Expatify

Travel & Expat Lifestyle Magazine

Learning Indonesian

Anyone looking to become an expat in Indonesia, or simply trying to travel to this country, will have a much easier time if they learn the Indonesian language.

Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia, is Indonesia’s official language. Indonesia itself is the fourth most populated country on earth, and almost the entire population can speak Indonesian as a native or a second language. This language has Malay roots, and about 165 million people can speak it; it also uses the Latin alphabet. Non-natives who have the desire to learn Indonesian can take advantage of the wide variety of resources available in the modern age.

How to learn to speak Indonesian

Taking Indonesian lessons at a school is one way to learn Indonesian, but not everyone is the academic type, nor has the time or money for this. Fortunately, with today’s modern technology and abundance of publications, there are a variety of different ways that people can learn Indonesian on their own time.

Learning Indonesian Software or DVDs

Language-learning software has become very popular, as it is convenient and can be used on one’s home computer. A couple of different software companies have developed programs for learning Indonesian.

Rosetta Stone’s Indonesian Program – Rosetta Stone produces the most commonly-used language software out there, and fortunately, they have developed a program for learning Indonesian. They have one level that is designed for beginners, so that they may learn vocabulary and basic sentence structures. This program will teach students how to write and spell accurately, speak Indonesian not using a script and retain the skills they have learned.

Transparent Language’s Indonesian Program – Transparent Language sells a variety of Indonesian-learning software for different levels of students. One option is the Indonesian Byki Deluxe 4, which has learning materials compatible for different electronic devices, and can teach beginners Indonesian phrases and vocabulary. They also sell KidSpeak Indonesian, which is designed for young learners. Children of all ages can learn Indonesian electronically this way with fun games, puzzles and songs.

Books for learning Indonesian

Bahasa Indonesia Book 1: Introduction to Indonesian Language and Culture – This is a book for beginners, and it is divided into 18 chapters in a systematic manner. The chapters help explore basic grammar and vocabulary, and they come with exercises to test the material.

Websites that help you learn Indonesian language

101languages.net – This website is a good place to start, as it goes through the different letters and their pronunciation in the Indonesian language. After this initial stage, students can then navigate the website’s theme list to learn simple phrases related to transportation, lodging and other related topics. This website would be helpful to people looking to travel to Indonesia and pick up some basics.

seasite.niu.edu – This website is designed for learners to understand Indonesian in a 7-day process. It comes with lists of very practical situations, such as being in a taxi or being polite, and even has audio samples of the words.

digitaldialects.com – This website provides lists of fundamental Indonesian vocabulary, like numbers or key phrases. Students can learn this material and then practice it by playing games. It is a great website for visual learners.

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