Need to find: Advanced Indonesian courses

[Jeffs]

Guys, I need your help. I'm currently working in Jakarta and do speak the language but have problems reading letters and articles and cannot write formally. I can't speak formally either (example: anda instead of loe). Can anyone point me towards someone or some school that teaches formal indonesian? Thanks in advance.

[ohmdafyd]

Guys, I need your help. I'm currently working in Jakarta and do speak the language but have problems reading letters and articles and cannot write formally. I can't speak formally either (example: anda instead of loe). Can anyone point me towards someone or some school that teaches formal indonesian? Thanks in advance.

Try this one Jeff,
one of our posters recommends it. :)
It is a joint venture by the Australian and Indonesian Govs.

PS anda or kamu is correct, loe is Jakarta slang. ;}

http://www.ialf.edu/index.html

[Jeffs]

Thanks alot om, I will definitely go check it out.:)

[Pimpin]

Thanks also Om.

Jeff,

I can speak Indonesian too but am self taught. While outside of Indonesia I practiced writing in YM Chat having my two dictionaries beside me and friends online to guide me when I didn't understand what someone was writing me.

Anyways I have never gone to school but I think its about time I did. I wonder how close our abilities are in the language. Your point about "anda" and "loe" might be an indicator I am further along than you but maybe not.

I know it will be hard, possibly impossible for the school to place me in a class (could be wrong about this) due to my advanced ability so I would have to set something up privately with them which I would think would cost more?

I just sent ALF an email and explained my background plus my needs. I requested they test me to see where Im at in order to best serve me. Is it possible we could be in the same class?

If you would like to stay in touch about this I welcome it.

[Jeffs]

Hey Pimpin, yea you could very well be better than me. I can't even read a whole newspaper article. My main aim is to be able to write business letters in Indonesian as well as to master formal conversation. Its possible we could be in the same class. I am out of the country currently and will be back early July. Sure, we could definitely stay in touch regarding this. Let me know how the assessment test goes. :)

[Pimpin]

Hi Jeff, I can read a newspaper article but it gives me a headache.

I'm in Jakarta until July 17th. On that date I will be traveling to Yogya, Bromo, Surabaya and Bali with my two sons who are visiting me for two months. Yahooooo.

I will be back in Jkt in August either around the 1st or the 8th. Im keeping dates a bit open and flexible so the boys and I can enjoy our time. More towards the 18th of August I thought about taking them to an Island off Sumatra but not sure if that is on or not.

Anyways from then on I am in Jakarta. I haven't heard back from a school rep. If i dont hear from them by the end of the day Monday I will go over to the school. Yes if I get tested I will let you know the results. Once you get checked out we can compare our levels and see if we are compatable for a class.

[DP Nagata]

Guys, I need your help. I'm currently working in Jakarta and do speak the language but have problems reading letters and articles and cannot write formally. I can't speak formally either (example: anda instead of loe). Can anyone point me towards someone or some school that teaches formal indonesian? Thanks in advance.

Should you have enough time, please visit Yogyakarta. There are some excellent teachers up to the advanced level there. Besides, you can enjoy the beauty of the city.

I may recommend you Puri Indonesia Plus (now it's changed into Alam Bahasa as there is another school with the same name).
This school can provide you with great intensive course and you may master bahasa in a very short time that even you don't believe your own achivement. They will also help you find very cheap homestays with very friendly family in which you can practice your bahasa you studied at school. Each teacher has specialty, except teaching, such as cooking, dancing, travelling, mountain climbing and other thing you may interested in.
Yogyakarta is a nice place to see after Bali, the food is good, the people are friendly (but beware of pickpockets 'couse they're friendly as well).
Just browse Alam Bahasa, you will see the detail.

You can also ask the teacher to go to Jakarta, but it will be expensive.

[DP Nagata]

Hey Pimpin, yea you could very well be better than me. I can't even read a whole newspaper article. My main aim is to be able to write business letters in Indonesian as well as to master formal conversation. Its possible we could be in the same class. I am out of the country currently and will be back early July. Sure, we could definitely stay in touch regarding this. Let me know how the assessment test goes. :)

Most Indonesian speak Indonesian well, but only few can use formal Bahasa Indonesia, eventhough they are university graduates or officers.

[Pimpin]

Hi Jeff,

I got a response from the school. Tomorrow I have a test scheduled at 1pm. It costs 75,000 for the testing. I believe it is written and oral.

I will let you know how it goes.

[Pimpin]

Hey Jeff,

I took the test. They use four levels. In writing I scored a high level two and in oral I scored a three so I would be starting in level three. They have level 5 and level 6 but currently dont provide classes for those levels. They may in the future and i see on their pamphlet Levels 5 and 6 "syllabus content is tailored to meet the specific needs of the participants." One might have to take private lessons for those.

The school is located right at the bridge on Rasuna Sahid directly across the street from Pasar Festival. Its on the corner of Jln Rasuna Sahid and Jln Pendurenan. It costs 75,000 Rp to be tested and takes an hour or less including the oral. Immediately upon meeting the teacher he greeted me with Indonesian and we sat in a room at a table communicating in the language. After 15 minutes of that (the oral test) I wrote the written. I waited for 15 minutes while they marked the test.

Term 3 begins July 6th and runs til September 16th- 30 hours for Rp2,650,000. Term 4 starts Oct 12th and ends Dec 17th. If I take a class I will have to wait until Oct 12th.

Private lessons cost Rp345,000 per hour. That would be divided among whoever joined those lessons say between two or three if one could find others at the same level interested.