The common stereotypes surrounding linguistics are the vast volume of evolving theories and specialized scholarly discourse. However, Bincang Karier Linguistik UGM 2025 has demonstrated that linguistic contributions to society extend beyond academic subjects. Hosted by Siti Radibah Imatufariq, Linguistics Master’s Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, invited three alumni across different fields to share their journeys and experiences working in multilingual societies.

This event was held online on Saturday, October 11, 2025, featuring three resource persons: Dr. Ike Revita, S.S., M.Hum., a lecturer in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Andalas; Dr. Restu Sukesti, M.Hum., a researcher in Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN); and Prayudi Wijaya, M.A., a legal translator and a court interpreter. In this discussion, these speakers shared valuable reflections on the work challenges and linguistic opportunities in the academic landscape, AI configuration, translation, creative industries, and language policies.

Drawing on over 25 years as a lecturer, Dr. Ike Revita, S.S., M.Hum. acknowledged the discrepancy between theoretical frameworks and practical reality. Therefore, she emphasizes case-based learning in the class to help students stay relevant to the world’s current issues and prepare them for professional practices. The role of linguistics is also heavily encouraged in cultural preservation. Dr. Restu Sukesti, M.Hum., who works on language conservation at BRIN, suggests how many indigenous languages in Indonesia remain unexplored and at risk of extinction. She further invites Linguistics graduates to join and preserve the cultural legacy by documenting traditional languages across Indonesia through research. As a language practitioner in localization, Prayudi Wijaya, M.A. unraveled broader prospects for Linguistics students in legal, creative, marketing, and technical industries.

Given the significant growth of AI, the three alumni present a proactive and positive stance toward the technology. They suggest that instead of wariness, Linguistics students should reflect and adapt to AI, aligning with the field’s inherently dynamic nature. Prayudi Wijaya, M.A., even demonstrated that the translation field does not perceive AI as a threat. Instead, he stated that it is the role of linguists to provide contextualization that improves a text’s legibility. The event concluded with a remark for a prospective collaboration between scholars and practitioners to establish a thorough documentation on language variation and to provide an adaptive standardization in the translation industry.

The Linguistics Master’s Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held an insightful workshop on writing and publishing articles in reputable journals on September 22, 2025. In this meeting, Dr. Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum., introduced the mechanisms of journal publication and manuscript preparation, as well as delivering best practices for publishing articles in accredited, highly-regarded journals, such as SINTA and Scopus. The aspiring lecturer has successfully published seven manuscripts in Scopus-indexed journals in recent years, a feat that inspires the students to enhance their writing, collaboration, and scholarly contribution.

In manuscript preparation, Dr. Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum. emphasizes the importance of novelty in theory and methodology, as well as presenting the move structure to improve the clarity of an article. She added that linguistics also grows and adapts to current issues, thus contributing to a world that constantly grapples with ever-evolving topics, such as climate and environmental issues. She further gives an instance that the development of corpus-assisted methodology and critical ecological approaches is a fresh nuance in linguistic studies, valuable for addressing the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The session also features a series of discussions focused on manuscripts submitted by student volunteers, with a critical review of their clarity, cohesion, and grammatical issues. Each work is examined using the checklist derived from the provided parameters. For example, the writer should consider establishing a territory, establishing a niche, and further occupying the niche in the introduction. It is also important to contextualize the research and provide a comprehensive methodology by thoroughly describing the study and building credibility.

When it comes to challenges in international publication, Dr. Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum., constantly invites student collaborations and the involvement of local data with a global perspective. It inspires linguistic students to try their luck at publishing in reputable journals and to perceive rejections as a free valuable feedback. It is valuable to navigate their academic journey better, especially in redefining their focus, novelty, and impact factors. This activity finally fosters an understanding of writing ethics, reference management, and publication procedures that form an academic culture that encourages students to contribute to the field of linguistics.

The Master’s Program in Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a public lecture titled “Outside Perspectives: Language Classification in Multilingual Oral Corpora” at the R. Soegondo Auditorium. The event welcomed both the academic community and the general public, featuring Dr. Zara Maxwell-Smith, Lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), UNSW Canberra, as the keynote speaker.

The lecture was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Suhandano, M.A., Head of the Linguistics Master’s Program. In his remarks, he encouraged participants to collaborate in advancing linguistic research and to take full advantage of the opportunity to learn from the invited speaker.

In her presentation, Dr. Maxwell-Smith highlighted the major challenges of building a multilingual oral corpus. She explained that such corpora are difficult to annotate and describe, noting obstacles such as managing non-verbal signals, converting oral communication into cross-linguistic written systems, transcriber subjectivity, and the extensive time required for manual transcription.

She then presented findings from her research on Indonesian language teaching for non-native speakers (BIPA) in classroom settings. According to her, teacher speech is a professional practice that carries risks if not managed carefully, as training data may shape perceptions of teaching practices as well as teachers’ own understanding of their work. She emphasized the importance of employing sensitive approaches to prevent negative impacts on the professional reputation of educators.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Maxwell-Smith also emphasized the empirical benefits of the research. Her findings can inform teachers, curriculum developers, researchers, and policymakers. More broadly, the study contributes to the improvement of Indonesian language teaching, provides resources for bilingual NLP development, and positions education at the core of NLP technology applications.

The air was filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation as new 2025 Linguistic students gathered for a special welcoming event on August 14th, 2025. The program has led a student gathering to mark the start of their academic journey. This event was meticulously planned to introduce the newly enrolled students to the program, campus community, and the opportunities that lay ahead.

The event commenced with a series of formal addresses. Firstly, the chairperson of the committee, Aninda Ayu, delivered a welcoming speech, highlighting the importance of the gathering and the potential that each new student brings to the university. This was followed by a heartfelt address from the Kalingga’s chairperson, Rezki Ramadhani, who introduced the organization’s role in fostering a vibrant student community and providing support for all members.

Next, the head of the study program, Prof. Dr. Suhandano, M.A., offered a pivotal two-part session. First, a warm speech that welcomes the new students, and the second is a comprehensive academic information session. The Head of the Study Program also outlined the study plan mechanism, academic policies, and the faculty’s resources to accommodate students’ research. “This activity provides insight for batch 2025 students to understand the study flow and culture in FIB UGM, as well as getting to know the three concentrations, descriptive linguistics, sociolinguistics, and translation better.  It allows a thorough discussion between the head of the study program, student organization, and all students to prepare and adapt to the new academic term,” said Rizky Alida, the representative of the Linguistics Program.

The atmosphere then shifted to a more relaxed and joyful mood with a special entertainment segment from various linguistics students. The event was further concluded with two key activities focused on community building and leadership. It is the further introduction of Kalingga, an integral part of the student body. It provided an opportunity for new students to learn about the organization and how they could become involved. Finally, the election of the class chairman was held, and Nawalul Fawaid El Haqi was elected as the class chairman of the Linguistics batch of 2025.

By the end of the day, the new students left with not only a clearer understanding of their academic path but also a sense of belonging and community. “I was initially confused about what specialization to take, but now I have an overview of what each specialization will be like. It really helped me to navigate my future research,” said Annisa Eka Octaviani, one of the new Linguistics students. They are ready to embrace the opportunities that await them.