Teaching English is one of the programs that Goducate runs in Indonesia, where students learn the language in school, but have little practice in oral English and are thus not confident in speaking the language. For children, Goducate uses Sing Your English, teaching the language largely through song. For adults, Goducate started an informal English conversational program in Medan called English Corner, during which students were encouraged to chat freely.
In 2014, we changed the name of the program to E-Talk. As with the English Corner, the aim is to make learning English enjoyable and effective, but activities have been introduced. In E-Talk, English is learnt through singing, playing games, watching movies, acting, cooking, and taking part in activities such as arts, crafts, and sports. It is a flexible program that can be modified to suit type of student. We have used it to teach various groups of learners, such as people in orphanages, schools, businesses and other organizations. The motto is: more mistakes, more learning, more fun!
Another feature of E-Talk is a segment called “Life Talk”. Here time is allotted for facilitators to talk to the students on a personal level, to get to know and understand them better. “E-Talk, especially Life Talk, makes me feel like I am not in a class but there is a sense of being part of a family when we are divided into small groups and talk about life. I am always looking forward every week to attend the sessions because I can freely express what I want to say in Life Talk. The facilitator is not really like a teacher but a brother to all of us. E-Talk is not an English course but a family, a community,” says Miss Desi Naibaho,a marketing manager for a Sushi Restaurant.
Yet another comment came from Dr. Vince Ratnawati, a professor at the University of Riau. He said, “The teaching method is different from all the English courses I have attended. It is a fun-filled method that I even applied with my university students. At the end of each session, I expect our team, Blue Team, to win and have candies from our facilitator, hahaha! I realized, competition is a fun approach in learning.”
E-Talk is being enjoyed in Batam, Pekanbaru, Jakarta, Bandung, and Medan and we hope to expand. “The sessions are unique and fun,” says Mr. Kun Lun, a banker, “I even encourage my subordinates to join.”
*Our guest writer is Cindy Presquito, an E-Talk facilitator
