SEEDS members working in Pekanbaru run an English Resource Centre with daily discussion groups, pronunciation labs, student-led beginner’s level discussion groups and monthly special events. “English only!” says the sign that encourages all visitors to keep the centre a place to be truly immersed in the English language. Nobody will laugh at you or call you “arrogant” for speaking English here!
Common informal activities play a big role for the English Centre, strengthening the community there. Often these activities take members and staff outside of the centre and provide additional opportunities to practise English. With much enthusiasm and dressed in Malay-patterned running shirts provided by the municipality, about 20 English centre members and SEEDS staff members participated in the Pekanbaru city 10K run that was held on the 1st June 2014 in celebration of the city’s 230th anniversary.
As the 10K run was open to international participants this was a good opportunity for English Centre students to practise their English with guests from abroad and make them feel welcome. It didn’t matter that, except for two ladies, the majority of the English Centre community never finished the run! At the after-run breakfast together there was no sign saying “English only!”, but the English Centre students are always happy to practise English with each other even outside of the walls of the English Centre – of course mixed with a bit of Bahasa Indonesia.