Language Center of UIN Malang Sends 27 Participants to Gontor: Exploring Best Practices in Language Learning

Ponorogo (01/06/2024) – Twenty-seven participants from the Arabic and English language proficiency training program visited Universitas Islam Darussalam (UNIDA) Gontor as part of an academic excursion. Before this visit, the participants completed three months of training at the Language Center of UIN Malang. These participants, recipients of the Pesantren Endowment Fund Scholarship in collaboration with the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP), plan to pursue master’s and doctoral studies abroad. The training program itself lasts for six months.

The visit to UNIDA Gontor aimed to break the monotony of campus-based language learning. Participants were invited to observe the practical application of foreign languages at Gontor, known for mandating the use of Arabic and English in its teaching and learning processes. This activity also provided an opportunity for participants to apply the knowledge they had gained, particularly in foreign language communication.

Ahmad Saifullah, Ph.D., Head of the Language Center at UNIDA Gontor, welcomed the initiative. “Many of our lecturers, including myself, are alumni of UIN Malang,” said the Islamic Education lecturer who earned his doctoral degree from the University of Sydney. Participants were given the chance to practice their foreign language communication skills under the guidance of language experts from Gontor. For English, they were accompanied by Ahmad Saifullah, Ph.D., and for Arabic, they were guided by Dr. Moh. Ismail, M.Pd.

After three hours of interactive language practice sessions, the group observed the use of Arabic and English at the Darussalam Gontor Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo. There, participants saw how students, from elementary to high school levels, are required to communicate in Arabic and English in their daily activities.