Behind the hustle and bustle of the capital city lies a unique learning space where global cultures converge. One such space is the Sudanese African Asian School (SAAS)—an international institution with a global vision, which recently served as the field school (Pengenalan Lapangan Persekolahan/PLP) site for undergraduate students of the Arabic Language Education Program (Pendidikan Bahasa Arab - PBA), Faculty of Tarbiya and Teacher Training, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.
This PLP
program was not merely a platform for teaching practice; it became a
transformative space where students developed new perspectives on teaching
Arabic in a truly multicultural environment.
SAAS
stands out as a unique institution. It follows the Sudanese curriculum while
operating under Indonesian education regulations. The school is home to
students from eight different countries—approximately 70% of them are native
Arabic speakers, while the remaining 30% come from non-Arabic backgrounds. This
diverse composition creates a dynamic, multilingual, and intercultural learning
environment.
PBA
students were immersed in real classroom settings: engaging in dialogue with
students, observing teaching strategies, and implementing their own lesson
plans. They quickly realized that Arabic education is not just about grammar
and vocabulary, but also about communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and
creative meaning-making.
Interestingly,
SAAS integrates both international and national education values by including Pancasila
and Civic Education (PPKn) as well as Indonesian Language in its curriculum.
This reflects the school’s commitment to staying grounded in national values
while embracing global perspectives.
For PBA
students, this duality offered valuable insights into how education can remain
contextual and locally rooted while being globally minded.
The PLP
program at SAAS extended beyond observation. Students were also given the
opportunity to teach, allowing them to apply their university-based knowledge
in ways that responded to the linguistic and cultural diversity of their
learners. They were challenged to become learning facilitators who could bridge
different cultural and language backgrounds.
At the
end of the program, a closing ceremony was held. Participating students were
awarded certificates, and a commemorative plaque was presented to the school in
appreciation of its inclusive and educational environment.
A
highlight of the ceremony was a sharing session led by Field Supervisor Mr.
Nurul Huda, S.S., M.Pd.I., who emphasized the importance of Arabic calligraphy
(khat) skills in language education. Not only did the students learn the
theory, but SAAS pupils also actively participated in hands-on calligraphy
sessions—turning the moment into a valuable cultural exchange.
This
program has opened the students’ horizons: being an Arabic teacher is not only
about subject mastery, but also about the mental readiness to navigate
pluralistic classrooms. They now understand the importance of intercultural
competence, adaptability, and a more human-centered pedagogical approach.
By the
end of the program, students of PBA UIN Sunan Kalijaga return not only with
practical teaching portfolios but also with a deeper understanding of what
education truly means: building bridges between language, culture, and humanity.