On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, English Literature Study Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga (SuKa) accompanied Mr. Rick Rosenberg and Mr. Catur Wahyudi from the RELO - U.S. Embassy team on a visit to Madrasah Aliyah (MA)/Islamic High School Diponegoro Yogyakarta, as part of the implementation of the ELTT (English Language Teacher Training) Program.

ELTT is a program organized by RELO - U.S. Embassy, and World Learning in collaboration with various institutions in different regions of Indonesia, including the English Literature Study Program of UIN SuKa, Yogyakarta. The English Literature Study Program facilitates ELTT trainers who are responsible for providing training to teachers in Madrasahs and Islamic boarding schools at MA Diponegoro. This program began on August 9, 2022, and will end on December 19, 2022.

Mr. Rick Rosenberg and Mr. Catur Wahyudi, as representatives of the RELO team, wanted to observe first-hand the learning process at MA Diponegoro, where English is used as the language of instruction and daily communication. The visit was warmly welcomed by the teachers and students. Ulyati Retno Sari, M. Hum, the Chair of the English Literature Department at UIN SuKa, accompanied the RELO team along with the trainer team, consisting of Dr. Witriani, Dr. Danial Hidayatullah, Dwi Margo Yuwono, M.Hum, and Anisah Durrotul Fajri, M.A.

The visit began with a warm welcome from the supervisor of Pondok Pesantren Pangeran Diponegoro, Drs. KH. Muhammad Syakir Ali, M.Si. On this occasion, he expressed gratitude for the visit from the RELO team and expressed his hope that MA Diponegoro Yogyakarta would eventually become an internationally recognized school. After the welcoming ceremony, the RELO - U.S. Embassy team and the English Literature Study Program trainer team from UIN SuKa proceeded to the classrooms of MA Diponegoro to directly observe the teaching and learning activities using the methods taught in the ELTT program.

The next event was a meeting between the RELO team, ELTT trainers, and the ELTT participants, namely the teachers of MA Diponegoro. On this occasion, Mr. Rick Rosenberg delivered a brief lecture and shared and explained various teaching materials that can be used by teachers and trainers. He emphasized that the most important aspect of teaching is to make the classroom engaging and interactive.

The English Literature Study Program of UIN SuKa hopes for the smooth implementation of the ELTT program, and with the direct visit from the RELO team, it will boost the morale of both the trainers and participants of ELTT, while also strengthening the collaboration between the English Literature Study Program of UIN SuKa and RELO - U.S. Embassy, and World Learning. (URS/ADF/HFS)