{"id":240269,"date":"2025-06-14T16:54:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T08:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/?p=240269"},"modified":"2025-06-14T16:55:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-14T08:55:31","slug":"utm-iep-students-immerse-in-cultural-day-in-historic-malacca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/utm-iep-students-immerse-in-cultural-day-in-historic-malacca\/","title":{"rendered":"UTM IEP Students Immerse in Cultural Day in Historic Malacca"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>MELAKA, June 4<\/strong> \u2013 A total of 83 international students from the Intensive English Programme (IEP) under the Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), recently enjoyed a cultural immersion trip to Malacca. The trip offered more than just sightseeing. It brought Malaysia\u2019s rich heritage to life through hands-on exploration, meaningful interactions, and memorable experiences, including collaboration and cultural engagement with local UTM students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium wp-image-847925\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-06-11-at-09.50.41_73e9da4d-551x368.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847925\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UTM IEP students at Malacca Heritage Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Accompanied by 20 local UTM students who served as cultural buddies and four dedicated language instructors, the IEP students began their journey at the Malacca Heritage Studios. There, they explored replicas of traditional Malay homes from various states, including Kelantan, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, and Sabah. Each structure showcased unique architectural styles and interior designs, giving students a tangible connection to the country\u2019s multicultural roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-847926 size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/APC_5789-367x551.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847926\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Exploring Malaysia\u2019s traditional home styles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-847927 size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CY9A2876-551x367.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847927\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trying traditional Chinese music tools<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The immersive experience continued as students tried traditional Chinese musical instruments and learned about cultural artifacts representing Malaysia\u2019s ethnic diversity. A vibrant cultural dance performance at the venue\u2019s main stage became the highlight of the morning. Students were not only spectators but also active participants, joining the performers in dance and celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium wp-image-847929\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/APC_6308-551x367.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847929\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dance with the performers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The group later proceeded to Casa Del Rio Hotel, where they enjoyed a delicious local lunch by the scenic Melaka River. The elegant setting provided a relaxing environment for international students and their buddies to connect and reflect over food. In the afternoon, students took part in a walking tour of Malacca\u2019s historical landmarks, guided by their UTM buddies. They visited iconic locations such as Jonker Street, the Malacca River, and Dataran Pahlawan. The tour gave students the chance to practice English in real-life interactions and experience the living history of Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-847931 size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CY9A3163-551x367.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847931\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Touring with awesome buddies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-847932 size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/APC_6597-367x551.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847932\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sharing experiences, building friendships<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For many students, the excursion was both educational and personally enriching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI learned about the history of Malaysia and its traditions. I used English to speak with the teachers, buddies, and even the cameraman. This is how I can improve my English,\u201d <\/em>said <strong>Ashraf Awab<\/strong>, an IEP student.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zhao Qianqian<\/strong> added, <em>\u201cMy favourite part was visiting Jonker Street. The street food and lively atmosphere were so exciting. I learned how Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures have a big influence on Malaysia. I used English a lot during the trip. For example, when I asked a seller about prices at Jonker Street.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the group returned to UTM, students brought back more than souvenirs. They carried lasting memories, greater language confidence, and a deeper appreciation of Malaysia\u2019s cultural richness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-847933 size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.utm.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CY9A3185-551x367.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-847933\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Group photo before we return back to UTM Skudai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This cultural visit is one of the many experiential learning initiatives under the IEP. It is designed to bring language learning beyond the classroom and into real-life, intercultural contexts that encourage communication, connection, and cultural understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prepared by: Siti Rahmah Abdullah &amp; Nur Hazwani Mohd Muhridza<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MELAKA, June 4 \u2013 A total of 83 international students from the Intensive English Programme (IEP) under the Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), recently enjoyed a cultural immersion trip to Malacca. The trip offered more than just sightseeing. It brought Malaysia\u2019s rich heritage to life through hands-on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4176,"featured_media":240270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-240269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240271,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240269\/revisions\/240271"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humanities.utm.my\/languageacademy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}