Published in Springer – Palgrave Macmillan, Multisensory CALL Book by Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. Offers More Effective and Inclusive Neuroscience-Based Literacy Pedagogy in the Digital Era
Cirebon, June 26, 2025 — An innovative work was born from the land of the Indonesian archipelago and immediately echoed throughout the world. Multisensory CALL for Under-Resourced Universities and Schools in Indonesia, written by Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. as the lead author, is now officially available globally (Multisensory CALL for Under-Resourced Universities and Schools in Indonesia | SpringerLink). Published through Springer (Switzerland) which is the parent company of Palgrave Macmillan (United Kingdom), this book is real proof that the intellectual work of the English Language Education lecturer at UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon has become an accelerator of a campus vision that is oriented towards excellence and is world-class.
In addition to being published and sold online (for hardcover and softcover) through Springer, this book can now be ordered and purchased on various well-known online bookstore platforms around the world, starting from Amazon (United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, France, Portugal, Spain, Australia), Waterstones (England), Foyles (England), Indigo (Canada), Adlibris (Sweden), Aladin (South Korea), Saxo (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland), Lehmanns Media (Germany), Dussmann (Germany), Die Fachbuchhandlung (Germany), Krisostomus (Estonia), Open Trolley (Indonesia), Korean Online Book Store, Bokelai (Taiwan), Akademikbokhandel (Sweden), Spiel-Leselade.ch (Switzerland), Staempfli Recht.ch (Switzerland), Donner.nl (Netherlands), VitalSource (United States), Rakuten (Japan), Books.com.tw (Taiwan), Knygos Lt (Lithunia), La Feltrinelli (Italy), Booklooker (Germany), IBS It (Italy), Abbeys (Australia), HOEPLI.it (Italy), Kyokuto Shoten/Far Eastern Booksellers (Japan), Wagnersche Buchhandlung (Germany) making it accessible to international readers without geographical limitations.
This is an extraordinary achievement that makes us proud of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (UINSSC), where Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. serves as a lecturer and Director of the International Office. As a state Islamic higher education institution under the auspices of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, UINSSC has proven that high-quality academic work can be born from educational centers in remote parts of the archipelago. With a strong commitment to the development of science and international cooperation, UINSSC fully supports the academic activities of its lecturers and leaders in the global arena, as seen through the publication of this book under the prestigious world imprint, Springer–Palgrave Macmillan. This book has now become a symbol of pride and intellectual identity of UINSSC, as well as a real manifestation of the institution's contribution to the global education conversation.
This book is a concrete answer to the challenges of education in institutions with minimal resources. Carrying the concept of Multisensory Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), this work combines the Affective Neuroscience approach and Adaptive Learning Technology to create an effective and inclusive learning method. The multisensory approach helps students learn more optimally through visual, audio, movement, and emotional stimulation—a strategy that has been proven to improve language skills and active participation in the learning process. This book is a real solution to the learning crisis in Indonesia, as reflected in the decline in the English Proficiency Index and PISA results over the past two decades.
By adopting approaches such as the Verbotonal Approach, Reading for Emotions, and Aesthetics, the authors show how brain-based learning tools can create rich, immersive, and enjoyable educational experiences. The result? Students are no longer passive recipients, but protagonists in their own learning process and are able to write academic English texts without having to rely on memory for grammar and vocabulary.
"I am very grateful that finally this book can be enjoyed by educators, researchers, and policy makers, especially those related to the field of inclusive digital learning around the world," said Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. She emphasized that the process of compiling this book was carried out with high dedication, in-depth research, and cross-border collaboration. A publication that is not only theoretical, but also applicable and relevant to the real world. This book provides new hope for schools and universities that have limited infrastructure, by offering inclusive learning practices. This is not only a technological innovation, but also a philosophical transformation of how education should be designed: humane, interactive, and student-centered.
The team of authors involved in this project are big names in the fields of language education and learning technology. Luqman Baehaqi, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer at UIN Palangka Raya, Indonesia, as well as Director of the International Office and Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service, brings extensive experience in multisensory and neuroscience-based approaches to language learning. With a Ph.D. in Teacher Education from Charles Darwin University, Australia, he focuses on EFL curriculum innovation and improving academic writing skills. Professor Ania Lian, Ph.D., senior academic at Charles Darwin University, Australia, is known as a pioneer in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and student-centered pedagogy. She developed an innovative model called Reading for Emotion (RfE) that integrates neuroscience, technology, and culturally responsive teaching to improve emotional literacy and learning. Meanwhile, Professor Andrew-Peter Lian, Ph.D., one of the leading figures in language education in Asia, is currently a professor at Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Canberra, Australia. As President of AsiaCALL, he leads the development of technology-based learning in the Asian region and has contributed to the development of rhizomatic systems, precision education, and neuroscience-based multisensory approaches.
The cross-border collaboration between these experts has created a work that is rich in perspective and globally relevant. Although they come from different backgrounds, they agree that technology should be used to empower, not widen the gap. Every page in this book is the result of intense collaborative work, with a noble goal: to make education accessible to all, including those who have been neglected. The result is a learning model that can be applied not only in Indonesia, but also in other developing countries.
“We want to show that Indonesia not only accepts the world narrative, but also helps shape it,” said Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. in her reflection on the meaning of this book. The presence of this work on the international stage opens up new opportunities for cross-country academic collaboration and inspires the young generation of Indonesia to not hesitate to contribute globally. With a strong scientific spirit and an inclusive vision of education, Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. has made a new history in the world of education. And now, the whole world can witness how Indonesia rises with its original, relevant, and impactful ideas. As Editor-in-Chief of ELT ECHO and co-host of the Teaching and Learning English with AsiaCALL podcast, Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. continues to strive to expand the space for academic discussion and language education practices in Asia. Through this book, she has succeeded in bringing strategic issues in English language learning on campus to the global stage, proving that the challenges of education in underdeveloped regions are not something to be covered up, but rather a universal dilemma that deserves the world’s attention. This is the time for Indonesia to not only be an observer, but also an initiator of new narratives in the transformation of world education.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri