Indonesian Lessons

Behind the Lessons

It was in early 2000 when a Chinese lady asked me to teach her Indonesian. She had just married a Chinese-Indonesian businessman and wanted to be of some help to him. To do that, she needed to communicate with his employees.

The pay was excellent. On top of that, she often treated me to fancy restaurants. But I was nervous. It was my first time teaching Indonesian. I had said yes to her husband without having the slightest idea what—or how—to teach.

After flipping through book after book at Gramedia Bookstore, I finally chose one that explained me-, ber-, di-, -kan, ter-, and all those grammatical affixes in detail. I was determined to teach her bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar. As I had always done when teaching Japanese and English, I created my own lesson plan and materials based on that book. My student, meanwhile, was equally determined to practice everything she learned with her husband’s employees.

After four lessons, I received my first complaint.

“My employees said my Indonesian sounds funny. They said they never use these.”

As she spoke, she ran her index finger across the sentences I had so carefully typed on my typewriter.

I asked myself, Would I actually use what I had taught in everyday conversation?

The answer was, of course, no. I felt like a salesperson trying to sell a fancy bag I would never carry myself.

Today, I always begin by understanding why my student wants to learn Indonesian. Then I design the lessons accordingly. Just as importantly, I explain not only what to say, but also when and how to say it. For example, in a business presentation, you might say:

“Saya harap proyek ini bisa cepat selesai sesuai target.”

Outside the meeting room, however, you’re far more likely to hear:

Moga-moga aja proyeknya bisa cepet slesai sesuai target.”