With the demand for universities to prepare graduates as superior human resources and able to compete in the era of globalization, teaching proficiency in English for college lecturers has become an important need. “Lecturers who are able to teach in English well can help prepare students to apply their knowledge when they graduate and enter the workforce, especially polytechnic graduates who work in multinational companies or deal with foreign clients/colleagues,” said the Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs of the Faculty of HUmanities (FHum), Universitas Indonesia (UI), Shuri Mariasih Gietty, Ph.D., in a statement.
She explained how important training is to develop human resources and improve conceptual and technical competencies in order to compete in the era of globalization. That is why the English training, which is a community service program of FHum UI, “has a direct impact on increasing the capacity of lecturers from various polytechnics in Indonesia in carrying out learning activities,” she said.
FHum UI community service team organized English as a Medium of Instruction training for Polytechnic lecturers in Indonesia. The FHum UI Community Service Team was chaired by Harumi Manik Ayu Yamin, M.Hum and consisted of Sisilia S. Halimi, Ph.D., Dr. Dhita Hapsarani, Dr. Dra. Yogi Widiawati, M.Hum. and Jaysen Ekajuve Thiadi.
This training provides material briefing with various topics about EMI, including Fondations of EMI, 21st century pedagogies for EMI, Support from content-based instruction, Written language skills and EMI, Oral language skills and EMI, Language support for teachers, dan evaluating EMI. At the end of the training, participants are prepared to carry out peer-teaching by implementing the material in the debriefing in the previous sessions.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Community Service Team of FHum UI, Harumi Manik Ayu Yamin, said that the English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) for Polytechnic Lecturers training was attended by lecturers from state polytechnics in several cities in Indonesia, namely Politeknik Negeri Jakarta, Politeknik Negeri Malang, Politeknik Negeri Banyuwangi, Politeknik Negeri Semarang and PSDKU Politeknik Negeri Malang in Kediri City.
“We were impressed by the enthusiasm of the participants who diligently participated in this training and were able to do the teaching practice at the end of the training well,” Harumi said. To join the training, participants are required to have a minimum English proficiency level of B1.
Yanuar Mahfudz Safarudin, a participant from Politeknik Negeri Semarang, said, “In the implementation of EMI, I was provided with training from the strategy of delivering material (pedagogy) and tips on delivering material in English both in theory and micro teaching practice. Although in my study program there are no international classes that use English, but this EMI training can be practiced at international conferences, when there are guests from other countries, and later when I study for PhD abroad, “he said.
He added, “This EMI training also gave me the enthusiasm to start creating educational/learning content in English on my YouTube channel El-Mahfudz. I hope that in the future there will be international classes in my study program, so that I can practice EMI more often in learning.”
According to Risya Zahrotul Firdaus, a lecturer at Politeknik Negeri Jakarta, the training provided a lot of useful information, along with implementation strategies. In addition, participants were able to practice using the EMI strategy first-hand. He hopes that capacity building for lecturers such as at polytechnics can continue with more participants and spread across various cities in Indonesia.
