Ukrida Language Training Center

Thursday, August 25, 2011

RSVP Invitation

By Ira Rasikawati

Etiquette helps us to maintain good relations with other people. No matter what our professions and social status are, our manners have a direct impact on our success. Although etiquette may vary depending on the region we live as the old saying suggests: ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ International etiquette has played a significant role in promoting our social and professional success in today’s global society. We definitely should avoid making other people feel disrespected especially because of a lack of etiquette. One of the most common mistakes we make related to etiquette has to do with RSVP invitation.

I believe many of us often receive RSVP invitations. However we usually not only forget to respond appropriately, but also fail to notice this sign. One instance, there was one time when we (ULTC) send RSVP invitations; very few guests confirmed their attendance by the specified date. When we initiated to contact the guests, the responses we received were interestingly varied such as, ‘We are not sure yet but please provide seats for us’, ‘Why do you rush for a response?’ ‘Can we just show up if we can come on that day?’ At the beginning, it was a little surprising for us to have such responses to a very common invitation practice such as RSVP. We initially thought that those responses indicated either rudeness or ignorance. However we finally decided to think more positively that most of our guests were clueless about the RSVP term and etiquette. What is RSVP, why it is important, and how to respond to an RSVP invitation, are among topics to unveil to those in the dark.

RSVP is the abbreviation of a French phrase, 'répondez s'il vous plaît' which literally means ‘respond if you please’. Cambridge Dictionary defines RSVP as a word ‘used at the end of a written invitation to mean 'please answer.' Although the tradition originated in France, it has been widely accepted as international custom today.

Being unaccustomed to RSVP practice, we sometimes consider it unnecessary to respond if we do not plan to come to the event. Why is it deemed to be necessary to reply promptly if we receive an RSVP invitation? Responding to an RSVP invitation is a basic courtesy which shows our respect to someone who thoughtfully invites us. The host will consider us ignorant or disrespectful if we do not reply to their RSVP invitation. On the other hand, our response will help the host to measure the number of guests coming, the quantity of foods to provide, the room size to accommodate the guests, the sitting arrangement, etc.

When we receive an invitation, it is advised to always check if RSVP is required. If we find RSVP written on the invitation, we must tell the host whether or not we plan to come. There are certain ethics to follow in responding to RSVP invitations. Before we respond, it is important that we check our schedule. Once we have decided, we need to respond by filling out the card provided. The response card usually indicates the options of “accepts” or “regrets”. We can use the response card to mail back our reply. If there is no card or paper provided, we may simply write a brief message saying that “(our name) accepts with pleasure the kind invitation of (name of host) for (date)”. If we are unable to come, the message should say that “(our name) regrets that he/she is unable to attend”.

Some other invitations provide the host’s telephone number for us to call with our confirmation. Nowadays it is also possible to respond by sending emails. If the invitation comes with a “regrets only” option, it means the host expects us to inform only if we cannot attend the invitation. We do not need to explain the reasons for being unable to attend.

All type of responses must be done within three days after receiving the invitation or by the date specified in the letter. It is considered impolite not to show up at the last minute after we confirmed our attendance. If there are some real emergency, we need to inform the host of any last minute changes.

Although responding to an RSVP invitation is not a legal obligation, our RSVP demonstrates our best manners and intentions which will assist us in gaining social acceptance and success.

Glossary:

manner(noun): polite ways of treating other people and behaving in public

obligation (noun): something that you must do

promptly (adverb): quickly, without delay, or at the arranged time

References:

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 3^rd Ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pilato, Dona. “The Meaning of R.S.V.P.” About.com.Guide. http://entertaining.about.com/cs/etiquette/ qt/tip122500.htm

“RSVP Meaning: What Does RSVP Mean?” Buzzle.com. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/rsvp-meaning-what-does-rsvp-mean.html

(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 64 - Year VIII, February-March 2010)

Available on http://www.ukrida.ac.id/index.php?/ukrida-newsletter.html

Learning Vocabulary

By Ira Rasikawati

Learning vocabulary is central to second language learning as many believe that learning words is the main task in learning a target language (Carter and Nunan 2001: 47). I personally believe that mastering a wide range of vocabulary in the early stage of second language learning will accelerate the second language acquisition in general. I would like to describe how my vocabulary building skills evolve through different stages of English learning experience which range from my first encounter with English learning to the present time.

My first encounter with learning English as a foreign language took place in junior high school. I remember a large amount of time was dedicated to learning English grammar and usage. I learned to use a new vocabulary to understand sentences and do grammar exercises. However I often experienced difficulties applying the new vocabulary to build my own sentences. I associate this situation to Sinclair’s theory that many of the new words are not meaningful yet to a learner since the learning focus was on the patterns of words or grammars not on the words and their relations with other words (Carter and Nunan 2001: 45). I cannot recall any particular method the teacher applied to improve the vocabulary acquisition other than memorization; however I find it true what Ellis states in his implicit-learning hypothesis that learners often acquire vocabulary by unconscious means (Carter and Nunan 2001: 44). I have noticed that somehow I managed to acquire a great deal of receptive vocabulary in my junior high school period which became the foundation to the next stage of my vocabulary learning.

