Chiang Rai, October 28, 2025 — Five students from the Master’s Program of English Language Education (MPBI) of Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, have successfully completed their International Teaching Practicum (ITP) held in collaboration with Xavier Learning Community (XLC) and Saengtham College, Xavier Campus, in Chiang Rai, Thailand.


A farewell gathering took place at Nicholas Hall, where the students received souvenirs from Xavier Learning Community and delivered short farewell speeches before the academic community. Several students from both the senior and freshman cohorts also expressed their gratitude, having learned from the MPBI student teachers for nearly a month, from October 3 to 24, 2025. The evening concluded with a traditional knot-tying ceremony, symbolizing good luck, protection, and blessings for the five student teachers before their return to Indonesia.

The International Teaching Practicum is an annual program initiated in 2017 by MPBI Sanata Dharma University. Although it was temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was successfully resumed in 2022. For the 2025 batch, MPBI assigned five students, those are Big, Rico, Thania, Rere, and April (all from MPBI Batch 2024), to carry out their teaching practicum in Chiang Rai. Preparations began in August 2025, with close coordination between MPBI and Fr. Vinai Boonlue, S.J., Director of Xavier Learning Community. In September 2025, online meetings were also conducted between MPBI faculty members and students, Fr. Vinai Boonlue, S.J., and Fr. Pichet Saengthien, S.J., Head of Academics at Xavier Learning Community and Dean of Saengtham College, Xavier Campus. Both institutions agreed that the MPBI student teachers would arrive in Chiang Rai on October 3, 2025.

During their practicum, the five MPBI student teachers conducted several courses at Xavier Learning Community and Saengtham College, Xavier Campus. These included Paragraph Writing Drills, Review of Writing Mechanics (Grammar and Punctuation), and Reading Comprehension Techniques, designed primarily for senior students at XLC (Batch 2022). Additionally, they organized a Public Speaking Workshop for selected first- and second-year students from Saengtham College. The workshop aimed to enhance students’ speaking competence and confidence in delivering presentations. The MPBI student teachers not only provided lectures but also engaged participants in interactive sessions, encouraging them to present and demonstrate their learning outcomes.

Such activities proved highly beneficial for students at Xavier Learning Community and Saengtham College, fostering their English proficiency while promoting intercultural exchange and collaboration. Likewise, for the MPBI student teachers, the program offered valuable international teaching experience, allowing them to apply their pedagogical knowledge in a multicultural learning environment.

This collaboration has brought mutual benefits to both institutions. For XLC and Saengtham College, the presence of MPBI student teachers provided innovative teaching approaches and meaningful cross-cultural engagement. For MPBI Sanata Dharma University, the practicum offered authentic teaching practice and professional growth opportunities for its students. Both parties hope that this partnership will continue and expand in the future, with ongoing improvements to strengthen its impact on English language education.

Written by Yoannes Yuka Krisdianata (2018 MPBI Alumnus)