Linguistics Expert Says Indonesia Needs Two Years to Prepare for Teaching French and Portuguese in Schools

Linguistics expert from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Miftah Nugroho, stated that Indonesia requires one to two years to prepare for teaching French and Portuguese in schools if implemented.

‘It will take one to two years of preparation in terms of teaching staff and infrastructure to ensure the French and Portuguese language education programme runs smoothly,’ Miftah Nugroho told Kompas.com on Sunday, 31 June 2026.

‘In short, based on current circumstances, Indonesia is not yet fully prepared,’ he added.

He noted that the number of French and Portuguese teachers in Indonesia remains limited as the languages are not popular among the public.

‘Given their lack of popularity, it can be assumed that the quantity of qualified teachers for French and Portuguese is still insufficient,’ he said.

‘Individuals with multilingual abilities are indeed better off than those who know only one or two languages,’ he added.

He argued that multilingualism would facilitate communication with other nations and enhance Indonesia’s global competitiveness.

‘We do need to master foreign languages beyond English, including French and Portuguese,’ he stated.

‘Whether relevant or not, it does not require in-depth examination. However, we cannot ignore that mastering multiple foreign languages is better than just one,’ he concluded.