Cross-Cultural Connection: Indonesian and Malaysian Students Inspire Language Skills at Islamic Elementary Boarding School

On 28 February 2024, In an uplifting form of community engagement, we MICS members significantly impacted the lives of grade 6 primary school students by volunteering to teach English. This inspiring initiative aims to bridge the education gap and foster a love for language learning from an early age. Recognizing the importance of a strong foundation in language skills, we students offer our expertise to primary school children who may need additional support. The program is structured to provide a well-rounded learning experience, incorporating interactive activities, storytelling, and creative exercises to make language learning fun for primary school students. The college educator also customize their lessons to address specific language challenges commonly faced by young learners. As students from two different countries, we were able to share with them about cross-cultural understanding. We have contributed by sharing an English story titled Princess Santubong and Princess Sejinjang. We could measure how far their English skills are by providing them with questions. Unexpectedly, we got a lot of enthusiasm from the students. The teacher there said there was a storytelling class, and there was no doubt that the students' achievements were impressive. Two students were fluent in storytelling with satisfactory intonation and were very expressive, as well as the performance of a student who delivered a beautiful speech. 

In addition to knowing their skill level, we also build relationships with our students. Therefore, we can exchange what they want about our courses and performance. Giving them activities such as "Ice Breaking" can arouse the enthusiasm of the youth in learning English. Singing the song "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" by pointing to the part of the body in English can improve their vocabulary. College mentors also tailor their lessons to address specific language challenges commonly faced by young learners. We face challenges, such as drawing out their interactions by asking them to voluntarily share their impressions of the activity in English to see how far they have come in the learning process. In addition to bridging language barriers, these committed students' activities at Islamic boarding elementary schools exemplify the spirit of cooperation and unity beyond national boundaries. Using education, they sow the seeds of comprehension, cultivating a more promising future for the students they instruct and making a lasting impression on the international society.