Minggu Kesatu

This week we had an introduction to Indonesian language and culture given by Pak (Dr.) Ian Chalmers. Afterwards, Ibu Indrawati Zifirdaus explained the Course Outline. There is an expectation that self-motivated students will study at least one-half hour daily. We are also required to keep a with 1) classwork, translations, grammar exercises and independent work; 2) relevant textual resources on language and grammar from external sources; 3) clippings from newspapers and journals on aspects of Indonesia discussed in class; and finally, 4) a journal in English of bi-weekly reflections on our course progress. We also discussed the in-country Indonesian studies that Curtin offers in Yogyakarta, which sounds like a truly enriching experience.

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Alex, a student who has just returned from Jogja, spoke to us about his experiences there. He was very enthusiastic, and it seems the Indonesian people are keen on relating to foreigners, particularly those who can speak the language. After his talk we began unit 1, but, as not all students had books, we were given handouts teaching basic greetings and place names from the Indonesian archipelago. Afterwards, in the Lab class we watched a video on Yogyakarta, followed by a worksheet and class discussion.