ENHANCING COMMUNICATION BEYOND LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

By

Drs. SYAIFURRAHMAN,

English Teacher of SMA Negeri 4 MALANG

The initials of AFS are derived from American Field Service, founded in 1914 by a group of world war I volunteer ambulance drivers. Ambulance drivers helping those who were wounded in battlefields were touched witnessing the cruelties of the wars. After the wars, in the year of 1914, the volunteers switched their activities into a student exchange program between USA and other countries, with the mission to promote international understanding and friendship toward peace of the world.

It is now known as AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. AFS is a multinational, not-for-profit organization operating programs of secondary school student and teacher exchange in almost 60 countries.

Bina Antarbudaya is not affiliated with any religious, social, socio-economic or political group. It also develops itself as a community organizations, which involves people of various backgrounds, without exclusivism and elitism.

The impact of an intercultural home stay was studied by Research Department of AFS Intercultural Programs. The result of the research showed ten characteristics that exchange student learn and grow at an accelerated rate during the experience :

Ø awareness and appreciation of host country and culture.

Ø foreign language appreciation and ability.

Ø understanding other cultures.

Ø international awareness

Ø adaptability

Ø awareness of opportunities

Ø critical thinking

Ø non-materialism

Ø independence, responsibility for self

Ø awareness and appreciation of home country and culture.

On the other hand, Public Senior High School 4 students are supported in their academic and personal growth by caring professional teaching staff who encourage resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, reciprocity, and maturity in all aspects of the student’s life. The schools are totally supportive of supportive of

Parents’ aspirations for their sons and daughters and encourage communication and close rapport between teachers and versatile young person seeking to develop personal strengths both within the curricular and co-curricular programs, involvement with others, making a conscious contribution to community life and making the most one’s talents all underlie daily routine.

Let us now turn to AFSers and the future AFSer studying at SMA Negeri 4 Malang in 2008 to 2010, Dini and Katrin Voss and Yanuar

It was August 9^th 2008 , she was sent to USA by AFS along with 89 exchange students from Indonesia to some other European countries.

USA is not what you see on TV! Not all area are big city and full of buildings! Kansas is not what I expect about USA. Kansas is countryside and flat. Most people are farmers, they do harvest and most areas are rice field! They even have larger than ours! Kansas is located in the center of USA.

She hosted in Mousa family. She has two brothers and two sisters She is the oldest one. She used to call her host parents mom and dad. At the Wichita airport there was one family they hold big poster that has sign “welcome to Dini Kusumaningrum in Wichita, Kansas!” Oh, my God! She was surprise with that! Especially when her mom gave her a hug and say ASSALAMUALAIKUM … She couldn’t guess that, She lived with American moslem host family! She thought it’s hard to find them in USA! She always thanked God.

She went to North East Magnet High School. It is the best school in Kansas. There are 3 magnets, art, science and law. She took classes, such as Drama class, sculpture and ceramics. But She had to take mathematics, US history and English too. School was fun because they did not only study but also have fun with their activities. Magnet mania day (students participating in games with teachers), spirit week (students could wear costume for a week), drama (in every season) , multicultural day (students wear their culture costume), home coming, prom night, senior day and the biggest event of the year, GRADUATION!

The first three months she was homesick it’s hard to face everything by herself, because it is far away from her family and friends and it made her aware how precious everything was. Ramadhan was the hardest. There were lots of things that she could find easily in Indonesia but she couldn’t find it there. Like the atmospheres and the way it was supposed to be. She felt something different but it was OK! for her. It brought her to new experience of moslems around the world.

In ‘led, they had to dress up to go to the mosque. As they arrived before starting to pray, they greeted to each other and then did prayers together. When led prayers had been done they didn’t leave the mosque, but they said led Mubarrok and they were talking to other moslem brothers and sisters, She felt really wonderful. They didn’t ask for forgiveness to each other like we did. But they just celebrated it and had fun. They would have lunch together, then hung out and had a party at night and it was of course in the moslem way.

USA has a very unpredictable weather especially Kansas. Due to its location in the center of USA. It makes easy to get storm in the winter. People there has to watch the weather all the time it could change just in a few seconds. Summer is the best season. They get a long holiday and nice weather. they can see the sun everyday and take vacation anywhere or just go camping. For her, winter was so beautiful and nice to see the snow spread out everywhere. The kids built the snowman. People asked her why she liked snow and she answered because it’s just peaceful, cold, coming with storm and she didn’t have it in Indonesia.

