Humaniora Launches TVA Episode 1, Strengthening English Teacher Competence in Indonesia

HUMANIORA – (01/08/2024) The Teacher Virtual Academy (TVA) program officially commenced on July 31, with the theme "Current Issues in English Language Teaching: Facilitating Best Practices for Language Learning." This training is conducted online through the Humanities E-Learning Oasis (HELO) platform and is attended by English teachers from elementary to secondary levels across various regions in Indonesia.

The first episode of this program featured linguistic expert and Faculty of Humanities lecturer, Miftahul Huda, as the speaker, presenting the topic "From EFL to ELF: Implications for Teacher Education." This topic is highly relevant for English teachers, discussing the paradigm shift in language teaching in line with the development of globalization.

On this occasion, the Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics and Literature at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, explained that in the context of globalization, understanding English as a lingua franca (ELF) is crucial.

"English is no longer learned solely as a foreign language (English as a Foreign Language or EFL) focusing on native speaker norms, but also as a lingua franca (English as a Lingua Franca or ELF)," he said.

According to him, ELF is used by non-native speakers from various cultural backgrounds as an international communication language. He believes this allows English teachers to develop more inclusive and relevant teaching approaches, helping students communicate effectively in various multicultural situations.

Furthermore, Mifta emphasized that understanding the role of ELF allows teachers to develop more inclusive and relevant teaching approaches. This, he believes, is essential in helping students master effective communication skills in various multicultural situations and enhance cross-cultural understanding.

"Understanding the role of ELF means we must be more flexible and adaptive, prioritizing students' ability to communicate cross-culturally rather than emphasizing grammatical accuracy like native speakers."

At the end of his presentation, Mifta stressed that in ELF teaching, flexibility and adaptability are key. Teachers must be able to adjust their teaching methods to meet the needs of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

"Globalization demands us to better understand and appreciate linguistic and cultural diversity. Through ELF teaching, we can prepare students to interact more effectively in the global community, appreciate differences, and bridge communication gaps," he concluded.

The HELO platform used in the TVA program is designed to meet the needs of remote learning in the digital era. HELO provides open access for participants to explore various humanities disciplines. Through a diverse curriculum, this program not only offers a deep understanding of language, literature, arts, and culture but also encourages the development of critical and analytical skills. HELO serves as a source of information as well as an interactive learning oasis.

With the Teacher Virtual Academy program, English teachers are expected to continually enhance their competencies, stay updated with the latest developments in education, and provide the best teaching for their students. This program reflects the Faculty of Humanities' commitment to improving the quality of education in Indonesia, preparing the younger generation to face global challenges with confidence and adequate skills. [al]