Indonesia is Australia’s largest and nearest neighbour. It is becoming a regional economic and political powerhouse. In an increasingly connected world, it is crucial to be able to engage with and have a deeper understanding of those of different cultural and religious backgrounds. Learning Indonesian is one of the best ways to equip yourself with the cross-cultural literacy to thrive in this Asian Century.

Learning Indonesian opens up a vast archipelago of some of the friendliest, fun-loving, and most hospitable people you will ever meet. With only a basic level of Indonesian, you can easily take yourself off the beaten track and find yourself exploring Java’s mountains and volcanoes, relaxing among Bali’s rice paddies and beaches, exploring Jakarta or Yogyakarta, diving some of the most beautiful spots in the world at Raja Ampat and the Banda islands, or exploring the local wildlife with the komodo dragons in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the orangutans in Kalimantan.

What will I learn?

In year 10 students embark on learning the more complex gramatical structures that underpin the Indonesian language, to equip them with the skills they need to achieve success in VCE. They present orally in Indonesian as well as honing their writing, dictionary and listening skills. They also unpack and research aspects of Indonesian culture at a deeper level, and compare this to life in Australia. 

What will I do?

The course encourages conversational Indonesian and has a strong focus on speaking and developing confidence in this area. Students will also become more proficient using dictionaries, which will support their writing. Students are expected to develop links with students at our sister schools in Yogyakarta, SMAN3 and Olifant. These are both through written correspondence and video conferencing.

What will this lead to?

Students will build their skills in year 10 to prepare them for VCE Indonesian.

Why choose this subject?

• I am fascinated by cultures and traditions

• I want to know more about Australia's closest neighbour

• I would like to have the opportunity to travel to Indonesia

• I would like to speak another language and potentially boost my university entrance score

Duration

5 periods per week for one year

Head of Languages/Humanities: Michelle Ladhams