From November 20–22, 2024, Florinesya Zahwa Raihania, a student from the English Department, participated in the prestigious ASEAN Youth Conference (AYC). Since its inception in 2018, the AYC has served as a flagship program of the ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO), empowering youth voices in regional dialogues. AYO’s vision centers on fostering positive change and promoting inclusive development across ASEAN. This year’s theme, “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience for Our Shared Future,” underscores the importance of collaboration and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.

The conference, through panel discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions, provided participants an opportunity to contribute to the creation of an ASEAN Youth Vision. This vision will be presented to the ASEAN Secretariat, influencing future policy-making processes.

Passion Meets Opportunity

Florinesya’s decision to join AYC stemmed from her deep interest in culture, communication, and regional dynamics. She felt the event aligned seamlessly with her academic pursuits and her personal goal of fostering cross-border collaboration among youth, starting with the ASEAN community.

Reflecting on her experience, Florinesya described the application process as both rigorous and rewarding. Participants were required to submit a detailed personal statement outlining their achievements, aspirations, and motivation for attending. A selection phase followed, where candidates were assessed on their academic backgrounds and visions for contributing to the conference’s objectives.

“Preparing for the conference meant researching current ASEAN issues, understanding the event’s theme, and reflecting on how my perspective as a youth could add value to the discussions,” Florinesya shared. “It required dedication, critical thinking, and stepping out of my comfort zone, but it was a deeply enriching journey that made me more confident and equipped to engage with a diverse group of peers.”

The Conference Experience

Held in Jakarta, the three-day event brought together 80 youth leaders and changemakers from ASEAN and beyond.

The opening day featured welcoming remarks from prominent figures, including representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and officials from Lao PDR. These speeches were followed by a panel discussion and open forum addressing ASEAN’s three pillars: the Political-Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC), and Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). These sessions laid the groundwork for meaningful conversations about ASEAN’s priorities and future opportunities.

The second day delved into deeper engagement through workshops and open forums. Florinesya joined the breakout room focused on the ASCC pillar, which aligns with her passion for fostering socio-cultural connectivity.

“In this session, we participated in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to draft the ASEAN Youth Vision Paper,” she explained. “Collaborating with passionate peers, we brainstormed innovative ideas and actionable solutions to address ASEAN’s socio-cultural challenges. The discussions emphasized inclusivity, resilience, and connectivity.”

The final day culminated with the presentation of the vision papers at the ASEAN Headquarters. Following this, participants explored Jakarta’s cultural heritage with a visit to the Museum Tekstil, where they engaged in batik-making workshops. The event closed with a vibrant cultural night dinner, where participants donned traditional attire, celebrating diversity and fostering lasting connections.

Reflections and Aspirations

Florinesya described her AYC experience as transformative. It expanded her knowledge of regional issues, strengthened her leadership and communication skills, and connected her with talented peers from across ASEAN and beyond.

“The experience deepened my understanding of cultural diversity and the value of collaborative efforts in solving shared challenges,” she said.

Looking ahead, Florinesya expressed her aspirations to leverage this experience to inspire and empower youth to create meaningful change. “In the future, I plan to immerse myself more in international environments where I can apply what I’ve learned. I hope to contribute to initiatives promoting sustainability, education, and cultural exchange, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.”

Photo credits: Florinesya Zahwa Raihania (first picture), ASEAN Youth Organization (second and third picture).

On Monday, 07/08/2024, the English Department arranged a special course for a public speaking training, collaborating with the Swaragama Radio Station. The course will be held for 11 days with three different mentors, Gideon Surya, Cici Priskila, and Bara Zulfa. Each of the mentors will have their own materials, respective to their specialties.

The first part of this course, which was held for 4 days, was held by Gideon Surya. The main focus of the first part of this course was to teach the participants to improve their public speaking skills in general like for a class presentation or a thesis presentation. Mr. Gideon also taught the participants on what should and should not be done during a presentation so that it will improve their delivery during the presentation. The first session was then closed by each of the participants practicing a presentation.

As the first session was done, the course was then continued by Cici Priskila that was held for 3 days. The second session focuses mainly on how to be a good radio announcer. She also taught the participants regarding a good vocal technique, the divisions, and what should be prepared before airing. Just like the first session, the second session also closed by the participants practicing their radio announcing skill.

Finally, there came the third and final session which was handled by Bara Zulfa. The main topic for this session is regarding on how to be a got MC in an event. He taught the participants on how to adjust our atmosphere so that our style as an MC could match the atmosphere of the event. He also said that it is also important to have a self-branding as an MC so that people would know what are the MC’s style. Just like the previous sessions, this session also ended with the participants practicing the materials as an MC.

Fifteen selected English Department Students will receive 1,6 million rupiahs subsidy for taking IELTS test.

Eligibility

English Department student who

• Has at least 3,5 GPA
• Is willing to take the test before the middle of October

Application Requirements

• English proficiency certificate (not compulsory)
• GPA transcript
• Motivation letter
• CV

Submit all of the required documents via bit.ly/SubsidiTesIELTS2024 by 10 July 2024.

Two representatives of English Department UGM: Alvanita, M. Ed. and Paris Mercurio visited MA Al Ikhlas Berbah on Saturday, 11 March 2024. This event is a part of community services conducted by English Department UGM. Headmistress of MA Al Ikhlas Berbah, Ika Bude Lestari, S.Pd., gave a warm welcoming speech in the beginning of the event. Afterwards, the presentation and Q&A sessions began.

