Linguistics Expert: Indonesia Unprepared to Teach French Across All Education Levels

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Sebelas Maret University (UNS) linguistics expert Miftah Nugroho has stated that Indonesia is not yet prepared to implement French language instruction across all education levels, as advocated by President Prabowo Subianto. Insufficient teaching staff and educational infrastructure are considered the main challenges. He noted that French and Portuguese remain unpopular in Indonesia, resulting in a limited number of teachers. ‘Given their lack of popularity, it can be assumed that the number of qualified French and Portuguese teachers is still limited,’ Miftah Nugroho told KOMPAS.com on Sunday, 31 June 2026. ‘In short, given the current context, Indonesia is not yet fully prepared,’ he explained. ‘It will take one to two years of preparation in terms of teaching staff and infrastructure for French and Portuguese language education to proceed smoothly,’ he added. Nevertheless, he noted the government’s enthusiasm for improving students’ foreign language skills. ‘Personally, I sense the government’s drive to advance Indonesian children through policies focused on mastering a foreign language,’ he said. ‘Individuals with multilingual abilities are better off than those who know only one or two languages,’ he added. He believes multilingualism will facilitate communication with other nations and enhance global competitiveness. ‘We indeed need to master foreign languages beyond English, such as French and Portuguese,’ he added. ‘Whether deemed relevant or not, there is no need for in-depth scrutiny. However, it is evident that mastering multiple foreign languages is preferable to just one,’ he concluded.