Understanding Implicit Bias in English Learning

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What is implicit bias?

Implicit bias is a subconscious subjective view of a particular group. It arises due to the existence of stereotypes against a specific group that we have seen ourselves or we got it from the media or other people. Implicit bias is often difficult to detect because we tend to perceive certain stereotypes as normal.

 

It is also essential for educators to understand implicit bias because what teachers share will influence students’ implicit bias. One example is that we often give English sentence templates to students without realizing that there are stereotypes in it. Here are some sample sentences:

  • My father goes to the office on weekdays.
  • My sweeps the floor every morning.
  • Ani can make delicious cake.
  • Budi is a good football player.

 

Do you think the sentences above are odd?

If you don’t think there’s anything strange about the sentences above, you most likely have an implicit bias regarding gender. The sentences above represent gender stereotypes: women do housework and cook, while men work and do physical exercise.

 

Why does implicit bias have a bad effect?

If the teachers are not aware of the stereotypes they convey to the students, then they will consider it as a normal thing. For example, the teachers will transfer the implicit bias related to gender above to the students through sample sentences used as English learning materials without any filtering. Therefore how to detect implicit bias and avoid stereotyping in the classroom?

 

A way to detect implicit bias is through educating ourselves and enriching knowledge by learning anything from various points of view. Therefore, we will no longer understand something from a side only. In addition, we should provide a variety of example sentences and texts for students in order to reduce any stereotypes. Here are some alternative examples of reducing implicit bias:

  • My father often cooks dinner for us in the evening.
  • My mother is currently working as CEO in a start-up company.
  • Ani has just graduated from industrial engineering school.
  • Budi likes making flower arrangements in his spare time.

 

So that’s implicit bias and its negative effects. Therefore, please educate yourself and don’t be easily influenced by other people’s implicit biases.

 

Popular Internet Idioms and Slang Used by Millenials

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Every language has a differentiation of words in formal and everyday contexts. In English, there are also formal and informal common words or terms used by millennials and youth in everyday life. So, if you like English or want to speak like a native, the following are some typical internet words and idioms used daily.

 

  1. Lit

Lit is a slang word for extremely good, awesome, and incredible. It used to describe something very fun or fabulous.

Example:

A: “How was the graduation celebration?”

B: “It was lit!”

 

  1. Flex

Flex is used to replace the phrase show off or showing something owned or achieved.

Example:

“Leslie has been flexing her new car on her Instagram for three days.”

 

  1. Slay

​​Slay is slang used as an intransitive verb to express a good appearance or performance. This term has the same meaning as killed it.

Example:

“Dude, The Weeknd’s new album slayed!”

 

  1. Gucci

Gucci is a slang term adopted from a luxury brand and is used to express something good, cool or great.

Example:

A: “Hi, how have you been? Haven’t seen you in a while. Everything okay?”

B:  “Yeah everything’s Gucci. I’ve just been busy.”

 

  1. Cringe

Cringe is used to express a situation where we feel ashamed or disgusted when seeing something people do.

Example:

“I cringe everytime I see Leslie flexing her new car on Instagram.”

 

  1. Savage

Savage is a term used to describe something really cool and great. Another word that has the same meaning as savage is badass.

Example:

A: “He asked me if he had to call me miss or mrs. I said it’s Dr.”

B: “That was savage.”

 

  1. No cap

No cap is used to emphasize a truth or honesty statement. The term that has another equivalent as no cap is seriously or no lie.

Example:

“I’m not cheating, no cap.”

 

  1. On fleek

On fleek is another expression of on point. It is used to express good things or do right at something on target.

Example:

“His outfit is always on fleek.”

 

  1. I’m dead

I’m dead is a phrase used to express something hilarious in hyperbole. In other contexts, this term means that someone is in big trouble.

Example:

  1. “Irvan was late. He came into the class without taking his helmet off. Lol I’m dead.”
  2. “Oh God I forgot to turn in the final assignment for the grammar 101 class. I’m dead.”

 

  1. Peace out

Peace out is a slang expression used to say goodbye.

Example:

“Gotta go home now. Peace out.”

