On Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, Pusat Bahasa at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada welcomed a group of enthusiastic students from Pondok Modern Selamat 3 Batam who were keen on enhancing their English skills. The visitation took place in the Language Laboratory room 616, Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada where students were introduced to a world of English language learning opportunities. As a result, this visitation opened a new horizon for the students of Pondok Modern Selamat 3 Batam to gain knowledge on how to learn English and what English tests available at university scope, which further sparks their learning interest.

Accompanied by their teachers, 15 students from Pondok Modern Selamat 3 Batam embarked on this educational journey, absorbing insights shared by a Pusat Bahasa staff member. They listened attentively to the detailed information about the importance of learning English, services offered at Pusat Bahasa, and units at Pusat Bahasa that can assist them in engaging with foreign languages.

During the interactive Q&A session, the students showed great interest in learning about the importance of English proficiency and the various services provided by Pusat Bahasa. Furthermore, the students eagerly participated by raising their hands and asking questions during the question and answer session. Some students questioned the difference between English tests such as AcEPT, TOEFL, and IELTS while others expressed their interest in taking English tests to assist them in enrolling at their dream universities. With detailed responses to their questions given by the speaker, the students were able to obtain valuable information and direction on which test they should take based on their specific goals.

All in all, this visitation not only familiarized the students of Pondok Modern Selamat 3 Batam with Pusat Bahasa but also equipped them with valuable insights into English language tests and foreign language learning, empowering them for their future endeavours.

Seven week of lectures have passed and the students have to take their mid-term exam. The university had determined the mid-term exam period on the 1st–26th of April 2024 where the lecturers have the authority to organize the exam. The Master of Linguistics students batch 2023 shared their experience taking this examination.

“I am taking seven classes and I have to submit three papers for this mid-term exam,” said Tata and Ilham, Master of Linguistics students who take Social Linguistics as their field of interest. From the Descriptive Linguistics group, Damai said that she had to submit several papers and present her research. Similar to other students, Wanda, who chose Translation as her field of interest, said that she had to submit papers reviewing some journals and discussing a particular topic, write a thesis proposal, and take a practical exam.

The students expressed that the preparation for the exam was challenging. Gathering ideas, topics, and literature to construct the papers was tough and laborious but still enjoyable. “I was clueless about the things that I had to write but having a fun discussion with my friends helped me a lot to find enlightenment in making my masterpieces,” Ilham declared proudly.

“It is my second mid-term examination and I got the experience (from the previous semester) that made me more prepared. But still, it was stressful since I was the one who was a deadliner” said Damai while giggling.

In composing the papers, the students have several strategies such as making their own deadline for collecting the data and writing every part of the papers. Despite all the intricacy, according to Tata and Damai, this mid-term exam period would be another experience since they will join a field trip for Anthropological Linguistics and Dialectology where they need to collect the data by interviewing and observing a particular group of people as part of the mid-term examination.

The mid-term exam is finally over. The students hope that they will get good marks. “It’s not only about the good marks but I hope I can comprehend all the material and the things that I read and learned well. It is more important than only having a good grade without knowing the essence and mastering the lesson,” Ilham ended.

To support the innovation and accommodate the aspirations of Master of Linguistics students in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, KALINGGA (Keluarga Mahasiswa Linguistik Gadjah Mada) has created several work programs for the next 1 year. The event was opened by Dr. Sailal Arimi advised KALINGGA to become a forum that could be useful for developing UGM Linguistics and have an impact on the general public. Chairperson of KALINGGA 2024 Yuliana Kristianti also said several things, one of which was that KALINGGA could be a place to channel various abilities and develop the portfolio of each individual member of KALINGGA 2024.

The first presentation was from the ‘Minat dan Bakat’ division which presented various activities to facilitate students channelling their hobbies and talents in the fields of arts and sports. Furthermore, the PSDM (Human Resources Development) division presented its work program to strengthen relations between Master of Linguistics students in various classes. There is also a Social and Community Action division which explains various social activities of Master of Linguistics students which can be useful for the general public. Then, the LITBANG (Research and Development) division conveyed programs related to Linguistics, one of which was making books. Followed by the MEDINFO (Media and Information) division which explained programs related to delivering various innovations in reporting activities on the timeline through the KALINGGA mascot named Lingga.

The next presentation was from the ADHUMJAR (Advocacy, Public Relations and Networking) division which delivered programs related to communication between students at the Master of Linguistics UGM and outside the Master of Linguistics UGM, one of the programs was creating a Masters of Linguistics Student Association throughout Indonesia. The presentation was closed by the BPH who said that KALINGGA members could work together to build a Masters in Linguistics at UGM together.

Through the working meeting activities, each division conveys its own work program so that the implementation objectives are correct, so that activities within the Master of Linguistics UGM can run effectively, and have an impact on the general public.

KALINGA, Dr. Suhandano, Dr. Sailal Arimi, and Drs. Tatang Hariri along with Master of Linguistics students across generations, carried out a ‘Students Gathering’ as well as the ‘The KALINGGA Handover Ceremony 2024’. In this activity, various discussions related to academic activity in the Master of Linguistics UGM took place actively, such as transparency of student assessments and holding a prayer room in the Soegondo building so that lectures took place more efficiently. On this occasion, Dr. Suhandano also said that there would be a new application related to assessment, namely ‘Sioba’. Furthermore, final semester assignments also need to provide options other than articles and there is also a need for thesis research mentoring by lecturers. It is hoped that through this activity students will be more motivated to publish journals and be fluent in compiling their theses so they can complete lectures on time.

The system of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embraced in September 2015 by the UN, the worldwide improvement motivation for the primary time alludes to culture. The benefits of keeping up and progressing culture are accomplished through socially educated and viable execution of advancement objectives. Thus, discussion forums between lecturers and students can be a good culture to support and improve the quality of the learning environment.

In this activity, the stewardship of KALINGGA for the next 1 year was also officially appointed by Dr. Suhandano, witnessed by the previous year’s KALINGGA Management and students from across generations who were present. In the next 1 year, KALINGGA is expected to become a forum that can accommodate the aspirations of Master of Linguistics students, support the growth of student achievement and innovation, including creating useful activities in the field of Linguistics and society.

One of the staff of Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, Akbar Rizqi Dhea Habibi, was invited by Progressive School Bumi Shalawat Sidoarjo to fill the Cross Cultural Experience activity on May 6-7, 2024. The activity was attended by Japanese Class extracurricular students. This activity consisted of a sharing session by Akbar Rizqi, accompanied by an international student from Japan, Yoshikawa Ryoga, who is studying at INCULS FIB UGM. The topic raised in the activity was discussing school life and environment in Japan and Indonesia. In addition, it was followed by a workshop and practice of writing Japanese calligraphy (Shuuji). In the sharing session, Akbar Rizqi provided in-depth insights on how to get a scholarship, learn Japanese language and culture, and shared experiences about school life and environment in Japan. There was also a sharing session by Yoshikawa Ryoga about his experience as a foreign student in Indonesia.

In addition to the sharing session, the event also included a workshop and practice of writing Japanese calligraphy, known as Shuuji. In this session, the participants were taught the basic techniques of writing Japanese calligraphy, which not only enriched their knowledge of Japanese art and culture, but also practiced their fine motor skills. This activity not only provided academic and cultural insights, but also strengthened the bond between students through collaborative activities. The Cross Cultural Experience went smoothly and left a deep impression on all participants. The students were very enthusiastic listening to the experiences and tips shared by the speakers, which are expected to motivate them to pursue study abroad opportunities, especially in Japan.