Japanese Language Department (PBJ) of Faculty of Language Education (FPB) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) conducted a public lecture that the speaker was a Japanese native speaker, Mr. Koji Oikawa, Head of Oikawa Camp. The public lecture was held on Friday (14/10) at A.R. Fachruddin A, floor 5.

Mr. Oikawa presented kaiwa (speaking) learning methods. He discussed further aisatsu (greetings) and what students should do before learning Japanese.

Head of PBJ, Sonda Sanjaya, informed that Mr. Oikawa has visited UMY twice that his first visit was on April 2015 to be a speaker of Benkyoukai (Japanese Teacher Forum) ASPBJ of Central Java – Yogyakarta. “In his second visit, he delivered a different topic and different audiences. This public lecture was also attended by PBJ lecturers,” he stated.

The audiences were PBJ students of batch 2013 and 2014 since these both batches took Japanese Learning Methodology course. “It is expected that this public lecture enhance students’ knowledge of kaiwa (speaking) learning methods. Besides, Mr. Oikawa is arranging one-week Japanese training in various counties commenced in 2017. I wish that PBJ UMY can be one of the educational institutions provided by the training so that PBJ of UMY can become a good Japanese learning center,” he hoped.

Additionally, PBJ students of batch 2013, Yuli Fitri and Bagas Yunus were happy for being able to attend the public lecture. They admitted that the way of Mr. Oikawa’s delivering materials was interesting and gain students’ positive responses. “This was the first time I met an amazing lecturer. He inspired me to be like him,” Bagas expressed.