The Importance and Benefits of being able to speak Indonesian
The Importance and Benefits of being able to speak Indonesian
Do you have a testimonial about the importance and benefits of being able to speak Bahasa Indonesia? If so, please send us an email. We’d love to hear it! —
You can’t be fully anywhere without being able to speak — and listen — to the inhabitants in their own language. Indonesians, and Balinese in particular (since we’re talking about Bali), open up very readily when they realize they can converse with you. If you want to spend time in Bali, you really should learn Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). It’s a good idea, too, to learn the body language, etiquette and social manners of Indonesian, all of which are part of any language. A school can speed up this process and help save you from unintentionally causing offence. As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this human treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language. Diana Darling, Author
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If you’re here “forever” you really should be at least somewhat proficient in the language — it’ll improve MANY aspects of your life here. David Van Rooy
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As a teacher of Indonesian in Australia since 1967 my visits here to Indonesia have certainly been enriched by my ability to speak Indonesian fluently. It has allowed me to develop close relationships with people beyond everyday exchanges. Any expat living here without the language must remain on the fringe of this very beautiful and complex society. Gaining fluency in the language is surely a basic requirement of taking up residence here. Without it so many doors remain closed. Everyone seems to pick up the simple everyday “service” language functions but this keeps you apart from the wider community in which you are living and you are destined to always be the “foreigner”. Anecdote: As is common here, people I meet casually love to chat once they realise I can speak their language. Once, years ago in a three-wheeled bemo in Denpasar, I got chatting with the young driver. In no time I had learned all about his tough life- long working hours with little sleep, 7 children at home, the impossibility of ever preventing more due to the high cost of a vasectomy for someone on his tiny wage. When he dropped me at my destination I felt so involved in his plight I decided to donate the cost of a vasectomy. Mind you, having noted his chain smoking habit, I feared the money would rapidly go up in smoke. But then again, maybe this one language encounter did help change one man’s destiny. Toni Pollard, Indonesian Language Teaching Expert
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I came to Indonesia to work as a volunteer. My organization provided me with a month of intensive language training. After the course was finished, I went to work in my office. With just one month of training, plus a lot of self-study, I found that I was 80% effective in my office from day one. Being able to talk with my colleagues and make new friends, within just a few more months I could work all day using Indonesian. Within a few more months, I was able to stand up in front of a group of people and make presentations. I could talk with government officials and other high-level people I would have to meet. Soon, I was able to manage a team of people entirely in Indonesian, and that was how I got my next job as a manager at UNDP. I’m not bad at learning languages, but learning any new language is not easy. It takes just that, learning. The benefits to me have been amazing, and being able to speak Indonesian is a major reason why I’m still here today. Stephen DeMeulenaere
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After over ten years of living in Indonesia, I am still struggling to learn the language. Granted that I was middle-aged when I started and have never had much of an ear for languages, but that’s no excuse. After a decade I should be a lot more fluent than I am. It’s an easy language to speak badly and I’m constantly getting into trouble. Once I was standing up for a friend in divorce court in Denpasar when the judge asked me a question I didn’t understand; I said yes instead of no and the whole courtroom corrected me. I recently failed to have my local drivers license renewed because the new test in Indonesian floored me. The police officer apologized to me, but I apologized harder to him. It’s shameful. I’m living in this country and plan to be here until I fall off the perch, and I communicate at the level of a three year old. Some polite Balinese compliment me on my ill-constructed sentences, but local friends tend to be more frank. “You’ve been here TEN YEARS and you still can’t read a child’s storybook?” they ask in perfect English. When people from China, India and other lands move to Canada they’re expected to learn to speak English and be able to read signs, posters and follow vernacular news. When we westerners move to another country, many of us arrogantly assume that we don’t need to learn the local language. I think this attitude is colonial and just plain rude, and stubbornly keep signing up for Indonesian courses. The teachers are usually good, but my brain implodes every time I try to master the concepts of men/kan and the passive tense. Technical terms like ‘intransitive verbs’ and ‘object focus construction’ leave me in the dust because I somehow missed learning any