I acquired a wider range of vocabulary when I started my undergraduate study in English Literature. I was overwhelmed by a massive amount of new vocabulary in this period. I could not understand many literary texts due to the limited vocabulary I had. Therefore I developed the habit of checking the meaning of every new word in a reading text from the dictionary, which became the most important tool for me to learn new words. I also created a diary to record the new words I learned. I found the diary easy to carry everywhere I go. This strategy helped me develop better reading comprehension but my reading speed suffered as a result. There were too many new vocabularies to look up which took me a long time to finish reading a text. This situation led me to apply a different strategy which was finding the meaning of words with reference to the context. This strategy helped me to read faster and understand the main idea of a text; however it had a little influence in enhancing my productive vocabulary intake, the intake of words that I use when I speak or write.

It became easier for me to retain and recall new vocabulary when I practiced using more new words in writing. In the last period of my undergraduate study I was required to write more research papers which forced me to apply more complex vocabulary in writing. The process of writing became longer as it took more than just finding the right word which conveyed the meaning. For instance I needed to look up to thesaurus to avoid repetitions and check the collocations to make sure the words were combined naturally. The long process of finding and using new vocabularies I underwent in writing assisted me to retain more vocabularies in my long term memory and recall them when I needed to use them again. Craik and Lockhart concluded that the more processes involved in the learning the more superior the retention and recall (Carter and Nunan 2001: 45)

The development of technologies today has made it possible for us to have electronic dictionaries. My electronic dictionary (e-dictionary) in the form of a handy computer consists of integrated reference materials. I find this kind of dictionary very convenient as I can carry it in my bag and pull it out whenever I need to consult the meanings of words. It has replaced the bulky hardcopy dictionary that I used to have. An advanced e-dictionary may consist of multiple internal dictionaries which include advanced learners’ dictionary, thesaurus, collocations, colloquial English, and encyclopedia. The most significant feature of this type of dictionary is its ‘jump’ feature which allows quick navigation between dictionaries to do cross reference. During my stay in Japan, I found that Japanese students had a good habit of carrying e-dictionaries to school. Particularly in international class, Japanese students considered e-dictionary the most convenient vocabulary assistance. They were very keen on looking up from their e-dictionaries when they had difficulty expressing themselves both in writing or speaking. Having e-dictionary available has reduced the time I need to search for definitions and the assistance I need from the instructor in a class. I find having an advanced learners’ e-dictionary very useful and convenient to facilitate vocabulary learning.

I concluded that in the early stage of my vocabulary learning experience I relied heavily on the memorization strategy. As I developed a wider range of vocabulary, I managed to employ different strategies to help me learn new words and acquire new vocabularies. I think in my case I learn new vocabularies best when I apply the new vocabulary in writing. As soon as I feel comfortable using the vocabulary in writing, I also become more confident using the vocabulary in speaking. The use of e-dictionary has provided me with better opportunity and assistance to learn new vocabulary in present days.

Glossary:

intake (n): a term referring to that part of the language to which learners are exposed that actually “goes in” and plays a role in language learning.

language acquisition (n): also language learning, the learning and development of a person’s language.

target language (n): (in language teaching) the language which a person is learning, in contrast to a first language or mother tongue.

receptive vocabulary (n): the total number of words a person understands, either in reading or listening.

Reference:

Carter, R., & Nunan, D. (2001). The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

Richards, Jack C. and Richard Schmidt. (2002). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. 3rd ed. London: Pearson Education Limited.

(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 63 - Year VIII, December 2009-January 2010)

Available on http://www.ukrida.ac.id/index.php?/ukrida-newsletter.html

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Communicative English Course Program in SMPK 2 Penabur Jakarta

Communicative English Course (CEC) Program

By Ignasia Yuyun

UKRIDA Language Training Center offers some programs and services for the public. One of the ongoing programs is Communicative English Course (CEC) for teachers at SMPK 2 BPK PENABUR Jakarta. Since this school applies bilingual teaching to students, Mrs. Sutjiati, the Principal, therefore initiated to take Communicative English Course for non English teachers. This course is a general English course designed for non-English Education professionals. The CEC program is offered once a week, attended by 16 participants. This 30-hour course program 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. In addition, this course covers general English topics that are relevant to participants’ lives, such as school visit, school activities, and class discussion.

CEC program provides its participants with the opportunity to share their opinions and experience actively since the UKRIDA LTC focuses on learner’s activity. In order to broaden the participants’ knowledge, cultural information is also added to provide cross-cultural comparison and discussion. In terms of standard competence, this course enables participants to communicate and use English appropriately in daily communication at education professional working environment. This program is scheduled to end on April 29, 2011.

Student's Performance on Activity Report

(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 71 - Year IX)

Available on http://www.ukrida.ac.id/index.php?/ukrida-newsletter.html

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.