EF Kids & Teens Consistently Support Indonesian Tourism Through English Teacher Training

Photo: Doc. EF Kids & Teens

JAKARTA - English is the most widely spoken language in the world, this language is the mother tongue for more than 400 million people worldwide. English is also the most frequently spoken language, including in the tourism sector.

As an effort to support the government for educational programs and improve English language skills for students in tourism areas, EF Kids & Teens Indonesia provides English Language Training Program for Elementary School educators in various tourist areas covered by Super Priority Tourism Areas and several other tourist destinations.

After Mandalika and Samosir, EF Kids & Teens collaborated with the Thousand Islands Administrative District Education Sub-Department to start the English Language Training Program and was attended by 50 elementary school educators from the Thousand Islands Administrative District.

The opening ceremony was held at SMP Negeri 241 Kep. Tidung, Kab. Adm Kep. Seribu and attended by the Head of the Basic Education Section of the Adm Regency Education Sub-Department. Thousand Islands, H. Jaanan, M.Pd, Deputy Head of Student Affairs, Agung Tutaya, S.Pd and Director of Corporate Affairs EF Kids & Teens Indonesia, July Simatupang.

In the English Language Training Program, EF Kids & Teens shares a creative and effective fun learning method for educators to convey English language learning materials to students and students. This training program consists of face-to-face workshops and online workshops held for 4 months intensively. There are many learning modules that can be practiced by educators who are easily applied in the teaching and learning process.

Country Director of EF Kids & Teens Indonesia, Suryadi Afan, said, as the largest English school in the world, EF Indonesia is committed to participating in advancing education in Indonesia, especially in improving English mastery skills and developing fun learning methods on an ongoing basis. This training program is also not the first time this has been done, previously EF Kids & Teens has carried out training programs for PAUD educators.

"In addition, EF has also organized a support program for Young Teachers #TelengforTheFuture to various remote areas of Indonesia. Since 2014 until now, EF has sent young teachers to support the development of the capacity of educators to several remote areas of Indonesia such as Natuna Regency, Riau, Paser Regency in East Kalimantan, and Boalemo Regency, Gorontalo," said Suryadi, in his statement, Friday, July 21.

Suryadi Afan further said that this year his party is focusing on developing elementary school educators in the Super Priority Tourism Area (DPSP) program areas such as Mandalika, Samosir, Labuan Bajo, Bromo, Magelang, including priority tourism destinations in the Thousand Islands.

"The Thousand Islands Administrative District is one of the locations for the implementation of this year's educational program considering that the Thousand Islands has enormous tourism potential. We appreciate the District Education Office. Adm. Thousand Islands which provide a positive response and synergize well so that this program can start running today," he explained.

H. Jaanan, M.Pd, Head of the Basic Education Section of the Adm Regency Education Sub-Department. The Thousand Islands said that the Thousand Islands is one of the Priority Tourism Areas, which encourages all people to have good foreign education and mastery. Currently, the target for tourists for the Thousand Islands is 80 percent of local tourists and 20 percent of foreign tourists.

Therefore, the educational efforts brought by the EF really help us to support the sons and daughters of the Thousand Islands getting better in interacting with tourists, especially with foreign tourists. Especially now, one of the obstacles in the field of education in the Thousand Islands is the limited number of English teachers due to the large number of teachers who are retired and there are still several schools that lack educators," said Jaanan.

Today, specifically there are 14 Elementary Schools and 5 State Junior High Schools and 2 roofs of educators participating in English language training initiated by the Indonesian EF Kids & Teens team.

"We hope that this cooperation program can continue to be sustainable and open the next episode for other islands in the Thousand Islands area such as Pramuka Island or further to Sebira Island. Learning English is not content, I hope EF Kids & Teens Indonesia can start a new paradigm in English. So, children are more courageous and interested in learning English," added Jaanan.

Director of Corporate Affairs EF Kids & Teens Indonesia Juli Simatupang said, EF Kids & Teens Indonesia targets educators so that they have qualified capabilities to convey teaching materials to their students. Thus, the participants will have better English language skills than before.

"The learning modules given to educators consist of training on various strategies and teaching techniques that create positive, interactive and fun learning. Later these modules can help educators in teaching English to students. Learning combines education with exciting games so that children are motivated to use English," explained Juli.

"We hope that this program can be useful for educators and students in the Thousand Islands. In addition, increasingly mastering English can help Indonesia become a leader in the global market," concluded Juli.