By Kuan Wee Ling (Elective Language Course Coordinator, FELC)
On 21 June 2025, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) brought the world to Sibu through a vibrant language outreach program held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sacred Heart. The Foreign Languages Roadshow 2025gathered nearly300 studentsfrom six primary and secondary schools across the region, all eager to explore the world of foreign languages and cultures.
Flying in from Kuching to support the event were key representatives from the Faculty of Education, Language and Communication (FELC) UNIMAS:
- Dr. Dilah Bin Tuah, Dean of FELC
- Dr. Remmy Gedat, Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Studies, FELC
- Pn. Kuan Wee Ling, Elective Language Course Coordinator, FELC
- Dr. Rokiah Binti Paee, Japanese language instructor, FELC
- Mr. Rodolphe Gilles Point, French language instructor, FELC
- Pn. Siti Marina binti Kamil, Korean language coordinator, FELC
The event was officiated by Dr. Gregory Hii, Secretary of the School Management Board, who praised UNIMAS for promoting foreign language learning as a way to develop globally competitive students.
Also in attendance, Dr. Dilah Tuah emphasized that learning new languages builds bridges between cultures and opens doors for young people to succeed on the international stage.
Mr. David Teo Wu, Principal of SMK Sacred Heart, called the program a golden opportunity for students to see how mastering a second or third language can benefit their future studies and careers.
The school hall buzzed with excitement as students rotated between booths featuring language quizzes, cultural displays, andhands-on activities. They learned how to write their names in different scripts, discovered traditional games, and picked up simple vocabulary from Japanese, Korean, and French.
One Form 6 student shared his excitement:
“I’m interested in studying at UNIMAS. I want to take a foreign language when I get in.”
Here’s a glimpse of what each booth had to offer:
- Japanese Booth: Students had fun with kendama (a traditional toy) and tried their hand at origami. The hall echoed with laughter as they folded paper cranes and explored Japanese culture.
- Korean Booth: Students were thrilled to see their names written in Hangul, the Korean alphabet.
- French Booth: They answered fun quizzes and learned French words used in daily life — like croissant, a word (and pastry!) already familiar to many.
The UNIMAS language instructors created a joyful and memorable experience, hoping to spark lasting interest in language learning. Their warm approach and interactive methods inspired students to think beyond borders and embrace the global world around them.
This initiative reflects UNIMAS’s ongoing commitment to language education, cultural exchange, and community engagement. It also strengthens a meaningful partnership with SMK Sacred Heart, which began in 2018, focused on enriching language learning at the grassroots level.