Language center makes its mark with one-to-one teaching

Language center makes its mark with one-to-one teaching

By Asip A. Hasani

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Loud laughter echoed from the Colorado
Language Institute (LB-Colorado), which has been at the forefront
in promoting Indonesian language courses in the city.

A middle-aged European man looked confused at the reaction of
the audience to his statement, "Saya akan segera meninggal di
Jakarta ...", which he took to mean that he would soon "live" in
the country's capital.

Unwittingly, he had actually said, "I will soon die in
Jakarta"!

He was one of a small group of participants on an intensive
language course at the school, which is meant to supplement
private courses. The students are instructed to tell a story in
Indonesian to develop their language skills.

"He also burst into laughter when one of our tutors
told him what he had just said," Erma Haryati, 45, the founder
and owner of LB-Colorado, recalled.

Indonesian is considered by many to be one of simplest
languages in the world to learn. But it is not such an easy ride
for many of those starting out learning the language, as the
example above testifies.

That is the reason, Erma told The Jakarta Post, why LB-
Colorado chose to apply the private model of one student to one
tutor in teaching students in class.

She said intensive assistance and guidance was essential in
learning Indonesian so that students understood the syntax and
context when using the language.

LB-Colorado was solely an English language course when it was
founded by Erma in 1982. She only considered establishing an
Indonesian language course at LB-Colorado after some of her
private students urged her to do so.

She had a background in the field; she had assisted her
English teacher Gloria Soepomo in giving private Indonesian
language courses to foreigners when she was a student of English
at Yogyakarta's Sanata Dharma University in 1979. Erma finally
made up her mind to open the Indonesian language course at LB-
Colorado in 1990.

Her experience in teaching Indonesian using the one-to-one
system was transferred to LB-Colorado.

"Some couples who want to have lessons together are the
exceptions to this private teaching model," she said.

Attracting students to LB-Colorado has not been difficult,
Erma said, adding "word of mouth" has served the institute well.
Former students often recommend the school to colleagues who
intend to study Indonesian.

The institute's reputation for quality has been enough of an
advertisement to attract new students.

So much so, in fact, that sometimes LB-Colorado's 16
classrooms are fully occupied with students and the school has to
refuse new applicants. Perhaps a suitable measure of its high
regard has been the fact that it was also able to survive
otherwise difficult times in 1998 when most foreigners canceled
plans to visit the country due to the domestic social and
political instability.

Students

Students at the institute vary from individuals to members of
organizations, from those affiliated with the government to
private companies. Some governmental and non-governmental
organizations regularly send their international staff, assigned
to work in Indonesia, to LB-Colorado.

Individual clients are commonly those who intend to study at
universities in Indonesia.

More than 10 years after it was founded, LB-Colorado currently
has about 1,500 alumni and has become one of the most well-
respected Indonesian language courses in the city. Most of its 18
tutors have studied at foreign language departments, specializing
in English, German and French.

"Beginners need tutors who are patient in introducing
Indonesian words gradually. This qualification is mostly
fulfilled by our female tutors," Erma said of the teaching staff,
which only has three males.

"Adequate understanding of the students' mother tongue also
helps our tutors relate and describe the logic of the Indonesian
language."

Colorado's students participate in class sessions, with three
different tutors guiding them in a classroom measuring no more
than 12 square meters. One session takes two hours.

The quickest package for novice learners available at LB-
Colorado's program is a weeklong intensive course, while the
longest program takes around two months.

"A week is enough for beginners to survive among
Indonesian native speakers, such as bargaining with
traders or shopkeepers, asking directions and listening to others
speak," Erma explained.

From the business side, LB-Colorado's growth has been slow but
constant. Erma Haryanti is considering opening a branch office in
another major city.

"I think Jakarta is the most likely city for an LB-Colorado
branch office," she said, although no time has been set for the
opening.