A third-year Flinders University student will soon be heading into an Indonesian classroom as part of an innovative cultural exchange program.

Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts student, Katrina Wallis will spend first semester next year at the University of Sanata Dharma in Yogyakarta in the Indonesian Language Teacher Immersion program, organised by the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies.

“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity, as it will enhance my learning by giving me a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture, customs, values and daily life,” Ms Wallis said.

“I aim to teach Indonesian as a subject in schools. The program will help me to improve my proficiency in the language, and experiencing the cultural context for teaching and making contacts will enable me to build my cultural understanding,” she said.

In addition to gaining practical, hands-on experience of the Indonesian education system during her classroom placement, Ms Wallis will prepare an “eJournal” of her reflections and observations of the study tour.

She will also collect culturally authentic materials and online resources to use when she returns to Australia to teach.

Ms Wallis will travel to Indonesia as the recipient of the Phil Hoffmann Travel Scholarship, which provides an economy class return airfare and assistance towards living expenses to a total value of $5,000.

The Scholarship is awarded annually to a student in an undergraduate degree offered by the Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology.

Caption: (left to right) Professor Bob Conway, Dean, School of Education; Ms Katrina Wallis (recipient of the 2010 Phil Hoffmann Travel Scholarship); Professor Richard Maltby, Acting Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology; and Mr Glen Fry, University Team Leader, Phil Hoffmann Travel