Learning language is more than simply turning your brain into a lexicon of verbs and nouns. Developing a true understanding of language is an intricate work of mashing syllables together, slotting words into the Merriam-Webster of our brain, and exploring a wide array of vocabularies before we carefully construct a coherent sentence. Having a conversation in another language about, let’s say, pineapple, requires more than the recollection of its colour, texture and taste—you should be able to project them into words.
Aside from the academic purpose of her visit to Universitas Airlangga, Assoc. Prof. Meuter also came for a cultural exchange. The night she arrived in Surabaya, she went to the classical music concert Ensemble Trielen presented by French musician in coordination with Institut Francais Indonesia (IFI) Surabaya. Right after the discussion of cognitive and language processing in the ‘Excellence with Morality’ hall at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Assoc. Prof. Meuter went on a city tour along with Mrs. Margaretha, one of the lecturers in the Faculty of Psychology, and two members of the Faculty Ambassador.
Assoc. Prof. Meuter’s visit to Universitas Airlangga did not only give us the understanding of human’s cognitive process and the motivation to learn another language, her views on Indonesia’s culture and society also gave us an insight on how prosperous our beloved nation is—alas, we don’t dedicate ourselves to nurture it, there are still many rooms for improvement. Hopefully, this pleasant experience helps creating a sense of devotion and social responsibility toward our society. (Faculty Ambassador/Sasanti)