 

  1. Spill the tea

Spill the tea is an idiom used to ask someone to gossip or something exciting or controversial.

Example:

A: “Seems that Nana is in a bit of hot water with Bunga.”

B: “No way! Spill the tea!”

 

  1. Gag me with a spoon

Gag me with a spoon is an idiom that functions to express dislike, annoyance or disgust towards something.

Example:

“I hate seeing people displaying affection in public – gag me with a spoon!”

 

  1. Understand the assignment

Understand the assignment is a phrase used as a compliment when someone does something well and beyond expectation.

Example:

A: “Our football team won the competition without even losing any single game.”

B: “Yeah! They really understood the assignment.”

 

  1. The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it?

The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it? Is used to replace the expression I love you, but I’m letting you go of someone who still has feelings for their ex-lover.

Example:

*posting an Instagram story with a picture of sunset with the hope of being noticed by someone*

Caption: “The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Enhance the Quality of Education: An Inspiring Story from Kampus Mengajar Awardee

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An inspiring story came from one of the awardees Kampus Mengajar organised by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, this program is part of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program. The activity of this program is a bridge for students to gain insights beyond the campus as well as to directly contribute to the community.

 

Her name is Yola Ameliawati Agustin, she is a final year student of the English Language Education Department at Universitas Islam Indonesia. Yola had the opportunity to become a teacher assistant and contribute to Sekolah Dasar Negeri (SDN) Giriharjo, Pakem, Sleman, Yogyakarta Region for one semester. The first thing she did in Kampus Mengajar activities was to make direct observations at the target location with his fellow awardees from various backgrounds of majors. Yola felt very happy to be collaborating with them in solving school-related problems. During the activity, Yola was responsible for providing assistance to teachers. In addition, she also handles the unit work programs that previously have been made, including redesigning libraries, archiving library books (still in process), making Google Drive for the target school, and digitizing books (learning modules and reading books from the Ministry of Education and Culture).

 

 

Yola and her Kampus Mengajar fellow are not only available to teach at the school where they are placed, but also to become teacher collaborators to implement emergency curriculum or additional activities that help students in improving literacy and numeracy learning, and adapting technology for students in elementary school. Yola and her colleagues play an important role in improving the quality of the target schools from all aspects, ranging from administration aspect, technology, education, and many more. Besides, this program is also a place of devotion for Yola to get the experience and dynamics of teaching and learning directly in the field, where she is able to develop interpersonal skills, leadership, problem solving, and creativity. Another benefit that she gets from this program is credit recognition from the study program for the teaching assistance program she is participating in.

 

Yola hopes that this activity is not the end for her in doing great things, for the future she will continue to dedicate herself to doing other social activities related to education. Moreover, she has contributed many positive impacts while participating in these activities. In fact, she was increasingly able to see educational issues in Indonesia either from direct activities or through stories from her Kampus Mengajar friends in other areas. This makes Yola even more motivated to take part in improving the quality of education in Indonesia. Yola once said “if you join Kampus Mengajar Program, you will definitely feel a lot of benefits,” hence do not miss any opportunities and be a part of the next Kampus Mengajar awardee.

 

From UII to UC Davis: An Incredible Story from IISMA Awardee in America

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An inspiring story comes from Adisa Tiara Kinasihing Ramadhan, an English Language Education Student batch 2019 in Universitas Islam Indonesia. She has become a recipient of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) scholarship organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Education; it is part of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program. IISMA provides opportunities for students from various universities in Indonesia to participate in the learning and self-development process at several world reputable universities. This program aims to improve knowledge and skills, exchange ideas and culture, build friendships with students, teachers, and the general public in the countries where students carry out the program. Furthermore, this program also helps to prepare qualified university graduates to be open-minded, gain experience and global knowledge and be ready to face the industrial revolution 4.0 and society 5.0.

 

Adisa has the opportunity to attend lectures for one semester at the University of California Davis (UC Davis). It’s her first time setting foot on American land; Adisa is totally happy because this is her first experience abroad. While studying on campus, she feels many differences between the way and time of studying in Indonesia and America. At UC Davis, she has classes in the evening from 18.00-20.00 EST, but at UII, she only attends lectures in the morning until the afternoon. In addition, most of the assignments at UC Davis are individual work, in contrast to the PBI UII assignments, which are mostly done in teams.