English grammar in school. There are certain lessons that I could probably spend several weeks on before the concept will sink in, but structured classes don’t work like that and keep moving right along with me lagging further and further behind. I come home after two hours of Indonesian lessons and have to lie down to rest my brain, then wake up to find that Wayan Manis has done all my homework. I’ve never spoken English at home. My long-suffering staff, who do speak some English, aren’t allowed to utter a word during working hours. So we have long, convoluted conversations with the aid of maps, drawings, charades and dictionaries. Sometimes they have to tell me the same thing three of four times until I get the point. On the other hand, the little bit of Indonesian I do speak gets me by in family compounds in remote villages and farmers’ fields high in the mountains. Often their Indonesian isn’t very good either, which helps. But I am gearing up to try again. Cinta Bahasa (www.cintabahasa.com), a new school based in Campuhan College, will be the first in Ubud to offer an intensive beginner class of two hours a day, five days a week for a month. Maybe even I could be brainwashed into learning something with that kind of schedule. Perlahan – lahan naik gunung. Ibu Cat
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For those who want fast improvement in their understanding and fluency in a language, the “immersion method” – with good teachers and modern, intensive teaching methods – is the best answer. Until now, despite some excellent classes at Pondok Pekak library, Starfish and elsewhere, students have had to go to Denpasar or more often, Jogjakarta, to make rapid improvement in their Indonesian language. The newly opened Cinta Bahasa at Campuhan College provides group and tailored private courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced students, with meals and accommodation available on site. Ibu Dyah Prashetya Hening, the founder of Jogja’s best-regarded college, professionally trained Cinta Bahasa’s two highly experienced teachers. Wayan Jen
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10 mistakes foreigners make moving to Bali
(http://blog.baliexpat.com/10-dumb-mistakes-foreigners-make-moving-to-bali/) 6. Not learning Indonesian language Indonesian is a relatively easy language to learn, but it still requires effort and practice. You will gain a great deal of respect by Indonesian people by communicating in their language. 10. Not making Indonesian friends As difficult it is to imagine probably for most people, some expats who move to Bali only associate or make friends with other expats. Having many local friends will only make your stay in Bali more enjoyable and in many ways easier. Dealing with bureaucracy can be a real pain, but having a friend who can help you out makes everything so much smoother. At the same time I believe it is also healthy to make friends with fellow expats. Like many things about living in Bali, it’s all about finding a good balance. —
Learning Indonesian the fun way in Ubud
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/21/learning-indonesian-fun-way-ubud.html
Deisha Tamar,
The Jakarta Post, Ubud |
Thu, 04/21/2011 |
Feature
Foreigners who want to learn Indonesian usually go to Yogyakarta, as the city is famed as the education hub of Indonesia. And when they want to have a nice vacation they go to Bali. They may not know, however, that they now can kill two birds with one stone by leaning Indonesian in one of the Island of Gods’ most vibrant cities.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school located in Ubud, Bali. Cinta Bahasa, which means “Love Language”, is an abbreviation of aku cinta bahasa Indonesia (I love Indonesian). The course provides classes for those who want to master Indonesian. The course is located at Campuhan College, a non-profit school specializing in language and communication training for low-income Balinese students.
The course is also situated in the same place as Campuhan College, which is on the main Campuhan-Sanginggan highway, on Jl. Raya Sanggingan, west of Ubud. Both Cinta Bahasa and Campuhan College are part of the Karuna Bali Foundation, which focuses on education and individual growth opportunities for the Balinese.
Mastering Indonesian at Cinta Bahasa will cost around US$400 (Rp 4,000,000) for 40 hours of classes — that’s two hours a day, five days a week for a month. The school also provides textbooks and other learning materials for students to practice their Indonesian outside of class. Students can opt for private, group or corporate classes depending on their skill level, of which there are three — Beginner Indonesian, Intermediate Indonesian and Advanced Indonesian.
Besides providing the language course, Cinta Bahasa can also provide accommodation in Ubud for its students through special packages. They also use various effective methodologies, such as movies, music, movement, flashcards, semi-structured conversation, and interactive role-playing situations. For beginner students, they focus on everyday conversation and role-playing situations — and formal language and grammar for intermediate students.
Cinta Bahasa was founded by husband and wife Stephen DeMeulenaere and Yoshida “Ochie” Chandra DeMeulenaere, both of whom have had good experience with language and teaching. Stephen studied at Realia School in Yogyakarta in 2000 and also worked as a language teacher in Canada, Argentina and Japan, can speak six languages.
