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.