 

 

Outside of class hours, Adisa travels with her homestay friends and friends from other countries, and she also participates in fencing club extracurricular activities that she can’t find at UII. Besides having the opportunity to study abroad, she also has the opportunity to choose courses beyond her major in Indonesia. Some of the subjects she has taken are Presentation, Communication, and Collaboration Skills, English Structures and Strategies in Academic Writing,  Science, Technology, and Society, Food and American Culture, and cognitive neuroscience.

 

Another benefit that she gets from this program is credit recognition from the study program. Adisa hopes that from this IISMA program she can become a more open-minded person when she returns to Indonesia, inspire others to be able to achieve their dreams, and make changes around her. She also advises the next IISMA candidate to prepare all requirements ahead of time, so that when the program opens, it will be easy for them to become the next IISMA scholarship recipient. Hence, “Don’t give up and don’t lose hope,” said Adisa. (LA)

The Land of Two Continents Journey: a story of IISMA awardee in Turkey

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Experiencing education abroad is the dream of almost every person because apart from gaining insight, we can achieve life lessons in social and expand the networks. An interesting story came from an IISMA scholarship awardee; she is an English Language Education student of Universitas Islam Indonesia batch 2018, her name is Mehrunisa Ani Mufti.

 

Meher was thrilled and excited to get the opportunity to study for one semester at Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkey. However, when she came to Turkey, she struggled with the cold weather, but she became used to it over time. Additionally, she was nervous when she appeared at METU directly because she took offline courses and met friends in class after two years of online learning. Some courses she took while at METU are culture and psychology, culturally responsive in early childhood education, which was taught face-to-face, and maternal and children health taught online.

 

Her daily activities are attending lectures at METU. Still, if there were no classes, she read books, sports, culinary hunting, and conducted a discussion with Turkish Muslim friends. Three weeks ago, she practiced traditional dance to show at the Indonesian exhibition, one of IISMA’s events. Besides, she joins Taekwondo extracurricular, but it has not started, so she spends the time reading books and socialising with Turkish friends.

 

 

Her life in Turkey taught about adaptability, communication and tolerance because during her life in the dormitory with two Turks and a neighbor room was Spanish and Dutch. In addition, outside of lectures, she learned about Islamic history in Turkey by visiting Anitkabir (Mustafa Kemal Attaturk’s grave), Ankara Castle, Anatolian museum, Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Safranbolu.

 

Finally, Mehr hopes to apply the knowledge gained during her lectures in Turkey to become a good teacher. She also advised students who will participate in the IISMA program to maintain a good quality of learning during college because the GPA will be considered in passing the awardee. In addition, it is also necessary to learn English, write essays in English because writing skills will be tested when writing an IISMA essay, knowing the reasons for applying for IISMA and what contribution will be made for IISMA.

Students’ Rights that Teachers/Lecturers Must Fulfill

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The new semester is a moment that students have been waiting for, especially after the end of the semester holiday, where they will advance to a higher level of courses. Therefore, as a complementary seasoning for the new semester, here are some rights that students should obtain from lecturers during their study period in college.

 

  • Course agreement 

The course agreement is a picture of an egalitarian relationship because the agreement places lecturers and students jointly committed to achieving learning goals. The course agreement is considered an effective way for students to analyze their learning needs. In addition, the use of course agreements can help lecturers and students understand clearly their respective duties, roles, and responsibilities.

 

  • Syllabus

The syllabus is a development or elaboration of the curriculum containing standard competencies, basic competencies, course materials, learning activities, indicators, assessment, time allocation, and learning resources. In order to implement curriculum properly in courses, the syllabus needs to be developed into a unit of activities that lecturers and students will carry out. Based on its components, the syllabus is useful to help direct the lecturers regarding the targets that students must achieve in learning. It can be used as a guide for further learning development, such as the development of an assessment system or others. In addition, the syllabus is also beneficial for students as a reference for preparing lesson plans, both group and individual learning plans.

 

  • Rubric 

Rubric is assessment guidance for each assignment that describes the desired criteria in assessing student learning performance. The rubric consists of the dimensions assessed and student learning performance indicators. In addition to providing assessment information, rubrics are helpful for students to measure their learning performance, motivate them to study more actively, and determine their learning strategies.

 

  • Feedback

Feedback is a response from the good or bad of our performances, whether criticism or suggestion for becoming better. We often receive feedback on each task or learning activity. However, not all lecturers will provide detailed feedback. It is because feedback is not just “right or wrong” but criticism and suggestions for the progress of student performance. Therefore, students have the right to get qualified feedback from lecturers or simply deliver some questions to explore their directions that should be given in-depth.

 

  • Consultation

Apart from feedback, students also have the right to give their opinions regarding the course material. Further, you can ask lecturers for course material that you don’t understand well. Usually, a lecturer will provide times to ask in the middle or end of the explanation. So use that time to get further explanations regarding certain materials. On the other hand, you also have the right to ask questions or further explanations from the lecturer via social media. Don’t be afraid and don’t hesitate to send them a message, because you deserve it. However, please consider when you send the message not to disturb their activities. Thus, you can get an answer that is in accordance with what is expected.

 

Those are some student rights that should be obtained in courses. If you feel you haven’t received some of it, you can ask and communicate well with your lecturer. It is your right, so don’t be afraid and hesitate to ask for it, they will surely give you what you need regarding courses.

Various Terms of ‘Teman’ in English

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Familiarity is the basis of friendship relationships that make relationships feel closer or deeper. In the English-speaking community, the concept of friends is not limited to a number of very close relationships. Here are the various terms of ‘Teman’ in English.

 

Friend

This word means Teman in Indonesian. In English, the term ‘friend’ is used specifically to refer to people who are personally and emotionally close to us.

 

Acquaintance

Even though we are not very closely related, someone we know is often referred to as a friend in Indonesian. However, in English, the proper term is acquaintance. Acquaintances don’t have a personal and emotional closeness to us, but we don’t feel awkward when we meet them.

 

-mate

We often use the word ‘friend’ to refer to people in the same class or boarding house (commonly in Indonesian called Teman sekelas, Teman sekamar, etc.). In English, the terms used are classmate and roommate/flatmate, and they are not always friends with us.

 

Colleague

This word is used to refer to a coworker or colleague. Even though in Indonesian it is called a work friend/teman kerja, in English a colleague is not always our friend because the relationship is only a professional matter.

 

Best friend

Best friend is the English equivalent of ‘good friend.’ Best friend is the person closest to us besides family and is always there in times of joy and sorrow. In informal English, ‘best friend’ is also referred to as bestie, homie, or buddy.

Translanguaging: Is it okay to use mixed languages?

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Are we allowed to use mixed languages in communication or every interaction discourse? 

Some people presume that using mixed languages will contribute to the intrusion with the first language – it reduces the regularity of the language being used. However, it gives advantage in achieving certain communication goals. 

The use of such mixed languages is commonly known as Translanguaging. The term translanguaging is often used to describe the phenomenon of using bilingual languages or mixing languages to produce certain outcomes. Initially, the term translanguaging came from Welsh bilingual education and was first used in the Welsh trawsieithu created by Cen Williams in 1994. In the Welsh context, it refers to pedagogical practice in which students alternate languages for productive use. On the other hand, Baker who first translated the Welsh term as “translanguaging”, defined it as a making meaning process, shaping experience, gaining understanding and insight through the use of languages. Further, Canagarajah defined it as a multilingual speaker’s ability to shuttle between languages that form repertoire as an integrated system. As García and Wei once revealed, translanguaging is an approach to use languages in communication as one linguistic repertoire with features that have been societally constructed as belonging to two separate languages.

These definitions imply that translanguaging is peoples’ communication skills in using the languages repertoire ​​as needed to achieve communication goals effectively. In this case, translanguaging represents not only the language but also the identity of its speakers formed through values, culture, and history.

