What is normal?

Things considered normal at Melville that I consider unusual:

• Sit on the table(in the classroom)
• The student talk when the teacher still keep talking
• Drinking from the tap
• Value time

Australian have different norms with Indonesian, that is why many things that considered normal in Australia, especially Melville are unusual for me. Like the students sit on the table when study at the classroom with the teacher. I have been see it, when Ibu Peni explain something in the library, then someone come and sit on the table.

Sit on the table is fine in Australia but not polite in Indonesia. In Indonesia, students must sit on the chair if the teacher come into the classroom and explain about the subject. That is to respect the teacher who give something important to us.

Learning Process

The Process of Learning at School

The methods of teaching in Australia (from what we see in Melville) are quite different. From the facilities, the classes, the systems, curriculums, etc. Because we do have different ways of thinking. And these are what I've found how the process of learning in Australia (while in Melville).

Students do have a lot of out of school activities. Just like once we have already, the excursion to Indonesian Consulate with year 8 Melville's students who study Indonesian. They experience the real things out there, not just learning from text even though they aren't in vocational schools. Another differences are the system of moving class and choosing only specified subjects that they like or good at it.

I don't know why are they doing like these above so I'd like to find out about it soon enough. Especially what is the advantages of moving class, why they can choose whatever subjects they like and we don't do it in Indonesia, how is the way they prepare for tests, etc. So lot to ask so that's why I can't give you much information that is really needed for improving the education to both of us.

how they communicate each other?

If you want to stay in Perth for quite long time you must know how do they communicate each other, so they wont say that you're wierd bacause using to formal or informal languages.

Photo from http://www.melville.wa.edu.au

Every country had their each style to communicate and languages, so there are many different style to communicate between Indonesian students and Australian students that I know of. The Indonesian student that I know they like to use slang languages as the main language for communicate with the other teenagers today, just the same like mostly Melville student that I know they likely to use slang to talk with another students.

Students in Australia mostly use an informal languages even to communicate with the older people, they likely just call their name without using Ms, Mr, or Mrs, it's different to Indonesian students mostly they call someone older by their title, such like Ibu, Bapak to show their respect to the older people.

Even to their parents most of Australian students just call their parents name, it's going to be not very well mannered to call parents with their name.

Language Make Connection

Today, on the 5th of August 2009, we, the Surabayan delegation and year eight students from Melville Senior High School went to the Indonesian Consulate by bus. The Surabayan student delegation sat beside the eight year students. We passed many things along the road. We saw the “Canning River” and the “Swan River”. We also saw great buildings such as “The Swan Bell Tower” and the “Concert Hall”. They are very great buildings. They had a unique structure that will get attention from new-comers.

I was sitting with Keegan. He is a year eight student from Melville Senior High School. He has been learning Indonesian for 2 years. He has just moved from Sydney few years ago. When he’s learning Indonesian, he has some difficulties remembering the words. I have tested his abilities in speaking Indonesian and he is pretty good with Indonesian numbers. He and his family, planned to go to Indonesia (Bali Island). He would love to go to Indonesia sometimes. That is the same as me, as I would like to come back to Australia, especially Perth.

He loves to learn Indonesian and even though he finds some difficulties with it, he would love to learn some more of the language. His spirit to learn Indonesian is the same as me, as I love to learn English and improve my English. I found this as a connection between me and Australian people.