Students of the Applied Foreign Language study program at UNDIP, Avilfah Kiesha Felia and Hanniar Rahma Anjani, are currently undergoing an internship program at a golf company called Gifu Spring Golf Club located in Yaotsu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan for a period of 1 year starting on June 12, 2025. In the internship program, they are placed in various fields such as the front office, restaurant waiters, and cook helpers. In the front office, they learn how to serve guests with high standards of Japanese hospitality, from greetings to helping provide information regarding the game system and helping provide things that visitors need. As restaurant waiters, they practice communication skills, accuracy, and speed in working in a new environment. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the role as cook helpers gives them the opportunity to understand discipline, cleanliness, and urgency in the food serving process. In this internship program, not only Avilfah and Hanniar are doing an internship at the company, but also a student from the Japanese Language Education study program at Surabaya State University, named Atha Nur Faisya.
Besides the challenges of adapting to a different language and work culture, this program also improves their Japanese language skills and makes them more fluent. The program is also filled with fun and new experiences, such as interacting with international customers, sampling Japanese cuisine, and experiencing the atmosphere of Japanese golf courses, which each season offers a different atmosphere and menu.
Through this internship experience, they not only hone their technical skills in the professional Japanese workplace but also gain valuable intercultural learning. As students in the Applied Foreign Languages Program, their immersion in a foreign work environment provides a concrete opportunity to apply the communication and linguistic theories they have learned in their studies to their daily lives. Every interaction with guests, staff, and superiors at the company provides an opportunity for them to understand the meaning of non-verbal communication, polite diction and word choices in a Japanese business context (keigo), and the importance of accuracy and politeness in service.
More than just professional training, this program also strengthens the character values and global work ethic expected of Applied Foreign Languages graduates. Through the Japanese work system, known for its high level of discipline, strict hygiene standards, and harmonious teamwork culture, they learn that foreign language proficiency is measured not only by fluency but also by the ability to adapt to the values and norms of the surrounding culture. This experience is expected to foster intercultural competence, a crucial foundation for building a career in the international workplace.