The last day, she had farewell party. She had to perform culture show. Indonesia has the biggest number of exchange students, so they performed Indonesian culture with different ethnic, costumes and cultures around Indonesia.

She invited the tenth and eleventh grades of SMA NEGERI 4 Malang (STETSA) to join AFS student exchange as it’s challenging, interesting experience to explore another country that really different with us. It’s challenging because she had to survive, stand on her own feet, be confident and independent and open minded. This was the best thing she had ever done in her life time and she thanked SMA Negeri 4 Malang and AFS for the unforgettable experience.

Let us see Katrin Voss AFS student of Germany. Her name is Katrin Voss. She is 17 years old. She has been living in Indonesia for 1 year. It coincidently happened to her that on her birthday, August 20^th 2009, she began her expedition. She had thanked her family, friends and AFS that made everything possible. After she had travelled for 14 hour flight, she arrived in Jakarta along with her three friends of AFS Germany. She was welcome by Bina Antarbudaya committee Jakarta. She was given the brief about Indonesia, the first guidance in this country, Indonesia, hopes and fear feeling and complicated problems. She had to take 12 hour train before she finally came to Malang. She was very happy to come into her host family in Malang. Her host family gave her warm welcome with mercy and love and she apparently became part of her host family. She always spends her time with her four sisters and brothers of her host family. They accept and consider her as their new sister of her family

As her first time at SMA NEGERI 4 Malang started, she lost her self confidence because she had to wear her uniform of SMA NEGERI 4 Malang the first time in her lifetime as she never did it before. When she came into the classroom, her classmates directly gave her applause and some boys gave her whistles to welcome her. In short time she has won many kind girlfriends and boyfriends in SMA Negeri 4 Malang. All the people began to mingle and interested to associate with her. She used that chances to consider telling about Germany in brief. She told them that Adolf Hitler had died so there are no more Nazis in Germany. She had to explain that she had many different cultures between Germany and Indonesia but that is why she joins AFS student exchange. Her host family brought her everywhere around East Java and introduced her Indonesian Philosophy and Islam World. The most unforgettable experience she got was Ramadhan month in Malang. That was really new experience for her that she always remembers all the time especially, Idul Fitri Day where people in togetherness asked for forgiveness and paid some visits to each other.

The way she thought changed very rapidly. She was more self confident mature enough to survive and make a decision. She can learn fast to pay attention and be open minded to other culture. She also understands more about someone else’s opinion, respects the others though she has little difficulty in Bahasa Indonesia. She missed her family and friends in Germany but she will feel much more sorrowful when she has to say goodbye to leave host family, classmates, schoolmates and the people she has already known in Indonesia later in July 2010.

How is going on with Hadiansyah Yanuar Rizqi, the tenth grade of Social 2, SMA NEGERI 4 Malang? Oh, yes STETSA magazines readers might have already known that he will explore USA like Dini Kusumaningrum in July 2010, as he was accepted by Bina Antarbudaya to join AFS student exchange.

The following brief will tell you further about Yanuar. Hadiansyah Yanuar Rizqi is the second son of his family.He is smart boy, active and always optimistic. He always behaves in good manner for his family and friends. Yanuar is self reliant and adaptable boy. He has already understood what he has to do to solve his problems and make his own decision of something. He doesn’t depend on his parents or family to create something for his life. He likes to make friends with anyone and does not like to be restrained or bound by strict rules. He prefers the freedom of responsible rather than forcing the will. Yanuar is very active in various organization even though he is still young. He sometimes join government programs to give advocacy for children. He is a chairman of Children Council Representative in Malang.

Yanuar likes travelling by train. He likes photography. That is why when the train passes across the city, the river or the bridge, he takes those enchanting pictures. He usually spends his time watching television together, kidding and telling about his activities with his brothers. He also likes seeing the movie in cinemas, browsing some websites in internet, going to some bookstores and enjoying some cappuccino in café.

At SMA NEGERI 4 Malang, he is the vice president of student organization (OSIS). He manages and coordinates some school activities together with the members of student organization to succeed in ceremony, school anniversary or music festivals.

Ali right Yanuar, Congratulations on your success to join the AFS student exchange, we wish you a good luck and may ALLAH multiply the mercies for you and give you a good guidance in United States of America beginning from July 2010 and returning home in July 2011 safely and healthily.

(Edited by hendri dwi - original submission Kamis, 17 Juni 2010, 15:17)