Ukrida Language Training Center: ULTC Profile

OVERVIEW

Krida Wacana Christian University (UKRIDA) recognizes the importance of mastering foreign language skills, particularly English skills to empower its students to compete in the ever-growing global economy. The current job market demands require us to posses not only competencies and skills in our fields of study, but also fluency in English either in the academic or professional settings. UKRIDA committed itself to assist its students in developing their English skills by establishing the UKRIDA Language Training Center (ULTC) in September 2009.

ULTC is an interfaculty organization whose main task is to provide high quality language education to UKRIDA’s students and the public in general. This is done by employing current worldwide best practices to maximize student achievement. In addition to English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish are among other languages also taught at the ULTC. Other services like translations and editing services are also offered by the center. ULTC takes pride in fostering cross-cultural understanding and exchanges between Indonesia and foreign countries.

VISION

UKRIDA Language Training Centre strives to be a learning centre that excels in language education and services in order to provide students and the community with superior skills and opportunities to compete in the global market.

MISSION

UKRIDA Language Training Centre is dedicated to offering students with quality language training for academic, professional, or personal purposes and to promoting cross cultural understanding and an exchange between Indonesia and other countries in an atmosphere conducive to learning.

PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE

Learning a second language can be challenging for most language learners; not only do they have to tackle the obstacle in understanding the target language, but also breakdown the difficulty in using the language. “Mastering a second language means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries and links us to the world around” (Sandra Savignon). In view of its motto: “You learn to conquer @ ULTC”, ULTC commits itself to assist its students overcome barriers and difficulties in learning a second language and connect them to the world.

ULTC believes that learning and fun are not mutually exclusive. The center tries to make learning language as much fun as possible. Learning is lively and engaging for students since the instructions are given in a positive and caring environment where students find their entertainment in learning new ideas and developing new skills and competencies.

INSTRUCTION METHODS AND CLASS SIZE

Our small classes provide an intensive and immersive learning atmosphere conducive for foreign language acquisition. The courses are designed to meet the students’ needs by implementing current best practices in language teaching.

Periodic events and programs pertaining to language learning are included as part of instruction such as movie watching, music, contest, field trips, etc. Expert guest speakers are invited to the class to enrich the students with either cross cultural or content knowledge. Options of class size include:

1. Regular class (maximum 16 participants)

2. Executive class (maximum 10 participants)

3. Small group (maximum 5 participants)

4. Private class (1 participant only)

PROGRAMS & SERVICES

ENGLISH PROGRAMS:

1. GENERAL ENGLISH COURSES

a. General English Course

The General English Course is designed and intended for adult learners. English is now the world’s principal means of international communication and is not limited to any one country, region or culture. This course covers speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, including grammar and vocabulary. The main emphasis of this course is to teach students practical everyday English communication to build up their vocabulary and help them develop fluency and confidence in their usage of the English language.

b. Communicative English Course

General English is designed by using a communicative- student centered approach to ensure a stimulating classroom environment and to provide students with the opportunity to receive additional instruction in areas of particular interest to them.

c. Grammar Enhancement

This course is designed to facilitate students in learning and improve grammatical accuracy by increasing the students’ knowledge of English Grammar before taking other courses such Academic Writing.

2. English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

a. Academic Writing

By taking this course students will be equipped gradually with the knowledge and skills needed to compose good sentences, paragraphs, and essays. Students will be introduced to the basics of academic writing, then they will learn about different types of academic paragraphs, and finally they will be exposed to the methodology of writing different types of essay.

b. Academic Reading

Students taking this course are exposed to different pieces of text to derive meaning and understanding what they read. They are taught how to find important information within text; information such us main idea, author’s purpose etc.

c. Research Paper Writing

This course teaches students to research information from books, electronic data bases, journals etc. to construct well written essays. Moreover, the course teachers how to properly give credit to the sources used.

d. Statistics for Language Research

This course is suitable for pre- and post-experience language education professionals. The course aims to introduce a range and variety of instruments available to language education researchers for collection, management and analysis of data, also interpretation and reporting of findings, and their critical evaluation.

3. English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)

a. Communicative English for Hotel Staff/ Hotel Professionals

The course is designed to meet today’s communication business in the hotel and tourist industries. It will cover the language commonly used in connection with hotel facilities, hotel activities, and hotel clientele and personnel. Participants will develop confidence and fluency in English when interacting with customers and develop a practical understanding of working in tourism and hospitality.

b. Communicative English for Nurses and Medicine Professionals

Communicative English for Nurse or Medicine Professionals is designed to help nurses, doctors, pharmacists, paramedics, receptionists, specialists in dealing with patients who speak different languages. It will cover some basics English expressions and vocabulary related to the medical field. The participants will be able to make the patients feel more comfortable, and have a better understanding of their needs. Moreover, the participants will also learn how to talk to their loved ones and communicate with other medical staffs who speak English.

