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Unesa.ac.id., SURABAYA—A number of experts from various countries highlighted the issue of space and identity in the context of language, arts and culture at the 4th International Conference on Cultural Studies and Applied Linguistics (ICCSAL) held by the Faculty of Languages and Arts ( FBS) UNESA on Saturday, September 9 2023.
The expert present on the occasion was Dr. Carmen Van den Bergh from Leiden University, Netherlands; Lourdes Tanhueco-Nepomuceno, Ph.D. from the University of the Philippines Diliman; Dr. Clive Hilton from The Open University, UK; Prof. Dr. Kisyani Laksono, M.Hum., from UNESA; and Associate Prof. Dr. Siti Noor Fazelah Mohd Noor-Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
There were a number of issues raised by speakers in the forum, including gender equality and social inclusion, intergenerational cultural and language preservation, literary mapping, and cultural differences as well as influence of the dynamics of the learning space.
The Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Syafi'ul Anam, Ph.D., said that this conference brought together academics, researchers and professors from various countries who could discuss several issues through their views and their latest findings.
"This is very important, because a person's identity is very dependent on culture and language. So understanding the relationship between language, culture and identity is very crucial in the current era of globalization," he explained.
In the material session, Dr. Clive Hilton explains the importance of cultural understanding to educational success among international students. Compared to cultural differences, according to him, language differences are the dominant factor that hinders students' development and achievement.
"There is a need for social integration inside and outside the classroom which can provide positive benefits for academic achievement," he said.
Efforts that can be made in this regard include simplifying language in teaching, fostering a spirit of tolerance and cultural appreciation, and holding social activities that are integrated into the curriculum.
Regarding cultural appreciation, Lourdes Tanhueco-Nepomuceno, Ph.D., emphasizes the importance of passing on the use of the mother tongue from one generation to the next. There needs to be students' understanding and appreciation of community culture.
The same thing regarding the commitment to preserving regional culture for future generations was also conveyed by Prof. Dr. Siti Noor Fazelah Mohd Noor.
According to her, efforts to preserve culture in the face of modernization and globalization can be done through online platforms and social media which make it easier to disseminate regional cultural performances.
So that people- people from various countries and cultures can actively participate in preserving cultural arts through appreciation.
Prof. Dr. Kisyani Laksono, M.Hum., from FBS UNESA discussed the importance of an emancipation education curriculum which contains the values of the Pancasila Student profile for character education. This can be done by instilling related values in elementary school (SD) Indonesian language education books.
"The emancipation learning curriculum has attempted to implement gender equality and social inclusion, but there are still some words/sentences and "images that are gender biased," he said.
As chairman of the committee, Dr. Ali Mustofa, S.S., M.Pd. said this conference formed a deeper understanding of related fields. Through collaboration and discussion, it is hoped that this conference will create innovative ideas that can become solutions, especially in the fields of language and culture. [*]
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Author: Mohammad Dian/Erza Angelia
Editor: @zam Alasiah*
Photo: Documentation UNESA Public Relations Team
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