Implementing a Comparative Syntax–Phonology Model to Strengthen Multilingual Academic Communication: A Community Engagement Program

Abstract

This community engagement program addressed the limited integration of comparative multilingual approaches in language learning at Beijing Foreign Studies University particularly for Mandarin-speaking students learning Indonesian and being introduced to Javanese language and culture. The program aimed to implement a comparative syntax–phonology model as a practical resource for strengthening cross-linguistic awareness and multilingual communication. A research-based participatory approach was employed through institutional coordination, needs analysis, classroom implementation, observation, partner discussion, and reflective evaluation. The program was conducted on May 2026 through collaboration between Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). The principal implementation involved 16 students in an Indonesian-language class and was extended to an Indonesian-language master’s class. Findings showed that the comparative module provided a systematic framework for connecting learners’ existing linguistic resources with Indonesian and Javanese, while multilingual mediation and authentic cultural materials supported classroom comprehensibility and engagement. The evaluation also identified the need for stronger visual support, more high-frequency communicative vocabulary, richer cultural materials, and more systematic multilingual mediation. The program concludes that comparative multilingual learning can serve as an adaptable model for international language education when linguistic comparison, cultural contextualization, partner participation, and iterative evaluation are integrated.