Aiming to be Different: the New Hi-tech Player in Jakarta's English Language Education Sector

Aiming to be Differentthings in common: - Internationally recognized
The new hi-tech player in Jakarta's English languagequalifications, years of experience of teaching English
education sector.to Indonesians, and genuine passion for the English
By David Keating.language and teaching. Unlike some less reputable
Jakarta, May 5th 2007language schools, Aim's native-speakers are 'here to
Both learning and using the English language have nowstay' (they're not glorified backpackers with a job).
become a major part of the lives of many Indonesians.Teacher training and development is a continual
From a young age children begin learning English atprocess at Aim, and all staff strive for perfection.
schools, meaning the majority of Indonesians who1.Range of support services and facilities & 3.
complete formal school education have at least aComfortable learning environment
basic grasp of the fundamentals of the language.Aim's facilities really help it stand out from the crowd.
Increasingly, families are recognizing that children whoTheir approach is to go 'hi-tech', implementing 'Smart'
take language education one step further are getting atouch-screen white boards in classrooms and
'head start' on their peers when it comes to higherMP3-based listening activities. Gone are the days of
education and the employment market. From an earlycassettes and chalk boards; listening activities are now
age, some modern Indonesian families (especially thosecontrolled by the white board and piped out via 5.1
in the big cities) incorporate English into the daily lives ofdigital surround-sound speakers.
their children through family conversation andAim's custom-designed interior creates a modern,
after-school language classes. The result of thisbright stimulating place to relax or study. Walk through
upsurge in demand for language education has beenthe door off Jalan Padang into an air-conditioned
an increasing number of language schools, andlounge-café, featuring a computer section, a
nowhere can this trend better be seen than inlibrary, and plenty of places to sit in comfort and read
Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta.a newspaper with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
A bewildering variety of English language courses areOnce enrolled, students have access to Aim's free
on offer for Jakarta's youth, from 'private' classes withwireless internet service, providing a hi-speed
individual teachers to the array of different types ofbroadband connection in all communal areas and class
programs offered by the multitude of commercialrooms.
language schools in the city. There are now EnglishAlso worthy of note is Aim's one-of-a-kind 'e-notice
courses aimed at people from all walks of life, and forboard'. The owners of Aim have done away with the
an array of different purposes:traditional cork pin-boards, and now have a giant
Academic English, Business English, IELTS preparation,projector-screen display on the café wall. This is
General English, Conversation, TOEFL preparation,a portal for all of the latest news, special events,
writing classes, business communication, ESP(Englishoffers, schedules and messages. This innovative
for specific purposes)… the list goessolution is part of Aim's drive to save paper. Other
on…strategies are: emailing homework to students, reusing
2 questions will be addressed here:paper, and recycling used paper. This
1.What are students looking for in a Jakarta languageenvironmentally-friendly policy helps to keep students'
schoolfees as reasonable as possible.
2.Where can all of their needs be met?2.Close to home/office
What are students looking for in a Jakarta languageGeographically, Aim really is at the heart of the city.
school?You only have to look as far as 'Google! Earth' Aim is
Formal market research, combined with extensiveright under the marker for 'Jakarta'!
personal investigation, has shown that the 5 highestThere's convenient access for the residential areas of
ranking factors in choosing a language school inJakarta, as well as the main central office districts of
Jakarta are as follows (1=most important, 5=leastSudirman and Kuningan.
important):Aim's classes are small (usually 6-8 students), so
1.Experienced, fun teachers.students receive plenty of personal attention. Out of
2.Range of support services and facilitiesclass, students can contact teachers via email or sms
3.Comfortable learning environment7 days per week, and teachers make themselves
4.Reasonable priceavailable for casual conversation in the café as
5.Close to home/officeoften as possible.
Where can all of the students' needs be met?Aim also features an impartial 'Overseas Study
With so many schools and so many teachers, JakartaInformation Centre', where students can find out about
already caters for each of the above mentionedoverseas study, get help with applications, and receive
factors. However, very few institutions are able toadvice on the complicated enrollment and student visa
offer them all and more besides. The new player onprocess
the language school scene in Jakarta is 'Aim forSo finally it seems like people looking for a quality
English', a small Manggarai-based centre offering 'thelanguage course which delivers 'the personal touch'
personal touch', as well as courses, services and(while embracing the future) can find what they're
facilities currently unparalleled in Indonesia.looking for in the heart of Jakarta. has details of staff,
Innovative language solutionscourses, facilities and current special offers.
1.Experienced, fun teachers.Look for the forum too; it's a chance for anyone to get
Aim for English (Aim) has teachers from Indonesia andfree online advice from the English language experts.
from English-speaking countries. They all have severalContact: for more information.