In the presentation session, Alvanita, M.Ed. motivated the students to learn English. She highlighted how important it is to be proficient in English, especially if one wants to pursue higher education or professional careers. She also gave the students tips on learning English outside the class. The second presenter, Paris Mercurio told the students about her experiences living in the United States. She gave the students tips to overcome their nervousness when using English in conversations. The students, who were shy to respond at the presentation session, gradually became more engaged throughout the Q&A session. 

Students and teachers of MA Al-Ikhlas Berbah responded positively towards the event, sharing their opinions that other programs to increase students’ interest in learning English should be conducted again in the future. The urgency of conducting those programs is due to low frequency of English learning in rural areas like Berbah, which is affected by the existing presumption of the lack of urgency to be proficient in English.

Alvanita, M.Ed. discussed the continuation of this program with the English teacher of MA Al-Ikhlas Berbah (Ervina Juli Aryani) after the event. One of the proposed activities is increasing English literacy through reading literature works. Every week, the students will read English short stories and write their reviews. Afterwards, an offline discussion monitored by Alvanita, M.Ed. and Ms. Ervina will be conducted every one or two months in order to track the students’ progress in learning English.

Four or five selected English Department Students will receive 2 million rupiahs subsidy for taking IELTS test.

Requirements

English Department student who

• Has at least 3,5 GPA
• Receives KIP, tuition fee level 1, or tuition fee level 2
• Is interested to enroll in IISMA program
• Is willing to take the test before the middle of October

On Saturday, September 30, 2022, the Community Service by English Studies Programme at Muhammadiyah Highschool in Bumiayu was carried out. On September 26, 2022, an online conference was held through Zoom prior to the main event. Dr Ni Gusti Ayu Roselani, the chief of community service, explained community service and the planned activities to the students of Muhammadiyah High School during the online conference. This service’s primary objective is to promote an application called Grammarly, bolster students’ confidence in English writing, and educate them on the dangers of plagiarism. After delivering an opening address, Muhammad Faqih Maftuh, S.Ag, the principal of Muhammadiyah Highschool, officially began the event at 9:00 a.m. in the school’s study hall.

The main event commenced immediately after the English Department professors of Universitas Gadjah Mada, including Dr Adi Sutrisno, M.A., Dr Ni Gusti Ayu Roselani, M.A., and Dr Tofan Dwi Hardjanto, M.A., delivered their introductory remarks on English writing. The Muhammadiyah Bumiayu students were attentively following the presented materials. The presentation’s focus was the application of Grammarly. It is an application that helps authors identify and automatically repair grammatical errors in their work. Bagas, one of the English Studies Programme students who also contributed as a presenter, demonstrated the methods, how-to’s, and tips and tricks for applying for the programme clearly and straightforwardly under the supervision of Dr Ni Gusti Ayu Roselani, M.A.

Students were assigned a brief article describing Bumiayu’s tourist potential to be completed after the presentation. After they finished, they were given a break while their essays were read, scored, and the best excerpts were collected for a booklet. Those whose articles were selected will be rewarded monetarily.

Everything went off without a hitch, and a quick photo session was arranged to honour the winners of the best-written essay contest thereafter.

Written by: Mohammad Anandhya Averill Sulistyo, English Studies Programme 2020
Proofread by: Adiba Qonita Zahroh, S.S., M.Litt.

Community Service is an annual event hosted by the English Studies Programme at Universitas Gadjah Mada to execute one of the Three Pillars of Higher Education. This year, the theme of the Community Service was ‘PkM UGM in Collaboration with SMA N 5 Purworejo: Developing Speaking Skills through Storytelling.’ The goal of this Community Service is to foster speaking skills in a way that not only encourages participants to pronounce words correctly but also to speak with the proper intonation and articulation. In addition to learning about modulation, pitch, tempo, pause, and tone through storytelling, the participants gained valuable skills for future public speaking opportunities.

The community service was held for three days at SMA Negeri 5 Purworejo on September 19, September 23, and September 24, 2022. There were both online and in-person meetings during the event. The date for the online class was set on September 19, 2022. It was to deliver the materials about storytelling to the participants by English Studies Programme lecturers Dra. Sharifah Hanidar, M.Ed., Dra. Rio Rini Diah Moehkardi, M.A., and Adiba Qonita Zahroh, S.S., M.Litt. On the same day, the lecturers provided six folktales from six countries from which the participating students could choose.  The following three days were planned to be dedicated to the participants engaging in individual practise.

On the 23rd and 24th of October, the team, consisting of the English Studies Programme lecturers and students, visited the venue to meet teachers and students of SMA Negeri 5 Purworejo. On the first day, small groups of English Department students were set to provide mentorship. The next day, from 10 am to 12 pm, another mentorship session was scheduled. Following a short break of an hour, the participants were given a full two hours to tell stories as the primary focus of the programme. The announcement of the top three performances then followed. The event was closed at 4 PM with closing statements from the head of the community service committee and the representative teachers from SMA Negeri 5 Purworejo.

Written by: Rahma Az-Zahra, English Studies Programme 2020
Proofread by: Adiba Qonita Zahroh, S.S., M.Litt.