Deep Inside of English

“Students, we will have a great project for this semester” said my speaking lecturer to the
whole students at class. Inevitably, questions like “What it would be?” “How would we do it?”
“Why we did it? come across my pure-innocent mind as an “only” freshman who is in English
education study program. Even though I was called as an English student, I still had to get used
to with “English” environment such as listening to lecturers explaining materials using in
English quickly, reading books with full English text, writing on my notebook in English, and
most unusual thing is speaking to each other using a language I am studying in. Those must be
indeed challenging in learning one of foreign languages for me. Moreover, what I did not realize
was that there was one more priceless value instead of learning four aspects in English only.

The beginning of realizing there would be a priceless value

Since I like learning English either at school or independently on the internet, I was really
excited to fulfill every single new day as a college student to keep in touch with fresh lessons of
the number one International language. At the time I enrolled to this University, I was truly
motivated to learn English more because this subject has been becoming my favorite since I have
been in junior high school. Even though I never imagined that I would be in English Education
Study Program and I had to master every single aspect of English itself. I loved to learn things I
did not know about English, gain new vocabulary, acquire everything more that relates to
English until I was realized that the way I have been learning English such as reading English
books, doing quizzes, playing games about English vocabulary, getting a good score on English
midterm tests and exams was the same with I was at school. This made me felt that there would
not be an improvement for my English until I was introduced the deep meaning in learning
English.

Background of the priceless value

As a freshman, it was still quite hard to adapt with many new things as I found uneasy to
move on from impressive memories at high school. At that time, I totally agreed with a proverb
“High School Period is a golden phase in your life” until I was unconscious that I have been in
an enormous University in this Equator Earth. Nevertheless, I would not let the proverb dominate
my mind to always live in the past. That was why I was woken up from my past to try to start
making an improvement either myself or my language skill to mingle with people with various
places, different backgrounds and new characteristics here. Otherwise, by having no friends in
new surroundings will never improve myself and change the old me to be better. Thus,
friendship was something I had to have and essential to make my brand new days felt more
valuable and meaningful for me.

The thing was, I used to be shy to start making friends with my classmate until one
project from one of my lecturer already changed my perception of either English or myself. The
project was about how we learned English expressions towards certain situations that we had to
create into a short movie. At the first time my classmates and I heard about it, some were gasping
and some were happy. My team and I were in the second feeling. We were really excited to make
the project even though it was assigned in Ramadan, the month of fasting for whole Muslims in
the world. Regardless from it, our spirit was bigger than our hunger and thirst.

Additionally, when the project was assigned, my team and I were not so close like today
and it also became a challenge for each of us to get to know one to another deeper. My team and
I consisted of five members. Each of us have so many differences. We are from different regions
such as one is from Pontianak, my two members are from Kapuas Hulu, the rest is from
Ambawang River and I am from Sambas. We are also from different background such as some
members are wealthy, the rests are unpretentious. We are not from the same race. Most of us are
Malay and the rest is from Dayaknese. Even, the religion of our members are not the same. There
is one member who is Christ and he was alright with that. The differences are not stuck with it.
Reasons why we entered this faculty were miscellaneous. Some had innate feeling to study
English, some were forced by their family, and some love English but they did not have interest
in teaching English. Regardless from those differences, we had one aim that is to fight for our S1
degree that is why we tried our best doing that primary project. My friends and I did not only
learn new things related to English but because of those differences we learned more on how to
make a good relationship with surroundings in English.
Process of gaining the priceless value in Learning English

The project was covering into a short movie with these following themes such as showing
English expressions towards certain situations, drilling each personality, and even knowing one
by one’s culture. In the showing English expressions, my team and I were demanded to present
various situations in which indirectly taught us how to establish a good friendship even in a bad
condition such as how to overcome friends’ problems, how to entertain one of our friend when
they feel sad, unmotivated, and even lost something. Also, we learned how to express our
feelings towards situations we face and how to respond to it too. By doing those scenes, we knew
more about how to communicate with people kindly and properly in English. Meanwhile, in
drilling one’s personality, we had English conversations with each other talking about what kind
of people we were, what kind of food we like, how we overcome what type of person when we
study English, how we learn English with fun ways, and why we want to study English. By
having various answers, we did not only understand our member’s personality personally but
also learn how to convey what we want to talk about personality clearly and properly in English.
Lastly, we were asked to ask about each culture from our different region. We had to explain
whether our neighborhood was in traditional style or modern, what kind of customs each of us
had, what habits we usually do until now that rare to others, even what trends our surroundings
had. The last talk was really deep until we finally knew and gained new knowledge about
cultures each region in one province. Those themes taught us to open our mind wider to accept
and respect the differences we had.

Reflection of what I have learned

Ultimately, I learned a lot about understanding surroundings in English field that is the
social context instead of learning English only for me. The project taught me how to build a good
relationship with people around even using English, how to convey our thoughts and feelings
properly based on English, how to treat each of us kindly, how we try to fix problems together,
and how we keep a good friendship since there must be problems and obstacles within doing the
project. The deep meaning instead of learning four English skills is knowing that far from
learning vocabulary, grammar, and any other aspects of English there is something that I had to
master in that is, the relationship between language and society is really close. That is why
having a good English skills and applying it to people around directly will help me understand
deeper either the society around me or aspects of English itself at once even it is a foreign
language that I never get used to before.
 ONE ADDITIONAL ASPECT OF ENGLISH I JUST
KNEW SINCE I LEARNED AT UNIVERSITY.

Drilling each
Showing personality
English
expressions
UNDER-
Knowing one by
STANDING
one’s culture
SOCIAL
CONTEXT

LISTENING SPEAKING

ENGLISH

WRITING READING

FOUR ENGLISH ASPECTS I HAVE KNOWN DURING LEARNING

ENGLISH AT SCHOOL.