Dina Riana

My name is Dina, and I completed my master’s degree in TESOL at the University of Hull in 2023. My dissertation topic was the teaching effectiveness of native and non-native English teachers in the Indonesian context. I brought up this topic to disprove the myth that lingered around the TESOL profession, claiming that a native speaker is the best English teacher. I aimed to raise awareness regarding this disparity and different treatment, where non-native teachers gain disadvantages.

As an intern in Treaties Spaces Research Group (TSRG), I work along with Dr Laura Gillespie to transcribe and contextualise materials collated from key archival sites in North America, including the Newberry Library (Chicago), the Peabody Museum (Harvard University), Library and Archives Canada (Ottawa), and the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.

Being part of this research group, I have the opportunity to enhance my research skills and learn more about native Americans and their marginalised life. This opportunity will have a significant impact towards my goal as a researcher. I am indebted to TSRG and hope to contribute to this project in a way this project benefits my future. If I am not working, I will be spending time with my family, (might be) playing piano and teaching English to Indonesians. Working with colleagues, I plan to develop a more accessible English course(s) for Indonesians who cannot afford the fees.