GUEST BOOK

Sent by                 : ED SCOTT
Organization   : AUSAID
Origin                   : Australia

“My short time at Realia was the best language experience I’ve ever had. After many attempts, in many countries, I thought that I would never again “waste my time” on a classroom approach to learning yet another new language. I was always too busy and limited class time did not provide enough learning to suit my needs or my schedule. But, at Realia, I found a different and very rewarding situation. In a short time I gained a useful basic vocabulary of key words and phrases that immediately made it possible to communicate with my colleagues at work and around town. Even better, the language structure Realia provided made it easy for me to quickly build on what I learned in class. My success was largely due to the excellent program and approach that the Realia staff has perfected. Each day, I had four private sessions, each with a different teacher. At the beginning of each session, teachers would discuss my progress and come prepared to focus on my strengths and weaknesses. The Realia method ensured that I never got bored and moved ahead at maximum speed. And the teachers themselves were super. They were always patient, flexible and very helpful – a joy to work with! I’m happy to recommend Realia to anyone who wants to learn Bahasa Indonesia quickly and well.”

I studied Bahasa at REALIA during working hours and therefore I had to decide how many hours I could effort to succeed both in my job, as well as in Bahasa. During the first week, I had 6-20 hours per week and finally decided that three mornings per week was best for me. REALIA is flexible in this and each student can decide upon his/her own schedule. During the period I am in the course, I am assessed from time to time, to check on progress and vocabulary. Opportunities are taken to have a conversation and to let me use my growing knowledge of the language. It is obvious that practice outside the school hours is very important ad this might be something which is lacking. I have now had approx. 50 hours lessons and believe I can have a reasonable conversation. The atmosphere at REALIA is good and believe that, we, the student have to give credit to our “guru-guru” for the patience they show during our attempt to develop our Bahasa.

I owe an enormous debt to REALIA and its teachers who have helped me bridge the gap between Canada and Java. When I came to Yogyakarta several months ago, my language skills were minimal. Within a few months of studying at REALIA, however, I made significant progress. What I found particularly unique about REALIA is the teachers’ ability to meet the different demands of their students. The teachers modified and refined their teaching style and methods to adapt to my research needs. They not only taught me about the language but helped me understand cultural context behind the language. The school is not only a place where I learn Bahasa Indonesia but a home-base; a place where I know I can go to seek advice, discuss theoretical or methodological ideas and always receive a warm welcome. REALIA has gone out of its way to help connect me to networks of people for my research. Their help has been tremendous; I have been able to turn to them for both small and large things. REALIA is not just a school, but a community which helps me feel at home.

All classes (whether one on one or with a group) are lively, academically supportive and achieve results. The facility is beautiful and unique in Indonesia and conducive to quiet study and educational exchanges. The course of instruction is superbly designed and uniquely prepares the student with a progressive combination of fundamentals and vocabulary. The region, with Realia as guide, offers an extraordinary openness to visitors with immersion potential only limited by time and tomorrow’s vocabulary list.

Realia staff represents a wide variety of academic and cultural backgrounds, are well prepared and committed to ensuring that clients arrive with a clear understanding of what the course of study’s goals are and leave with a firm grasp of the course’s application to communicating in Indonesia. The staffs are the cornerstone of Realia’s excellence and provide a critical bridge between the academic rigor of the program and the beauty of the language, place, and culture.

My impression during and after studying at Realia is that the atmosphere does give support to the learning process. The best thing I’ve got from Realia was that I could get what I needed most. Realia somehow could tailor the course that suited to both my interest and field of study. Moreover, at that time I was preparing for my poster session for an international seminar on economics and environment. As the result, in my poster session, I think I could satisfy every person enquiring my research.

I think Realia English Course is the best English Course, at least for me. I always felt good when I was studying here and my English has improved. That was because Realia has good teachers and comfortable place, so everyday I was always interested in learning English at Realia.

I got the impression that studying English in Realia is enjoyable. My improvement has been the result of the homey and creative teachers, communicative learning approach, and the supporting facilities. I wish I had known Realia long tome ago. So far, Realia has been the best English learning institution I?ve ever attended and therefore, I recommend any one who is eager to improve their English. Keep up the good work GUYS!!

I came to Realia because I badly needed to improve my English for my scholarship interview and I didn’t have much time back then. With only a relatively little time, I managed to gain my confidence so I was able to do my best in the interview.
The teachers were so friendly and patient. They were like friends. They could understand my strengths and weaknesses and they know how to use my strengths to improve my English.
The best thing about Realia was that I could arrange my own schedule because I am busy lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Besides, the teachers were able to encourage me to speak with topics that I was familiar with.