Borobudur’s Language Revolution

Kompas/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko

Teenagers practice conversing in English at Language Village, Parakan subvillage, Ngargogondo village, Borobudur district, Magelang regency, Central Java, on Nov. 3. The English education center helps locals and students from different regions practice the language.

Language is the window to the world. This proverb is reflected in the journey of the Borobudur Language Village (DBB) in Magelang, Central Java. The village teaches people how to say “hello”, “good morning”, and “thank you”, but more than that, it empowers them with the know-how to be financially independent.

When he was a high school student, Sadad Al Muzuki, 19, was not interested in the English language at all. He often fell asleep during his English class. After studying a year at the DBB, Sadad has become a good teacher of the English language.

“My students are not just children, but also teachers. I have also taught a professorship candidate,” Sadad said at the DBB’s Magelang office on Thursday.

The DBB is an informal education center that focuses on the English language. The language center is located about 4 kilometers southeast of Borobudur temple. Sadad has studied at the language center since 2014, and not only learned to speak English, but also studied Islam and entrepreneurship. After finishing his English studies, Sadad applied to become a teacher at the center and was accepted.

“I began teaching two years ago. But I was officially appointed as a regular teacher only this year,” said Sadad, who also works as a graphic designer at the center.

The DBB was founded by Hani Sutrisna, 43, who lives in Ngargogondo village. Hani had studied English through a number of English courses “The teaching methods that I use are those I picked up while studying, because I don’t have an English language degree,” said Hani, who graduated from the Education and Teaching Institute of PGRI Wates in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta province.

Hani said that she established the DBB in 1998 to teach English so students could learn it easier and faster, and have fun while studying. He teaches the English language to village youths for free, so that they will have the skill for making a living and for a better future.

“Most of the people in the village are farmers. In the dry season, it is very difficult to earn a living, so I suggested that they try studying English,” he said. At first, the villagers opposed the presence of the language center. Now, everyone supports it.

However, in 2007, the course had to be stopped for a number of problems. “I was experiencing a financial problem then, because I could not make enough money from my regular work. A lot of villagers had joined the course, and all for free,” he said.

Revival

The DBB was temporarily closed. After his financial condition improved, Hani reopened the center in 2011. While it was closed, Hani focused on building his business so he would have enough income to reopen his English course. "I don’t want to become a beggar and I don’t want to bother the villagers, either,” he added.

The methods used at the DBB to teach English is different from those at formal educational institutions. Hani, for an example, uses physical movement and songs to make it easier for students to learn English. To study the 16 tenses and verb forms in the English grammar, for example, he uses hand and finger gestures. "We do not use blackboards or any formulas, so that the learning process will be fun. “Basically, The students learn without a lot of thinking,” said Hani, who has written nine books on teaching the English language.

The uniqueness of his teaching method is acknowledged by one of the students, Lutfannisa Afif Nabila, 22. According to Nabila, in the DBB, the vocabulary and sentence patterns are learned by singing songs, so they are easy to memorize. "The song is also accompanied with a simple dance that sparks the spirit of learning. That method is not found at schools," she said.

During the class, Nabila said, the students had to speak only English. They also played a variety of games to keep the class interactive, for example by painting the cheeks of students who spoke the local dialect or Indonesian. With this method, learning and teaching are fun, making the students more enthusiastic to learn the English language.

Empowerment

The DBB, which now has eight teachers, has also opened a number of English-language courses to the general public. One of them is a six-day tourism program.

In the program, the students are taken on a tour around the Ngargogondo Village while they learn English at the same time. "We offer a village tour, rafting, craft-making, and visit Borobudur Temple," said Hani.

For more intensive learning, the DBB offers a 10-day English conversation program. There are also longer learning programs from a month to a year.

"Students come from different backgrounds, such as high school and university students, lecturers, police, and even soldiers. Their goals are also different. For example, the lecturers want to study abroad, but they are not fluent in English," said Hani.

Interestingly, the DBB is not just for education, but also about empowering the villagers. Through its programs, the DBB helps boost the Ngargogondo economy because the students, who often come from beyond the village, usually stay at the villagers’ homes.

On the other hand, learning to speak English has also helped raise the standard of living for some of its students who come from poor families. Every year, 2,000-2,500 people study at the DBB. Some graduates have become English teachers at schools in Magelang.

In addition to opening a public program, Hani also provides free English education programs, especially for those who cannot afford it. Some time ago, he gave a free English class to tour guides in Magelang so that they could better serve the foreign tourists who came to visit Borobudur Temple.

The program was organized to support the government\'s inclusion of Borobudur as one of the "10 New Balis".

Through the DBB, the tour guides can improve their technical capacity and improve their professionalism in serving foreign tourists.

The DBB has not only revolutionized the teaching of English, but has also encouraged the villagers to carry out a "revolution" through language.