The Indonesian Way

Type: Online self-study program
Cost: Free
Audience: Beginner to advanced
Website: http://indonesianway.com/

Update 21/2/2016 - This has changed completely, and looks to be a very promising resource. They have not finished, but have posted timelines and funding requirements. The Online Edition is free, but the Textbook Edition is for members only... with no visible way to become a member! Like I said, work in progress.


This is an online textbook with 113 lessons across 8 modules, covering several aspects of daily life in Indonesia. Many separate exercises, in addition to those embedded in the text, help test your knowledge.

The lessons are well-organised and have several useful features that a normal textbook couldn't - the most obvious being sound recordings embedded into the lesson. Another really useful feature is the audio transcriptions, which you have to click a button to show. When the temptation to read along is removed, I find it easier to concentrate on the audio. You can display a word list for the lesson, as well as flashcards to help drill the information.

The audio is clear and spoken at a speed you might actually hear in Indonesia - hard at first but better to get used to it now than expect everyone to speak at a snail's pace to you. When the audio is for one word only, they have a male and a female say it which is good, because in any language two people can pronounce the same word a little differently and still be correct.

There are little self-tests you can do along the way, with an input format from the 90's but it gets the job done. There is no 'fudge factor'. For example, if the answer is "United States", you cannot put "United States of America", "USA" or "America". Similarly, if there is a spelling error at their end, tough luck. One example is "Phillipines" [sic]. In some of the exercises it's hard to know which answer they want, for example if 3 of the pictures look like they could be a school, which one is "sekolah" and what the heck are the other three? But they do give you assistance after the first try and since there is no scorekeeping, it doesn't really matter: the important part is that you're learning.

Some of the lessons have some strange things to learn, for example in Lesson 2 you go through a whole exercise containing versions of "I'm from Russia." "Huh? I thought you were from Germany." "Nope I'm from Russia. There is quite a bit of variety though, and several ways to say the same thing. You might not remember them all to use yourself, but if you see or hear them later it will make sense. They also add little bits that people would actually say, so in response to "Dari mana",  rather than saying "from my house", you might say "only from my house". It adds words that people are likely to use in everyday conversation, I think if you can pick up some of these words it will make you blend in a lot better in Indonesia.

One final note - if you get stuck on the first page of the module like I did, take note of the little orange arrows at the top right hand corner of the screen. They're your navigation buttons!

The Indonesian Way is maintained by University of Hawai'i at Manoa. It is used for their online-delivered Indonesian program, which I will not review as it costs around USD $500, but which sounds fantastic. The courses use a number of other resources as students progress, but since I'm at Beginner stage still, we'll take them one step at a time!

Indonesian in 60 Minutes

Type: CD with booklet
Cost: $10 AUD
Requirements: CD player
Audience: Travellers


Anything that promises to teach you a language in 60 minutes is clearly not going into too much depth, and for the price you really can't expect to gain fluency. However, it's $10. Actually at time of review, it's 30% off for a grand total of $6.20 including delivery from the UK to Australia, so just get it.

There are 12 topics as per the list below. They go through each word or phrase twice slowly, and then once at normal speed & intonation. You'd find it useful if you were travelling, because it gives you just enough words to say what you need to. Of course, if someone replies with anything out of the ordinary, you're not going to get any grasp of how the language works, just a rote learning of phrases. One nice thing about it is the lack of annoying preamble: they just get straight into action without podcast intros or advertising.

I would add this to your stable of resources for the times when you're out walking or in the car, but I certainly wouldn't rely on it for much more than drill.

Welcome and basic expressions
Numbers
Time
Days of the Week
Making Friends
Eating Out
Leisure
Shopping
Internet and Communications
Health
Around Town
Emergencies

Indonesian Pod 101

Type: Online Program
Cost: Basic $4/month, Premium $10/month. Currency unknown
Requirements: Computer with internet
Audience: Absolute Beginner + (but see below)
Website: http://www.indonesianpod101.com/

Update 21/2/2016 - These guys have cleaned up their website big-time. I can't review it because it's a paid site and I'm not looking to join anything at the moment. I'll leave the post below as-is, but be aware that as this was 4 years ago, it's probably better now.

-----

I'm a little confused about this product so far. My first impression was that it was a scam, but a Google search revealed that they do several other languages too, particularly Japanese, and people do like it.

