BIPA Program - Novice (Intermediate) Level

Indonesian language is the national language of Indonesia, the third largest democracy in the world and the largest nation in Southeast Asia. Consisting of more than 1300 ethnic groups with their own local languages, Indonesian language is ultimately a unifying factor that allows people from different groups in the archipelago to communicate with each other and to build the sense of community. Developed from the Malay language, the Indonesian language is enriched by both foreign and local languages in Indonesia reflecting the dynamics of Indonesian nation itself. Therefore, Indonesian language is a window through which one can see, take a peek, or even build an understanding of Indonesia. Indonesian language is arguably a less complicated language. It has no grammatical gender, no tense and has less vocabulary compared to English. However, many Indonesian learners find it challenging to fully function or master the language at the advanced or superior level due to the nuances and cultural component embedded in the language. In fact, language and culture are inseparable. International students who learn Indonesian language must have such awareness. The integration of language and culture should be part of language teaching design, material development and teaching approach. Building language competence is not enough, even not possible without developing cultural competence. This set of lessons builds intermediate to intermediate-high proficiency and deepens the understanding of Indonesian grammar and structure in its real-life usage. Some lessons are developed based on Indonesian authentic materials. The latter refers to any materials designed for native speakers for real life or daily purposes such us advertisement, news article, photo captions, public service announcement and other similar materials. The Intermediate Level module is organized in 4 Chapters. Each chapter has 3 lessons that share similar themes and vocabulary. Students will spend roughly 4-5 hours