Face to Face

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Welcome to Melbourne's longest-running classes in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) for adults!

As part of our mission to promote friendship between Indonesia and Australia, AIAV has been running weekly language classes for more than 50 years! Our teachers have a wealth of experience and are passionate about helping you to learn the language and explore the culture of Indonesia. So …
Ayo, ikutlah! (Come on, let’s get started!)

When

Weekly on Thursday evenings from 6.30 to 8.30 pm (with a 15-minute break) during school terms.

Where

Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, Melbourne (opposite the Queen Victoria Market), rooms to be advised

Levels

Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced classes are available each term.

Content

Introductory and Intermediate classes use the textbook but this is also supplemented with other activities and materials including  media articles, films, poetry and songs. **  

**  The Advanced class does not use a textbook as their studies are based more around topics.

We offer 3 Classes

We offer a range of levels of language learning to suit your situation.

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Beginners

The Beginners class will not be offered Face to Face in 2023.  Please consider enrolling in the Online class.

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Lower Intermediate

Teacher: Bu Aretha

Welcome to Lower Intermediate!  By now you have the fundamentals under control and you are able to have conversations in Indonesian on a range of basic topics.  Now you can broaden your vocabulary and add more complexity, as well as learning more about life in Indonesia.  Instruction is increasingly in Indonesian with explanation in English as required.

Textbook: Asyik Berbahasa Indonesia 2 and some chapters from Book 3.

Some of the topics include:

  • Travelling to Bali.
  • Balinese culture, including upacara potong gigi.
  • Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city.
  • More about forming me- verbs.
  • Using -nya to comment on a topic.
  • Nouns with the pe- prefix.
  • Talking about body parts and clothing.
  • Using sesudah and sebelum to refer to time.
  • Transitive and intransitive verbs.
  • Describing experiences.
  • Using pernah to talk about places you’ve been and things you’ve seen.
  • Using yang to mean ‘the one who …”
  • Shopping Centres.
  • Using the passive voice, including di-.  
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Upper Intermediate

Teacher: Pak Bede Harradine

This class builds on the Lower Intermediate class, so you will add to your growing knowledge of Indonesian words, idioms and constructions.  You will be reading, writing and speaking in more complex sentences and learning more about Indonesia along the way.  Instruction is generally in Indonesian.

Textbook:  Asyik Berbahasa Indonesia 3 and other teaching materials.

Some of the topics include:

  • The important events of Ramadan and Lebaran
  • Pulang kampung (returning to the hometown)
  • Tana Toraja in Sulawesi
  • Orangutan rehabilitation in Kalimantan
  • Connecting ideas using kalau and sebaiknya
  • Connecting ideas using sesudah, sebelum, tetapi, karena and jadi 
  • Giving advice
  • Qualifying statements using sebenarnya 
  • Expressing a conclusion using kalau begitu
  • Describing the frequency of events using selalu, sering, biasanya and jarang
  • Verbs with the suffix –kan
  • Comparisons using lebih . . . dari(pada), paling, se- and tidak se-
  • Talking about when you were young
  • Using yang lalu, lagi, nanti and yang akan datang to describe sequences of events
  • Using doubled adverbs such as cepat-cepat
  • Forming adverbs formed with dengan + adjective
  • More with –kan verbs!
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Advanced

Teacher: Dr Paul Thomas

Welcome to the ‘big league’! The Advanced class is for people who already have a good standard of Indonesian and wish to maintain or improve on it. It’s assumed that you already have a broad vocabulary and are familiar with the points of grammar listed above in Elementary and Intermediate levels. However, more advanced aspects of grammar are included as revision at this level. Classes are conducted in Indonesian.

No textbook is used in the Advanced class as materials are developed by the teacher. Each term covers a number of topics, which may include Indonesian current affairs, political, social and economic issues, films, short stories, poetry and popular music, with discussion in Indonesian. Print and video material is provided by the teacher. Teachers may be rotated through the class each term to provide a range of voices and perspectives.

SKILLS

What Level?

Take this quick online quiz to get an idea of which level is most appropriate for you.

We will do our best to put you in the most appropriate class, but feel free to speak to your teacher if you think you should move up or down a level.

Class Dates & Fees

Classes follow Victorian school term dates. Dates for 2023 are listed below.

Language class participants must enrol and pay class fees before the start of term. All participants are required to be members of AIAV. Other attractions of membership include monthly conversation evenings (malam ngobrol), talks, dinners, and the bi-monthly AIAV News. If you have not joined yet, you can click here to do so.  

An earlybird discount of 10% is available to participants who pay in advance for a full term at least 14 days before the commencement of classes.

Sorry, but we can’t accept payment in instalments or week-by-week. Rates for the Face to Face classes are shown below.

TermNumber of sessionsStart date End date Full RateEarlybird Discount (10% off)
Term 18 sessions9 February30 March$280$252
Term 28 sessions4 May22 June$280$252
Term 38 sessions20 July7 September$280$252
Term 48 sessions12 October30 November$280$252

REFUND POLICY FOR LANGUAGE CLASS FEE IS AS FOLLOWS:

In order to determine a student’s eligibility for a refund or credit of language class fees, AIAV must first receive written notice of withdrawal and request of refund or credit from the student either by a signed letter or email to language@aiav.org.au.

Once AIAV receive your refund request, we will assess it on its merits and notify you of the status of your refund. 

Refund or credit will only be given when the notice is received within 5 days prior to your next scheduled class in that particular term. 

Please note that refunds will only be given for discontinuation of the study for the rest of that particular term.

If your refund request is approved, we will initiate a refund either in the form of credit or fund transfer to your bank account (please provide banking details) within 30 days of the approval date.

AIAV reserves the right to amend its policies and fee structure whenever considered necessary and appropriate to reflect changes in economic conditions. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they are informed and aware of this policy.

Textbook

The Beginners Class will use Asyik Berbahasa Indonesia 1 and other teaching materials.

The Lower Intermediate Class will use Asyik Berbahasa Indonesia 2 and some chapters from Book 3.

The Upper Intermediate Class will use Asyik Berbahasa Indonesia 3 and other teaching materials.

You may find this textbook available to buy online at:

Immersion Courses

AIAV also runs immersion language courses for adults and secondary school students, based in Indonesia. For more information see the Immersion Courses page.

Enquiries

For inquiries about language classes, please contact language@aiav.org.au.

Would you like to enrol for the coming term?

Enrol Now!