Teaching Indonesian in New South Wales

IALF Bali teacher Juni Widaryanti has recently returned from a one- year posting as a teaching assistant for Indonesian, under an agreement between the New South Wales Department of Education and IALF.

Juni began her time in NSW at Bellingen High School where she taught both Year 7 and some small groups of Year 12 students. At the end of the second term there was an Indonesian cultural concert for students and parents. Juni taught the students Indonesian songs and dances as well as how to play the angklung – an Indonesian traditional instrument. They also experimented with the traditional Indonesian art form of wayang kulit, shadow puppets. The concert concluded with a traditional Indonesian meal of yellow rice cone with side dishes and spices.

During the second half of the year Juni was based at Macksville High. She again worked with Year 7 as well as Years 9, 10 and 12. At the end of term assembly a group of year 7 and 9 students performed tari pendet – a Balinese welcome dance - for the whole school, including the parents of the departing year 10 students.

On Indonesian Independence Day – 17 August – Juni accompanied 20 year 9 students to Sydney where they attended celebrations held at the residence of the Indonesian Consul. The students performed a poco-poco dance and enjoyed a wide variety of Indonesian food.

During her time in NSW Juni was also invited as a guest teacher to several schools, including Casuarina Primary, St Patrick’s Primary in Macksville, Coffs Harbour Christian Community, Toormina High School, Ulmarra Primary in Grafton, Scotts Head Primary and Kogarah High, Sydney. Juni found all the students to be very enthusiastic learners of both Indonesian language and culture.

Indonesia Australia Language Foundation

IALF Language Centres in Indonesia: