Offered By	ANU College of Asia and the Pacific

Indonesian language is the official language of a nation of over 200 million people, the world's largest Muslim population and third largest democracy. It is the site of a vibrant cultural and social change as expressed in the mass media, schools and government. The national language is also the common medium of formal communication across several hundred ethnic cultures of the archipelago.

Indonesian 1A and 1B are designed to give beginning students competence in the basic skills of self-expression, comprehension and reading. Indonesian 2A and 2B aim to develop a deeper understanding of the language. Emphasis is placed on the development of the skills gained in 1A and 1B plus a more explicit understanding of grammar and an awareness of the cultural and documentary character of the materials studied.

The specialist four-year Bachelor of Asian Studies (Indonesian) degree as well as the Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies combined with the Graduate Diploma in Asia-Pacific Studies, afford students the additional opportunity to participate in the Year in Indonesia Program. Selection for the Year-in-Indonesia program is based primarily on academic performance. Students undertaking the program typically spend their third year (later, in the case of combined degree students) studying in Indonesia at approved Indonesian universities.

The more intricate dimensions of the language, cultural politics and aesthetic traditions of Indonesia are explored in courses such as Linguistic Aspects of Indonesian; Popular Culture in Southeast Asia; Introduction to Southeast Asian Performing Arts; and Translation from Indonesian.

For advanced students of Indonesian and Thai, the course Practical Assignment in Southeast Asia requires students to be placed for six weeks with one of several voluntary organisations in Indonesia or Thailand. Assessment is based on an extended assignment which describes and analyses the work of the organisation. Placement is subjected to international security concerns, or international health crises. It may not be possible for students to undertake these programs in any given year. No alternative programs are offered.

Prerequisites

Beginners and students with existing knowledge of Indonesian or Malay
First-year Indonesian is taught on the assumption that students have no previous knowledge of the language. Those who have studied it before, or whose previous education has been conducted largely in Indonesian or Malay, must sit a placement test to determine their level of entry.

Javanese
With more than sixty million speakers, Javanese is the language of the largest ethnic group in Indonesia and has produced a highly developed literary tradition since the tenth century. It has such a strong influence on the development of Indonesian vocabulary that some knowledge of Javanese is often necessary to read articles in contemporary Indonesian newspapers and periodicals. Several introductory courses in Javanese are offered for those with this interest.

Tetum
Tetum is the national language of East Timor and the lingua-franca understood by most people in the country. The Faculty's two Tetum courses offer (in Tetum 1A) a practical introduction to the spoken language and (in Tetum 1B) continuation to advanced spoken Tetum. There are no pre-requisites for Tetum 1A and students should have no substantial prior knowledge of Tetum as they commence. The two courses are usually supported by the non-language course 'Future of East Timor'.

Malay
The Malay language, spoken today with minor variations in the Malay Peninsula, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Singapore and Southern Thailand, is the basis of modern Indonesian. Contemporary Malay (Malay as used in the press, media and literature) can be studied in the course Reading Modern Malay. Pre-modern Malay literature and its intellectual traditions can be studied in the course Reading Traditional Malay.

Burmese
Burmese is the national language of Myanmar (Burma). The Faculty's Burmese 1A course offers a practical introduction to spoken Burmese and to the Burmese script. There are no prerequisites and students should have no substantial prior knowledge of Burmese as they commence.

Burmese within the Asian Language Major
Whilst Burmese is not related to Bahasa Indonesian, Burmese instruction is supported by the Southeast Asia Centre. Burmese may be included in the study sequence for most of the Asian languages on offer in the Faculty, but students must satisfy the minimum requirements for their designated Asian language major and should seek advice from the Sub Dean or the relevant language convenor.

Requirements

The Asian Language Major (Indonesian) may comprise courses from the Summary of Courses page and must include Indonesian 3B.

 

 

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.