The document discusses the benefits the author gained from joining English clubs in high school and university. In high school, the author joined a club run by university students and learned debating skills. This led to the author being selected for a regional debate competition. In university, the author helped start an English club to improve speaking skills. The club invited a native English speaker to help members. Through consistent participation and setting clear goals, the author was able to significantly improve their English abilities.

1. MY STORY1:
selected to represent West Nusa Tenggara in a
SELF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AN
ENGLISH CLUB
National Debate Competition.
I learnt many valuable lessons from that English
Marham Jupri Hadi2.
club as well as from taking part in the debate
East Lombok, 28/11/2013
competition. One of the most important lessons I
learnt that it is important to have a goal when
Joining an English Debating club at school
learning English. Goals will be our both internal
and external motivation to trigger us to study
When I was in senior high school, I joined an
English club organized by a group of university
students, who had their teaching practicum in
my school. I was in my second year at the
harder and harder. Without having goals, we
might
find
discouraging
learning
as
there
English
are
aimless
a
number
and
of
challenges facing the learners.
moment. They trained us a few things and one of
which was English debating skills. I was very
Another thing that I learnt is that it is crucial to
enthusiastic to enhance my English language
interact using the language we have learnt. To be
skills and be more proactive in all of the club
able to interact in English, we are required to
activities.
have friends who have the same interest. Such
friends are available in an English Club.
After a few meetings, we were to take part in a
West
Nusa
Tenggara
school
debating
championship. For me, it was quite breathtaking
as we had to compete against delegates from all
regencies in West Nusa Tenggara. Fortunately,
we had a really encouraging trainer who kept
supporting us mentally and coached us. As a
result, during the competition, I was nominated
to be the best speaker although I failed to be
1
It is especially written for English Study Club
members of Nahdlatul Wathan University Mataram
Being a member in a language community in
University
When I was in my first year in the university, my
English was still quite poor. That made me feels
less confident with it. However, after sharing my
feeling with others classmates, I found that I was
not the only person who felt such a feeling. I was
happy with that situation as knowing that reality
helped reduce my psychological burden. In
contrast, I tried to improve my spoken English by
2
A post graduate student of University of
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
getting involved in a language community. To be

2. honest, we did not have any club for many years
relationship with that guy and we eventually
in English language education. But because we
became good friends until our graduation.
needed it, then some friends and I decided to
Some Important points
organize one. We named the club Mataram
English community.
1. Know your expectations
2. Share your common interests
In that club, our focus was only to develop
speaking and listening skills because we were
weak in those areas. Only a few students
3. Set club goals
4. Design and run the programs
5. Be consistent and focus to reach your goals
participated in our club, however number of
members was not our big concern. Instead, we
It is worth bearing in mind that all those aspects
were quite happy to have such a club because it
would not change anything in you until you start
enabled us to interact in English. To be honest,
doing them. Therefore, I strongly recommend
that club looked a bit strange for other students
that everyone being a member in an English
in English language department. We did not care
study club should identify their own expectation
about their comments. We only cared about our
to join an English club. Afterwards, they have to
own goals.
share their expectation or motivation in order to
get input from other members. Following that,
Setting the club programs
every body’s expectations should be seen as the
Our goals were clear and we needed to have
club goals. Based on the goals, they can design
relevant programs to help us reach our goals. We
the relevant programs and implement them.
discussed the programs and planned everything
Lastly, it is highly recommended that each club
regarding the programs. One of our programs
members focus to reach the goals. All the best!!!
was to invite a native speaker to our club. Thanks
God, we were very fortunate to have an American
guy who voluntarily became our regular native
speaker. It was very encouraging for us. We
learnt about pronunciation and a variety of
interactive activities to improve our spoken
English. Furthermore, we tried to make a good