October in the United States is often marked by cooler temperatures and pumpkins. Autumn in Indonesia looked a bit different than what our 2019-20 cohort of Fulbright ETAs is accustomed to. In this batch of the Highlights, you’ll find ETAs introducing their host communities to the seasonal tradition of Halloween as well as participating in the Indonesian school tradition of Bulan Bahasa. The ETAs also share some of their most successful activities to create engaging, student-centered classrooms. Click through the following links for specific stories!
Many thanks to the ETAs for their wonderful stories and photos.
Be sure to read next month’s newsletter!
AMINEF American Program and Communications Teams
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Please share with us your favorite stories: which stories struck you as interesting, which teaching method is the most fun or you’d like to apply, or which activity you’d like to hear more. Email us at socmedia@aminef.or.id and we’ll post your feedback in the next newsletter and you may win a special thank-you gift from us.
What Our Readers Say
Thank you to Kristy Jackson who emailed after reading ETA Angela Zhu’s article “Love is all you need” in the September 2019 Monthly Highlights.
I was researching usage of the song, “Little Did She Know” and found your site. I am so honored that you chose to use my song in your program. As a songwriter, you hope to have one of your songs have an impact on the world however it has been a bittersweet journey to be associated with the tragedy and enormity of 9/11. I wrote this song as a way to grieve myself never knowing it would travel the world.
Thank you again for embracing it.
Kristy Jackson
Songwriter & Performer
www.kristyjackson.com
OSIS Competition
On October 24, SMA Negeri 2 Bukittinggi hosted a series of competitions. The events included: debate, speech, Japanese language, student films, anime drawing and many more. They also had food vendors and a stall where people could try on Japanese Yukata. ETA Jillian Castoro was honored to be a judge in the English Speech competition… Read More.
Cross-Cultural Halloween Celebration!
ETA Natasha Anis was so excited when she started getting questions from her community about Halloween in October. Halloween was always one of her favorite holidays back in the US, and she still had lots of candy to pass out to students! Wanting the celebration to reach as many students as possible, across both Campus.. Read More.
BLESS-ed to Celebrate Bulan Bahasa
Each year, SMAN 1 Temanggung holds a language competition called BLESS. Students spend months preparing their class and individual performances for the storytelling, karaoke, musical performance, drama, and speech categories. English isn’t the only language celebrated during this competition—Indonesian, German, and Japanese classes also participate! This year, ETA Emma Muth had the opportunity to judge.. Read More.
Telephone, Telephone!
Over the past few weeks, students at SMK Muhammadiyah 7 in Gondanglegi, East Java, have been focusing on the differences between direct and reported speech. When students have English class first thing in the morning, like X MM 1 (pictured), they typically are still easing into their day and find it difficult to get motivated.. Read More.
“Your face is cute, and I like it.”
The tenth graders at SMAN 2 Sangatta Utara turned on the praises for their lesson on compliments — part of a greater lesson that included congratulations. After learning some of the many ways to give compliments such as, “I like your…“ and “Your _____ is ______,” ETA Janika Berridge and co-teacher Mr. Hasrul led students.. Read More.
Halloween Brings New English Club Members
Anticipation for a Halloween-themed English Club brought the highest amount of students to date. ETA Nathan Danielson explained the history of the holiday from its Celtic roots to All Saint’s Day to the commercial version that many people in the United States celebrate today. Nathan opened the club with the classic short, Donald Duck’s “Trick.. Read More.
Happy Halloween, Teacher Edition
The students are not the only ones eager to learn English at SMA N 1 Sangatta Utara. The teachers also love to practice their English with ETA Lucy Srour. Teachers are eager to speak English with Lucy in the teachers room, so she started an English Teachers Club. This way the teachers also have a.. Read More.
Exciting English Clubs
October is a month filled with ups and downs and previous ETAs have considered this month to be the most challenging during their experience. ETA Kush Mansuria also found October to be a rollercoaster, but with many positive moments for himself and his school. One of Kush’s favorite classroom lessons this month was focused on.. Read More.
Hispanic Heritage Month: Read All About It
ETA Emilie Tomas and co-teachers Pak Rinto Tampubolon and Ibu Rohana Gultom were excited to find ways to discuss Hispanic Heritage Month in the classroom. They found the perfect opportunity when the 11th-grade class studied reported speech. Emilie gathered Youtube videos and online articles on the theme and transposed them into five interviews. They covered.. Read More.
Creating Student-Centered Classrooms and Celebrating Courageous Teachers
ETA Joseph “Joe” Janik Miller organized a teacher training on Saturday, October 26 at SMA Negeri 1 Padangsidimpuan. The school hosted English teachers to discuss and practice “Creating Student-Centered Classrooms” with the Regional English Language Office’s English Language Fellow Rosetta Buick. The Head of the Ministry of Education and Culture for the City of Padangsidimpuan.. Read More.
