Indonesian catching on in Australia

Indonesian catching on in Australia

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE (JP): In 1956, teaching of Bahasa Indonesia began in
Australian universities. Looking back now, it seemed simple and
straightforward. The students learned grammar, structure and
translation, lesson in, lesson out. Then in 1969, Javanese came
on the scene too, followed by Sundanese in 1974.

In the meantime, as the programs developed, the number of
students increased, and courses were introduced in secondary
school level, the grammar-translation method gave way to more
communicative methods in the late 1960s.

Experts found that the grammar-translation method used then
did not encourage secondary school students to enjoy language
learning. In fact, they were mostly bored out of their minds,
unable to see the relevance of what they were learning to real-
life situations. Audio-lingual methods were introduced, then used
widely in language programs, including Indonesian. Since then,
aided by the rapid advancement of technology, a plethora of
audio-visual, as well as other modern communicative methods, have
been introduced into Indonesian language programs in Australia.
As programs developed in numbers and variety, the need for
networking to increase quality and efficiency became more
pressing.

The Teaching Indonesian in the 1990's: issues and innovations
Conference, run by Melbourne Indonesian Language Network,
therefore, was welcomed by many teachers. Taking place at Monash
University, the conference saw lecturers and teachers of
Indonesian giving up their weekend early this month to learn from
each other. They came from Melbourne, Sydney, New South Wales,
Flinders, Queensland, Curtin, Griffith, New England and other
universities, as well as various campuses of La Trobe, Deakin and
Monash Universities. From Indonesia, Widha S. Chaidir of the
Jakarta International School, also attended.

Issues discussed ranged from appropriate methods for
particular students' needs and levels, persistent and recurring
problems in language acquisition, to availability of funds and
ways to access the great number of computer assisted programs
that have been developed throughout the years.

Among the reoccurring problems is the difficulty in finding
the balance between teaching Indonesian language and Indonesian
culture. Students who want to learn the culture but do not have a
flair for language are deterred by the heavy language content of
the course. Yet many argue that language is an essential
component of a particular culture, hence the necessity to take on
the language when wanting to learn the culture. Despite the
number of computer software and CD Rom materials available on the
market, it transpired that there is a scarcity of suitable print
resource materials.

While advanced technology has allowed the creation of
Interactive Multimedia programs, enabling learners to enter a
simulated holistic language learning, short of spending time in
the target country, the problem of distribution persists. The
fact is, the cost to obtain or access these kinds of materials is
often beyond the budget of the language department of a teaching
institution. Teachers and lecturers are yet to overcome the usual
bureaucratic hurdle; convincing those who control the purse that
the programs need the materials. As bureaucracy by its bulky
nature, moves slowly, it will always be behind the speed of
technology development.

Obtaining the materials, as it happens, is not the end of the
story. Teachers will need training to use them. In the Australian
Defence Force School of Languages for instance, resources based
on audio-visual materials combined with those taken from the
press are being developed. Other institutions have difficulty in
this exercise because they are not necessary as well resourced as
the Australian Defence Force School of Languages. Those who
develop the software will have to be familiar with the philosophy
underlying the methods, as well as proficient in computer
programming technology.

Another problem encountered by learners of Indonesian language
is the ease with which Indonesian native speakers move between
formal language and informal language. Most English speakers find
it difficult to locate the time and situation where one slips
from formal to informal language, or vice versa. A judge in
Australia for instance, will use fairly formal language in most
situations, while a judge in Indonesia shifts from formal to
informal or vice versa at the drop of a hat, it seems.

The conference however, did not only discuss problems and
difficulties, there was an abundance of humor and levity of
spirit, and an exchange of useful hands-on teaching practices,
theoretical concepts, as well as reinforcement of networking and
co-operation.

The issue of Indonesian language and the use of it in the
country has received wide coverage lately. It is therefore
significant that conferences such as this are conducted outside
Indonesia. This indicates that Indonesian language and culture
have gained such prominence that it is worth running a conference
to discuss issues relating to strategy and problems. It would
have been ideal if the Indonesian Ministry of Education and
Culture had been represented in the conference, as exchange of
knowledge between practitioners of both countries would be highly
valuable.