Nowadays, translanguaging is a hot topic in education, especially in language learning classes or in international schools that use English as the language of instruction. In the context of learning English or in international classes, mixed languages can be used as a bridge between students to facilitate their learning process. For example, when an English-speaking teacher teaches in a class where students speak Indonesian-English. The students did not truly understand the difference between a pumpkin that was muddy and a pumpkin that was filled with mud. Therefore, students translate their comprehension into Indonesian, then explain and interpret their work. The teacher provides information in English, and the students revise their Indonesian. The insight has a benefit on improving students’ better understanding of the content and their comprehension of English.

Another example is when the teacher asked a student to spontaneously give a description of the black hole to other students in English. However, he had difficulty with English vocabulary, so he used Indonesian words to replace the words he did not know. It illustrates that when students have difficulty finding English words, the Indonesian they have will greatly help achieve their communication goals. Hence, he will undoubtedly be more comfortable in class communication, and others can well understand the message he conveys.

In conclusion, the use of mixed languages, such as the use of Indonesian in English classes to achieve certain communication goals, is not wrong or prohibited. This is allowed because it can make the students easier to understand the content of the lesson well.

Indonesian Food Names from Foreign Languages

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Colonialism that occurred in Indonesia had an impact on the Indonesian vocabulary. Some words in Indonesian come from English, Dutch, Mandarin and Portuguese. These several countries have colonized and settled in Indonesia for a certain period, so they provide some foreign words adapted in Indonesian.

One of the adapted word categories is found in Indonesian food names. Even the food was brought by foreigners and assimilated as local food. So what are the names of Indonesian food that originally come from foreign languages?

Here are some Indonesian foods whose names are adopted from foreign languages.

 

  1. Bakpia

Bakpia is a food that developed in Yogyakarta and has become one of the specialties of this area. Historically, Bakpia is a food originally from China brought by Chinese immigrants in the early decades of the 20th century. The name Bakpia comes from the Chinese Hokkien dialect, from the words “bak” which means meat, and “pia” which means cake. That implies Bakpia as a cake with meat in it. Over time, the stuffing of bakpia was adapted to Indonesian culture by replacing the contents with green beans.

 

  1. Siomay

The name siomay comes from Mandarin “shaomai.” In Cantonese, it is called “siu maai,” while it is known as “shaomai” in the Beijing dialect. Initially, Siomay used minced pork as the main ingredient and wrapped it with thin wheat flour. In Indonesia, Siomay is generally made with mackerel or chicken as the main ingredient and served with peanut sauce. It was popular in the Bandung area, so it’s not surprising that many Somay traders claim the “Siomay Bandung” name.

 

  1. Perkedel

Perkedel’s name comes from the Dutch language “frikadel or frikadeller”. This food was brought by the Dutch when they colonized Indonesia. At first, the ingredients for making Perkedel were minced meat and then fried. While in Indonesia, it was made from potatoes and spices as the main ingredients.

 

  1. Bistik

Bistik or more popularly called steak is a culinary product resulting from the assimilation of Western and Indonesian cultures. The entry of steak into Indonesia cannot be separated from the colonizers who brought their regional food to Indonesia. The name Bistik is adopted from “Beef Steak” in English, or “Biefstuk” in Dutch which means cow meat. Bistik is usually served with potatoes, peas, and carrots as a compliment.

 

  1. Nasi Tim

Nasi Tim is a Chinese-Indonesian acculturated food. However, the Tim name comes from the English word “steam” which means “steamed.” Therefore, Nasi Tim is steamed rice combined with savory seasoned chicken. The Chinese community believed that Nasi Tim served warm can give warmth and restore one’s health.

 

  1. Lumpia

This traditional snack is an acculturation between Javanese and Chinese culture that has existed for a long time. The name Lumpia comes from Mandarin “lun or lum” which means soft, and “pia” which means cake. Although Lumpia comes from Chinese culture, the taste has been modified according to the Indonesian taste. In addition, since 2014, Lumpia has been officially recognized as an Indonesian cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

 

  1. Bakso

Bakso was brought by Chinese who came to Indonesia. The origin term of Bakso consists of two syllables, “Bak” which means pork and “So” which means gravy. Literally, in Hokkien Bak-So means “ground meat”. It implies that Bakso is ground pork served with gravy. The Bakso ingredient in Indonesia is meat (cow, chicken, or fish). It is different from the original recipe where pork is the main ingredient.

 

  1. Tahu

Tahu was brought to Indonesia by the Chinese in the 10th century AD. The name Tahu comes from the Mandarin “tao-hu or teu-hu”, where tao/teu means soybeans and hu means crushed into porridge. Thus, tofu is a food made from mashed soybeans as a porridge texture.

 

  1. Cincau

The term “Cincau” comes from the Hokkien dialect “sinchau” (Chinese: , pinyin: xiancao), which is pronounced among the Chinese in Southeast Asia. On the other hand, Cincau is a type of plant that is used to make jelly. It is helpful in reducing sore throat or fever.

 

  1. Permen

The name permen (Indonesian) comes from the Dutch word “papermunt”. It is undeniable that all people will love candy because it tastes good and easy to find, both in traditional markets and supermarkets.

 

  1. Sosis

The original name of sausage comes from Latin “Saisus”, which means salted. Then this word was adopted by the British, and America became “sausage”. However, our community has become familiar with this food since the Dutch came to Indonesia with “sausaij”. Whilst, Indonesian tongue is difficult to pronounce correctly. Therefore, the name “sosis” was used by our community to call sausaij.

 

  1. Bolu

This term was adopted from Portuguese “bolo rei”, which means “bread”. In the 16th century, the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia to get spices, and they brought a sweet and soft food known as “bolu”. It is made from flour, sugar and eggs, generally cooked by baking in the oven or steamed.

 

  1. Bakmi

The name bakmi comes from the Chinese Hokkien dialect “Bak” means meat, while “Mi is” from pinyin Mian (pronounced myen) means noodle. Therefore, bakmi is a term for serving noodles with meat. In Chinese culture, noodles are a symbol of long life, that’s why the Chinese have a tradition of eating noodles during birthday celebrations and Chinese New Year.

 

  1. Semur

Semur is one of the Indonesian foods from the Dutch cultural heritage. The term semur comes from the Dutch “smoor” which means stew, or “smoren” which means boil. At the origin, semur is boiled meat with tomatoes and onions as a compliment. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, semur is made not only from meat but also from chicken and jengkol.

 

  1. Nastar

Nastar’s name comes from the Dutch word “annanas taart”, which means pineapple tart. Initially this cake used strawberry jam, peaches, or other popular fruits in European countries. However, in Indonesia, the contents of this cake are replaced with pineapple, which is relatively cheap and easier to obtain.

Those are some Indonesian foods that come from foreign languages or acculturation from other countries’ foods.

HOW AMERICANS USE ADVERBS DIFFERENTLY IN CASUAL CONVERSATION

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The use of language (formal or informal) depends on the situation and conditions in which we stand. Formal language is more common when we write; informal language is more common when we speak in situations that involve people we know well.

We are usually taught English in a formal form in school, but it turns out that some informal patterns are important to know because they are often used in everyday casual conversation. It seemed more friendly and relaxed for each speaker in certain situations.

As in everyday parlance in the United States, people are quite happy to do things “real quick.” In casual conversation, American English speakers often use adjective forms in adverb places. Lots of them may drop the -ly from the adverbs and genuinely use adjective forms to modify verbs. A very common example is in the use of ‘real’ as in “Let’s get some snack real quick” instead of “Let’s get some snack really quickly.”

Another examples of how Americans use adverbs in an informal situation are represent as follows:

  1. Today is going slowly >          Today is going slow
  2. Drive safely                 >          Drive safe
  3. Take it easily               >          Take it easy
  4. Doing well                   >          Doing good

Americans generally do not go with this pattern in writing and formal conversation. Instead, they use the -ly ending, or for example the word “good” in casual conversation will become “well” in formal cases. These patterns are not particular slang or impolite words, and you can even hear some people use them at work, job fairs, or any other situation (informal).

Grammatical patterns in conversation do not always match the patterns used in formal writing or speech, but it is more flexible in casual speaking. Understanding this will help us understand Americans when they speak, and it will help us get along well with them.