c. Communicative English for Banking

Communicative English for Banking is designed to meet bank’s wishes to offer international service. It will cover English daily transactions since banking is a meticulous service that has no room for errors, especially errors attributed to simple misunderstandings in English. Moreover, the main purpose of this course is to help banking professionals to become effective English communicators. This engaging and task-based course has been designed with the specific aim of making the modern banker an effective communicator in English. It focuses on developing banking staff’s English language skills for meetings, presentations and negotiations within the context of the banking sector.

d. Communicative English for Teachers

Communicative English for English teachers is designed for teachers of the English Language. The course does not intend to teach English to English teachers; rather, it exposes English teachers to effective methods of teaching English to students.

e. Communicative English for Education Professionals

Communicative English for Education Professionals (CEEP) is designed for school principals, vice principals, or other education-related professionals who need to improve their English communication skills for international communication purposes. The course reflects the fact that English is the world’s major language of international communication and is not limited to any one country, region or culture. The course will cover the concepts of English for professions. It will greatly improve the students’ ability to communicate in English in a wide range of professional situations and will enhance their knowledge on the use of English as an international language. The course will also provide a chance for the students to connect what they already know from their own daily experience as professionals with the experiences of English speaking teachers. Joining the course will eventually increase the students’ fluency and confidence in using English and in time, improve their career prospects.

* The course can be adjusted pursuant to clients’ needs.

4. English for Business Purposes (EBP)

a. General Business English

This course offers great opportunities for students, secretaries, as well as business professionals who wish to upgrade their communicative skills within the business context.

b. Communicative English for Business Professionals

Communicative English for Business Professionals is set up to help students improve their English speaking skills used in the business world. English for Business is aimed to improve students’ ability to communicate and to write in English in a wide range of business situations and to enlarge their knowledge of the business world. The students will have the opportunity to connect what they have studied in their daily experiences, either as a student or as a professional working in business. The skills learned are useful for those preparing to start work and for those already working. Upon completion of the courses, the students will become more fluent and confident in using business language and will likely increase their career prospects.

c. English for Business Report Writing

English for Business Report Writing is designed to equip business professionals who are in charge of making business reports. The course focuses in the effective writing of reports such as memos, letters and other forms of business communication in formally accepted standards of writing.

d. English for Business Correspondence

This course is designed to help business professionals handling any business correspondence activities.

e. English for Business Presentation Skills

This course is designed to help business professionals in making business presentation to effectively prepare and present ideas to a wider audience. Students are taught special skills in planning, organizing, and showing papers in formal presentations. This course provides students what they need to have good public-speaking skills and the ability to handle questions effectively and to exploit visual aids wisely.

5. English Proficiency Test and English Proficiency Test Preparation (EPT & EPTP)

a. EPT

English Proficiency Test (EPT) is two types of English proficiency test similar to TOEFL® and TOEIC® are offered to measure students’ proficiency levels in English. TOEFL® like test assesses how well students read, listen, and write in English in an academic setting, while TOEIC® like evaluates the student English proficiency for practical and daily application such as communication, workplace, and travel.

b. EPTP

The English Proficiency Test Preparation (EPTP) course is a three-level preparatory program that focuses on linguistic and academic skills necessary not only for the English proficiency tests but also academic and professional success. The TOEFL® Paper-based Test (PBT) consists of three sections. They are listening comprehension, structure and written expression, and reading comprehension. The TOEIC® focuses on reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary development. It evaluates the students’ English proficiency for practical and daily applications such as communication, workplace, and travel. The EPTP course will provide students with intensive training so that they can achieve high scores or improve their scores. It is offered to intermediate and advanced level students.

OTHER LANGUAGE PROGRAMS & SERVICES:

1. Indonesian Course

This course aims at teaching Indonesian language to expatriates seeking an effective language learning method. This course facilitates non-native speakers in communicating actively in formal Indonesian, both written and spoken, as well as understanding the Indonesian culture.

2. Mandarin Course

Mandarin course is designed for the beginners who learn Chinese as a foreign language. This interesting and practical course will be supported by systematic materials that help learners to deal with their daily conversation needs.

3. Japanese Course

This program is aimed at building the participants ability in daily conversation. The common topics in everyday life as well as the grammar and pronunciation changes will be delivered to the participants in order to make a fluent, appropriate and meaningful speaking.

4. Spanish Course

This Spanish course is designed with the objective to teach students basic Spanish communication skills that can be used when traveling to Spanish speaking country, or when dealing with Spanish speakers in Indonesia. Spanish is on of the three official languages of the United Nations, after English and French. This gives this language a greater significance. Also, there are many Spanish speaking countries with whom Indonesia does business with. Adding this language skill to one’s language abilities can significantly increase one’s marketability.

5. Translation and proofreading service include:

English to Indonesian and Indonesian to English

6. Workshops

Include teacher training and textbooks and popular books writing

7. Internship Program

Internship Program provides supervised, practical training experiences for students such as support staff and tutors at UKRIDA LTC.

8. Community Outreach

Community outreach program gives opportunities for the students to apply the knowledge and skills they gain in the classroom. UKRIDA LTC encourages its students to become responsible citizens by making significant contributions for the development of their community.

9. English Club

UKRIDA LTC English club aims to provide an opportunity for the students and faculty members to improve their English skills through fun learning activities such as art, movies, music, cooking, etc.