His wife, Ochie, had worked as a lecturer at Binus University, taught English at Campuhan College, and worked as an interpreter and translator, and copywriter at several renowned advertising agencies. She was also involved as a coordinator at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. Ochie is also one of the teachers at Cinta Bahasa, along with Noviana Kusumawardhani, a published author who taught at Realia in Yogyakarta for five years.
One of the students of Cinta Bahasa, Diana Darling, said in her testimonial that, “it’s a good idea, too, to learn the body language, etiquette and social manners of Indonesian, all of which are part of any language. A school can speed up this process and help save you from unintentionally causing offense.” The language school also offers several other language-related services, such as translation, editing, and copy-writing and technical writing.
Set in the picturesque location of Ubud, Cinta Bahasa Indonesian Language School is an interesting choice for learning Indonesian. Especially since Ubud has gained recognition as a tourism and cultural town in Bali — with many events held annually such as the much-celebrated Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and Bali Spirit Festival.
This makes Cinta Bahasa the perfect place to not only learn Indonesian, but also to dive into the local exotic Balinese culture.
In Indonesia Not All Foreigners are Called the Same Names in Bahasa Indonesia
Not All Foreigners are Called the Same Names
You may have heard that the only word for foreigners in Indonesia is “Bule”, pronounced Boolay, and treat it as similar to what the Japanese typically call foreigners, Gaijin, or Thais call foreigners, Farang, and Chinese call foreigners, Gwailo, etc.
In fact, there is no similarity between how the Indonesians call foreigners, and their other Asian counterparts.
Indonesians name foreigners according to how those foreigners relate to Indonesia. So there are four main terms: Turis, Tamu, Bule and Orang Lokal.
Turis: Someone who is here for a day or so.
Tamu: Someone who is staying here for a while, but I’m not sure how long.
Bule: Someone who is staying here and doesn’t intend to leave, but apparently can’t speak Indonesian and doesn’t seem to intend to integrate very much.
Bule Lokal: Someone who acts like a Bule, but is well-known enough to be considered a local.
Orang Lokal: A foreigner who is staying here, but can speak Indonesian and is integrated, has known Indonesian friends, etc.
Are you living in Indonesia? What do you hear people call you usually?
What’s ironic about this is that in their own countries, Europeans, North Americans and Australians expect newcomers and immigrants to speak the national language and to integrate into their societies. There are political parties, racist hate groups and a wide variety of names used for these kinds of immigrants.
But a healthy percentage of these people, when they move to Indonesia or Bali and Ubud, Sanur, Seminyak and Canggu in particular, seem quite uninterested in learning to speak the national language.
How hypocritical is that?
Why Learn Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa in Ubud?
Why Learn Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa in Ubud?
Our Students and Clients have lots of great things to say about learning to speak Indonesian Language with us, click here to see what they have said.
Our School is formally registered and our Teachers are certified by BIPA, the Indonesian Language Unit of the Ministry of Education. We’re committed to delivering the highest-quality Indonesian Language education available nationwide.
Our Six Teachers are all University-educated with a wide variety of professional experiences and successful careers prior to joining our team. They are highly-trained language teachers, very personable and passionate about teaching Indonesian language. Some of them have taught at Indonesia’s top language schools.
Our School was founded by language educators, and is registered and certified by the Ministry of Education of the Government of Indonesia. We’ve designed our own methodology specifically for our courses. We provide our own specially-designed Textbook/Workbook, E-Learning Resources and and Other Materials that teach you the language spoken today, not some outdated off-the-shelf textbook teaching you a language that people used to speak a long time ago.
“Don’t waste your time and money with inferior-quality education. You may start by paying less, but in the end you’ll pay more to find a good school to help sort out the confusion. We know, a number of our students found out the hard way!”
Our courses are for serious students.Intermittent or occasional language training, for example a few hours or a few days a week, is not effective at bringing a language beginner up to a conversational level. It is much more effective to do a one month Semi-intensive or Intensive Indonesian language course, followed by intermittent training and self-study.
Learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia in Bali!
