Putu Sadhvi Sita

Please tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Putu Sadhvi Sita. You can call me Sita. I come from Indonesia and currently pursuing my postgraduate degree at the University of Leeds with TESOL & ICT (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages & Information, Communication, and Technology) as my major. 

Before my Masters degree, I had various experiences teaching a diverse age group of students in group and one-on-one sessions. I had been working actively in several English courses and EdTech companies in Indonesia.

My friends and colleagues often recognise me as a creative, outspoken, full of passion, and highly adaptable individual who enjoys challenges.

I am currently the School of Education Representative 2021/22 at the University of Leeds and one of the MA TESOL Conference 2022 organising committees. I am a movie-goer, art and music enthusiast, and an avid fan of Japanese Anime and Manga. I speak mostly in English, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean.

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

After teaching as a K-12 English teacher for more than three years, I realised that Indonesia is still struggling in developing a language learning environment throughout the country, that is more attuned to technology and friendlier towards society. Both teachers and students were struggling to find a balance between developing immersive blended learning and adjusting the pedagogy to create betterment for Indonesian learners. The challenge of combining those things and providing solutions for both students and teachers is what leads me to this major. I believe that an MA in TESOL & ICT will give me more insight into my line of work and allows me to tackle the challenges bit by bit, especially by delving further into designing digital education and learning more about technology-enhanced language learning in courses provided at the University of Leeds.

Other than that, Leeds has been quite famous in my home country as one of the cities in the United Kingdom that has a diverse international community. I was thrilled to be a part of those communities and to have larger networking with people all around the world.

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study?

Throughout life, my aspiration in terms of prospective careers has been shared by both education and technology. My Bachelors major in Engineering has brought me to the realization that technology could give ease of access to most people, and it applies to any technology within all aspects of life, including the education sector. It is the core of my personal aim to connect both.

I was thrilled to see that through MA TESOL & ICT, the University of Leeds has allowed me to explore how my English classes could be elevated with technology and enhanced to achieve the goal of combining both sectors. Transcending the barrier to reaching greater audiences, combined with my wide experience of teaching in a variety of settings, makes me convinced that this programme would add value to my personal and professional development.

What do you think of your course so far – what aspects of the course have you enjoyed the most or are looking forward to the most?

After spending my two semesters in the course, I realized my personal goal was fulfilled thoroughly by the modules provided in MA TESOL & ICT. I was especially fascinated with the module about designing digital education because I had the chance to create a sustainable project to transform English classroom pedagogy based on digital game-based learning (DGBL) as my assignment. It enhanced my research creativity while pushing me to learn and apply the materials in the near future. 

I also enjoyed the fact that many international students are joining the course. This has given me a lot of insight into different pedagogies and teaching approach that has been shared by my peers based on their personal and professional experience. I also had a huge opportunity to do networking with people across the world.

What would you say about the learning facilities at the University of Leeds?

The learning facilities at the University of Leeds have been proven to be efficient for students, whether they are studying full-time or part-time. 

As a full-time student myself, I have had the experience to indulge in immersive blended learning with Minerva to help me give an outline for my course through two semesters, and as a digital archive and repository for all my registered modules. 

Meanwhile, when I have to go for my offline seminar, the classrooms that I have been in are high-tech with lots of support to make sure that learners could have equal access to what we have in both online and offline settings.

It was a great experience to be able to experience both aspects.

How do you find the student support from the School?

The student support here is varied and helpful to cater for my needs while I am living in Leeds. I have used some of the services provided by the university such as the Student Wellbeing and the Career Centre.

My overall experiences with some of the services were exceptional. The university helped me a lot personally and professionally, and the responses I got from the services aligned with what I wanted and needed.

What other activities are available for students to take part in outside of their studies, and which ones have you tried out yourself?

I have been engaged in many societies and clubs during my first term living in Leeds. I joined the Symphonic Choir and performed in their Winter Concert while socialising in several clubs that are related to my interests such as Video Game society, Anime and Manga society, LUU Japanese Society and LUU Wine Society. 

I joined several activities that were also initiated by several clubs in the university or by LUU (Leeds University Union) such as trips to Scarborough, Knaresborough, Blackpool, and many more.

I think as an international student, the University and LUU’s clubs, societies and trips helped me not only save money for trips and indulge in my hobbies, but also expanded my network and meet a lot of new people outside my major. 

What do you think about Leeds as a city?

Leeds is such a wonderful city. It is perfect for me who has been living in a busy and crowded city like Jakarta. While everything is within reach, Leeds also provides calmness amid bustling city life. 

As it is also a city in the middle of England, I think living in Leeds makes it easier for me to have trips anywhere around the UK and even to the EU, at an affordable price. Some various places and landmarks are near to the city which makes it exciting to be explored.

Community-wise, I like the diversity of people who live here. It makes me feel like I am not alone in a new country and continent. It was an overall amazing experience for me to have the chance to live in Leeds.

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course?

I am very excited to see lots of new people coming into MA TESOL, especially those experienced teachers who strive to find solutions through research. The modules provided are very engaging, and the materials are mostly relatable to what we have done in our work and will contribute more to what you will be doing in the future.

On the other hand, Leeds is such a friendly city with diverse communities within, so it won’t be a hassle for you to adapt and enjoy life over here. Everything is pretty much affordable and will be overall a fun experience to remember for a lifetime.

What do you plan to do once you’ve finished your course? What are you career aspirations?

As an MA TESOL & ICT student, I am striving to continue my career in the education technology field. I am currently working as an assistant learning technologist in the higher education field and will continue to explore career paths in e-learning development.