UI graduates 19 foreign students of Bahasa<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Course for Foreign Speakers
\n(BIPA) of the University of Indonesia graduated 19 students at
\nthe university's campus on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The 19 graduates are part of 92 BIPA students from various
\ncountries including Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, India,
\nTaiwan and China.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was highlighted by a number of Indonesian dances, a
\nskit on a traditional East Java wedding and gamelan music.<\/p>\n
Sapardi Djoko Damono, dean at the university's School of Letters,
\nwhich oversees BIPA, said at the graduation ceremony that BIPA
\noffers students Bahasa Indonesia Plus.<\/p>\n
"It means that apart from learning Bahasa Indonesia intensively,
\nstudents also learn about social and cultural systems in Indonesia,
\ngamelan musical instruments and traditional dances as extra
\ncurricular activities," Sapardi said.<\/p>\n
The course itself was first launched in 1966 with regular programs
\nbeing conducted in three semester: BIPA I, II and III.<\/p>\n
BIPA I and II focus on practical matters, while BIPA III focuses
\non composition, including scientific writing. The lessons range from
\nunderstanding audio and audiovisuals, conversation, reading,
\ncomposition and grammar as well as lectures on social and cultural
\nsystems.<\/p>\n
Felicia Utoro Dewo, the BIPA program coordinator, said the program
\nis focusing on language study for academic purposes.
\n"Students can learn about basic survival language skills to
\nintermediate skills so they can carry an in-depth conversation,"
\nFelicia said.<\/p>\n
"They can use all the facilities on campus and participate in many
\nof the schools activities," she said.<\/p>\n
Felicia said the students of the program are a mixture of
\ndiplomats, businessmen, housewives and students of many disciplines.<\/p>\n
Obviously their motives for studying Indonesian vary but because
\nthe program is quite intensive, from Monday to Friday, they need to
\nbe committed, she said.<\/p>\n
V. Malingham, one of the three honor graduates, said: "The first
\ntwo words I heard in Bahasa Indonesia were terima kasih (thank you)
\nat the airport. At that time I could not reply anything."<\/p>\n
As an Indian diplomat working in the Indian embassy in the city,
\nhe wanted to learn Indonesian but had to juggle the time to fit his
\nstudies.<\/p>\n
Another honor student, Lee Chan-uk from South Korea said that he
\ncame to Indonesia, at the invitation of his friends, in his capacity
\nas a physicist. Later he was interested in learning the language of
\nthe country he lived in.<\/p>\n
Lee admitted that most Koreans do not have much knowledge about
\nIndonesia but he was sure the condition would improve in the near
\nfuture in line with the increasing roles the country plays on the
\ninternational scene.<\/p>\n
He even encouraged his wife, whom he married recently, to follow
\nhim to Indonesia and learn the language at BIPA too. (22)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ui-graduates-19-foreign-students-of-bahasa-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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