You’ll learn to speak Indonesian much better in a nice environment like Ubud, at a school with a level of quality on a par with Yogyakarta, rather than being stuck in the congested cities of Yogyakarta, Jakarta or Denpasar.
Cinta Bahasa Indonesian Language School is located on Jl. Raya Sanggingan in Ubud. Close to hotels, restaurants, artistic, social & cultural activites and the center of this famous village in the hills of south-central bali, this is the perfect location for you to learn Bahasa Indonesia.
Ubud has quickly become one of the centers of knowledge in Indonesia, with the Ubud Reader’s and Writer’s Festival and the Bali Spirit Festivalmarking Ubud as a a premier destination for people seeking to write, study, practice their arts, and engage with Bali’s unique and engaging culture, while staying in lush tropical surroundings.
Welcome to Cinta Bahasa in Ubud, Bali. Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Published in Ubud Community Magazine, July 2011
Communicating in Bahasa Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! Whether you are just visiting, lived here a short while, or have already been living here a long time, we’re sure you are aware of how beneficial, and how important it is to be able to communicate in Indonesian. From shopping to getting things done, to sorting out problems and making friends with the neighbours around you, it’s essential that you are able to speak with the Balinese, and all Indonesians, in their own language.
Learning a language opens you up to understanding the culture of this island and of the country. Learning the body language, etiquette and social manners can come through experience, but sadly many of them started off either badly with hurt feelings and bruised egos on one or both sides, or hopefully with at least some funny stories to remember!
It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, length of time is not really an effective measurement of how much you know about Indonesia’s many cultures. Rather, it’s the quality of that time, the quality of relationships made, that determines whether or not, or how much, you really understand this place.
Bali, and specially Ubud, is changing rapidly. It seems crowded and confused for many people, both local and foreigner. There are a lot of issues that are coming to a head, from traffic jams to crime to garbage, that need the input and involvement of both cultures to resolve. Being able to speak Indonesian is the bridge across the gap between both cultures.
Imagine how good it feels when you’re in trouble, and an Indonesian person is able to help you out and speak with you in your own language. Imagine then how great if feels to an Indonesian person who has met a foreigner can speak to them in their own language.
What would you think if someone came up to you and said “eat you like now?”, instead of saying “Would you like to eat now?” Learning a few phrases, or a “word a day” is simply not enough to learn to speak the language. You’ll end up with a bunch of words and no idea how to put them together into intelligible sentences.
As Bali’s landscape changes and becomes more confusing and crowded, the Balinese themselves are still a fascinating and open-hearted people. To me they’re the main draw on this island. You can have access to this cultural treasure when you can communicate with them in their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. That way, you can talk with anyone you meet, wherever you go in the country, or just with your neighbours and people that you meet each day.
Cinta Bahasa is an Indonesian language school in Ubud, Bali, located at Campuhan College and in collaboration with the Karuna Bali Foundation. They have designed their own teaching methods and textbook, and the teachers make it easy, effective and fun for you to learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia. For the Beginner course, the classes are two hours a day, five days a week for a month, which is just what you need to build your language up, and not forget everything you’ve learned in between classes.
Private classes are generally for more advanced students so that they can be tailored to the student’s needs. If you already speak some Indonesian, or know a lot of words but don’t know how to put them all into sentences, they can help you to communicate better starting right from your level of Indonesian.
To learn more about learning to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia with Cinta Bahasa, visit their website at www.cintabahasa.com, or look them up on Facebook at “Cinta Bahasa”.
About the Authors:
Stephen and Ochie founded Cinta Bahasa last year after being surprised at how few foreign residents in Ubud are able to speak Indonesian beyond a few words, a lot of sign language and a few restaurant and service-oriented commands. Ochie is originally from Sumatra, and Stephen is from Canada. He learned Indonesian while working here with an NGO some 11 years ago, and since then has managed organizations, companies and teams in Indonesian language. She worked as a copywriter for a major advertising agency and as a university lecturer in Jakarta. Both have backgrounds in language education. Their six teacher have many years of Indonesian language teaching experience.
Learn to Speak Indonesian Language the Right Way!
There is a saying that is very useful when it comes to learning how to do something new, and it goes like this: “Well Begun, is Half Done”. This means that whatever you do, if you start it properly, then it’s as good as being half completed already. Don’t start your project well, and you won’t have a foundation for successful completion.
