2025 – Series of English Skill
Van Deventer-Maas Indonesia organized the 2025 English Series together with Ersa Izmi Safitri, who is a Certified Expert in English Teaching for TOEFL and TOEIC, in four meetings on July 19, July 23, July 26, and July 30, 2025. Approximately 60 participants per meeting were held via Zoom Meeting at 13.00-15.00 WIB. This exercise series is designed to advance the proficiency of grantees in achieving educational objectives as well as personal development. Meanwhile, it educational goals to improve their skills to use the English language. Therefore, different themes have been prepared for every session that would make better the participants English.
The first session, named “A Guide to Daily Conversation,” on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Discussion about Greetings, and Introductions in the professional as well as casual scenario were practiced by the participants. They practiced introducing other people and expressing their opinions through some drills with more than one partner to compare similarities between sentences. Peers shared polite yet helpful comments on certain vocabulary items and fluency as well as involvement after students repeated what their partners had said plus added a new question in role play.
It happened on July 23, 2025, a Wednesday. Approximately 50 people participated. The main objective targeted the competence of students to narrate individual past experiences by using appropriate language and organization. In order to develop a coherent description of events, time connectors, action verbs, and simple past tense were used; drills were carried out in varied group activities designed to build confidence and clarity of narration through practice that would eventually relate speaking smoothly and confidently to real-life situations.
The third session on July 26, 2025 focused on Academic Reading and Critical Thinking. Participants were trained to identify main ideas, analyze supporting details, and critically interpret academic texts. The exercises were designed to strengthen reading comprehension and develop logical reasoning, preparing grantees for the demanding requirements of university-level English materials. The course included examples of different academic texts and taught participants how to read them effectively, focusing on abstracts and reliable websites for academic paper sources. Although the material was more challenging compared to the previous session, it was necessary to ensure participants improvement in academic reading by the end of the course. Participants learned to distinguish different academic text types, such as essays, reports, and research articles. They also practiced applying skimming and scanning strategies to locate information, identifying the purpose, methods, and findings from abstracts, critically evaluating arguments, assumptions, and evidence, and reflecting on their reading strategies and setting personal improvement goals.
The final session held on July 30, 2025 focused on Scholarship Essay Writing, equipping participants with techniques to produce well-structured and compelling essays. Topics such as thesis statements, paragraph organization, clarity, and persuasive writing were discussed. Grantees were encouraged to reflect on their goals and experiences to produce personal statements aligned with international scholarship standards.
Participants in the series have already developed valuable English skills through the initial sessions. Participants used games, quizzes, and other resources to improve learning. They were highly supportive and engaged. They believed they required the academic reading and writing essay resources for scholarships for future learning and skill development, and the grammar and pronunciation criticism was very beneficial. All things considered, Ersa’s approachable demeanor and practical strategies made the encounter delightful and unforgettable.
Thank you to the VDMI scholarship recipients who participated in the English Language Skills Series. Hopefully, what has been conveyed from the explanation of English conversation, past experience, academic writing, and essay writing can help grantees improve their English and writing skills to assist with students’ academic activities. See you in the next series!
