voice Systems of Indonesian and Javanese Imperative Clauses’. The talk explored the uniqueness and complexity of voice systems in Indonesian and Javanese, hoping to increase participants’ understanding of this distinctive linguistic phenomenon.

The voice system is an important aspect of linguistics, especially in Austronesian languages, involving theories of syntax, language typology, and comparative historical linguistics. Dr Suhandano emphasised that the study of the voice systems of Indonesian languages, which number around 700, offers a real picture of language diversity and contributes significantly to the understanding of Austronesian voice systems.

The event is also part of an effort to advance research and development in linguistics in Indonesia, with collaborative partners from the Linguistics Doctoral Study Programme at FIB USU. This seminar is expected to encourage further interest and research on voice systems and Austronesian linguistics in general.

On 20 July 2024, Mohamad Yusuf, Lektor III/d from the Department of Anthropology, carried out Community Service activities on UGM Campus with the title ‘Writing Public Opinions’. The output of this activity is an opinion entitled ‘Building Tourism for What and For Whom?’, which is disseminated through newspapers. This opinion criticises the tourism development paradigm that currently focuses more on fulfilling the interests of large capitalist groups, while basic human values are often ignored.

In his writing, Yusuf voiced his concern over the direction and goals of tourism development, which is considered increasingly distant from the needs of local communities and humanity. He emphasises the importance of an approach that is more equitable and oriented towards common welfare, not just the benefits of a few parties. It is hoped that this opinion piece will spark further discussion and reflection on a more inclusive and sustainable future for tourism.

‘Solidarity Indonesia for Palestine’ aims to provide up-to-date information on the situation in Gaza and Palestine in general, highlight the effects of war on women and children, and implement and expand cooperation with partners, such as Dompet Duafa DIY and Amna Care Fund. This activity was held on Thursday, 28 March 2024, at Musholla An-Najah, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The Executive Director of Amna Care Fund delivered the material in Arabic so a translator companion was needed, Dr Mahmudah, M.Hum.

The activities also included fundraising conducted conventionally and through transfers or QRIS, with the total funds collected reaching almost 5,000,000.00. The funds will be channelled to the Amna Care Fund through Dompet Duafa DIY to support the dispatch of medical teams to Gaza, especially for the treatment of women and children with permanent disabilities. The event was closed with a group photo session.