The same is true with Language Training. In previous posts, we list out things to look for in selecting the right Language School and Language Teacher. Some people think that being able to teach is as easy as pulling a book off a bookshelf, and then offering their services to you at a fee that professionals charge. Just think if your plumber or electrician did that, they would be putting you at risk. But since language education should also last a lifetime, then why treat your language teacher any differently?
We have seen the damage that Learning to Speak Indonesian the Wrong Way has caused, because in Indonesia, you really do need to learn how to speak Indonesian Language, and you can either learn the right way with us, right from the start, or come to us later to help you repair your broken language. So here are three types of Indonesian language teachers, or any language teacher, to be aware of.
Type #1: The so-called teacher who will basically dump the entire language onto you in the first class, like a big ball of string, and then spend the rest of the time (or forever which is what they would prefer) untangling the ball. Whether or not the course is completed, or whether they convince you to continue learning forever in order to figure out the mystery (which is their teaching methodology and not the language, by the way), you will never feel like you’re using the language properly. That is their strategy, to keep you confused for as long as possible.
Type #2: The so-called teacher who will translate the language she is teaching, into your language for you. You’ll never learn to speak the language properly if you are always translating the words in your head. If you start off learning this way, you’ll always be struggling to find the right word, or the right meaning in your own language, which cannot necessarily be translated into your target language, in this case Bahasa Indonesia.
Type #3: The so-called teacher who will make you feel sorry for her, so that you don’t quit the course. She’ll confess her situation to you in class, and make you feel like it’s not nice to expect to be taught the language properly. You’ll be learning more about her than learning the language. The fact is, she really did learn to teach yesterday by spending the last of her money on an outdated Indonesian language textbook at the used-book store, and whatever other materials she could borrow and photocopy.
There are a few other types of teachers that will teach you the wrong way to learn to speak Indonesian language, or any other language. Please add them to the comments below, so that other language learners won’t be wasting their precious time and valuable money on learning the wrong way.
Learn Bahasa Indonesia the Right Way with Cinta Bahasa!
In a foreign country, you’ll never know when you will really need it.
Bahasa Indonesia – The new International Language in Bali
I recently called “La Gazette de Bali” about placing a listing in their newspaper, and as I could not speak French, I asked if he could speak Indonesian, which he could.
I was then able to communicate with him in Bahasa Indonesia, rather than struggling to communicate with him in French.
I have a similar friend, a German-speaking Swiss fellow who doesn’t speak English so well. We use Indonesian as our main language.If we couldn’t speak Indonesian, we wouldn’t be able to talk with each other, and we wouldn’t have become such good friends in such a short time!
This is an interesting way to see Bahasa Indonesia, as a new Esperanto, a new International language, for us to communicate with each other across the old language barriers.
So don’t fret about having to learn a new European language in Bali, why don’t you learn and use a new language together!
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
Do you speak Tarzan Bahasa? Would you like to learn how to speak proper Bahasa Indonesia?
It seems many of us are unable to speak Indonesian beyond asking for another beer (satu lagi, by the way) or asking the pembantu to make tea. Anything more than this and the jigsaw puzzle of words falls to pieces…
I suppose I was fortunate to have received a proper education in the language by my employer when I first arrived here, but I’m quite shocked to see how few expats can actually hold more than a five second conversation, or see the need to be able to have more than a five second conversation with an Indonesian.
These folks are pretty easy to spot, you certainly will never see them together with an Indonesian friend or their Indonesian wife, and when they talk it sounds like a conversation between Tarzan and his wife Jane, or between Tarzan, his personal interpreter, and his wife Jane.
Well, if this is you I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. Cinta Bahasa has small-group Beginner and Pre-Intermediate courses, as well as Private Courses right up to the advanced level.
See their website www.cintabahasa.com for more information. It’s changed the lives of many Ubud expats who would certainly prefer to not be named. Now they can actually speak with their wife, or with their employees (rather than have Wayan do it for them), and they actually understand what their staff are saying about them within earshot.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this?
Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? If at a restaurant, factor in associated costs such as drinks and snacks, as well as noise, interruptions and distractions. If at home, your environment may be comfortable for living, but not suitable for learning.
What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, or to help you to translate between your mother tongue and the new language which slows your thinking to a crawl, but to be fluent, which new methods and trained teachers can help you to achieve.
What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you, rather than actually training you how to speak the language, by having you actually speak it?
How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class.
A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations.
Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud in 2011.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this? Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, but to be fluent, which new methods can help you to achieve. What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you? How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class. A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations. Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this? Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, but to be fluent, which new methods can help you to achieve. What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you? How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class. A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations. Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this? Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, but to be fluent, which new methods can help you to achieve. What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you? How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class. A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations. Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this? Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, but to be fluent, which new methods can help you to achieve. What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you? How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class. A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations. Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud.
How to Choose a Quality Language School and Teacher
When considering learning a new language, there are a number of questions to consider when selecting a quality language school or private teacher. Here are a few:
Is my teacher trained and certified? They can be trained by a particular institution or school, and can be certified by presenting their Indonesian Proficiency Test results and official training certificates. Does your teacher/school have this? Where will you be learning? Will you be learning at a home, a restaurant or a school? If your teacher is trained and certified, why would they be teaching anywhere other than at a school? What methodology will the teacher be using? Language learning has come a very, very long way since most of us sat at student’s desk. Language learning has become much more enjoyable on one hand, and psychological on the other. The purpose is no longer to help you to be capable in a new language, which old methods could barely achieve, but to be fluent, which new methods can help you to achieve. What materials and resources will they be using? Does the school/teacher prepare their own materials for you, or are they using ‘off-the-shelf’ materials from the bookstore? Bahasa Indonesia is a rapidly developing language, most books are obsolete by the time they are published and go on sale. Are they giving you other learning resources to use, or are they just writing and talking lots about the language to you? How much does it cost? It may appear cheaper to learn in a place that’s ‘free’ like a home or a restaurant, but there are many hidden costs involved, in expected food and drink purchases, inconvenience, distractions and discomfort. While it’s good to have a drink if you are talking a lot, you should be able to bring your own to the class. A formal school may appear to cost more, but actually it costs less. With a formal school, you have trained and certified teachers teaching you in a proper learning space using an effective methodology and specially-designed materials and resources. Private teachers charge the same amount, but they do not provide any of these things, and they pocket the difference. They pay no tax, no rent or mortgage fees, and no formal registration or organization fees, and do not make contributions to local organizations. Cinta Bahasa started as a school in Campuhan, Ubud, Bali. Our teachers have University degrees, successful careers in their fields prior to become teachers, and are trained and certified by a variety of formal language training institutions. They teach in proper classrooms using the latest methodologies and specially-designed textbooks and learning resources. They are also paid very well and have long-term employment contracts. Cinta Bahasa is formally registered as an educational institution, is registered with the Ministry of Education and is well-connected to Indonesian Language networks across Indonesia. Cinta Bahasa has contributed over Rp 24,000,000 (2,500 USD) to Education Scholarship Funds for low-income Balinese students and has contributed to hotel, restaurants and other businesses in Ubud.
The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not see the benefits of being able to speak Indonesian, and one of the biggest benefits of all, as you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year. Clearly, to invest in a good language education is worth the expense, the time and the effort.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa
On The Advantages of Being Able to Speak Bahasa Indonesia
If you are not able to speak Indonesian, or rely on Indonesians to do most everything for you, you may not realize the fact of Differential Pricing in Indonesia.
On everything from vegetables to buying a pair of glasses, to leasing land or building, prices for foreigners who are unable to speak Indonesian can be as high as 100-300% over the actual price. This means you could be paying 2-3 times more than the price that an Indonesian-speaking person, whether local or foreigner, would pay.
It’s not only Indonesia that has this unofficial policy. The photo to the right shows prices for Orange Juice in Mexico. If you can ask for it in Spanish, it’s a dollar less than it would be if you only know how to ask for it in English.
It’s been this way for generations in many countries, not only Indonesia.
If you look at the cost of a course in this light, you’ll see that if you can speak Indonesian proficiently, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands or many thousands of dollars each year.
Our students go to Ubud Market around the last week of their 40 hour training, and learn for themselves that they often can negotiate to 1/5 of the asking price. That’s right, a 80% discount!
Have you had experiences like this? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Cinta Bahasa