This is a horrifyingly messy website. It's complicated, has a million options, and looks like it was put together by a committee. It actually looks like a scam, one of those ones where everything leads to "pay here". Even the "connect with Facebook" link doesn't work.

The basic premise is audio and video podcasts, which you can either download via iTunes or directly from the site, with PDF lesson guides and flashcards. With varying levels of membership, you get more included. The free membership gets you the last 3 weeks of podcasts (you can download these from iTunes without an account anyway) as well as access to the "community" with lesson discussions etc - however I have as yet been unable to find this community. There's a forum, but with only 3 posts.

The problem is, there actually isn't a lot of content! Take, for example, the Absolute Beginner section. This is supposed to be a 25-lesson course and from the "Explore Curriculum" link, it looks great. But it's not there! There are no lessons, not on the website and not on iTunes. There are Advanced lessons, but nothing basic. This could be explained by my account being a free version, except that you get Premium for the first 7 days, so in theory I have full access to the site at the moment. I emailed them, mentioning that I was thinking about paying (this is true) and could they tell me where the lessons were, but I received no response.

So the net result at the moment is that I think a free account is worth signing up for to have a look, but paying is up to you. Perhaps I have just missed the point. I'm going to keep trying, and if things improve, I'll update this post and put it into the "Great Resources" section.

Update: 3 days later... still no reply. Not looking good.

Declan Flashcards

Type: Software - flashcard application for multiple platforms

Cost: USD - 

iPhone app: $14.99

iPad app: $14.99

Android app: $14.99

Mac OSX: $14.99

Windows: $29.75

Also available in a free trial version on all platforms.
Website: http://www.declan-software.com/indonesian/index.htm

Audience: Complete beginner +

To me, flashcards have always seemed very "American homeschool pushy parent". I don't know where this really comes from, perhaps some terrible movies from growing up in the 80's. We never really used flashcards at my school for anything, so I am not used to their benefits. 

I use the iPhone version, and downloaded the free version a while back. I found it quite useful, but like many people I was hesitant to spend more than $1.99 on any app since there are so many free and cheap apps out there. I have since readjusted my opinions on this and today bought the full version while taking a train into the city. I found it quick to learn, and on my 35 minute trip I mastered the days of the week.

It's a quick download, because it only loads the first couple of WordFiles and leaves the others for manual download. This makes it handy for downloading over 3G, but if you want, you can also download all WordFiles at once.

The app starts with a list of WordFiles, in many, many categories such as "Numbers", "Family", "Nature", "School", "Medical" etc. After reviewing the words, there are four types of exercises:

Word - the Indonesian word is displayed, and you choose the English translation from 5 options

Meaning - the English word is displayed, and you choose the Indonesian translation from 5 options

Spelling - the English word is displayed and you type in the Indonesian translation

Listening - the Indonesian word is spoken, and you choose the English translation from 5 options

Two things I really like about this software: One, you can add individual words to a "sticky list". Two, you can now create your own wordlists. Truth be told the whole language is probably contained in all those WordFiles, but you'd have to wade through a lot to find a particular word, so it's good to have the option. 

Two things I don't like about this software: One, you buy the software only for one device. True, you can download the iPhone version onto an iPad, but you can't download the iPad version unless you pay again. Two, I would like to be able to test myself on more than 10 words at a time. 

Basic Indonesian Coursebook

Type: Workbook
Cost: $22 AUD
Audience: Some experience, preferably with a tutor


I bought this book at the Foreign Language Bookshop in Melbourne, and you can also get it at Book Depository with free shipping. I found out that I really should have bought a dictionary as well, because even though this book is promoted as an introductory coursebook suitable for self-study... they're lying.

Each chapter starts with a comic strip based around Sari and her daily life. It's quite well done, and there's a transcript as well so you don't have to go back to the pictures, but they do help with understanding meaning the first time. Then, there are questions based around the reading. Unfortunately, there is no translation of the questions (although at the back of the book there is a translation of all the comic strip dialogs), and worse, there are no answers! So if you don't have someone helping you, you could be going down completely the wrong track and would never know.

The lack of answers is my biggest complaint about this book, however the companion audio CD is a close second. I saw a review on Amazon of the book by someone who said the dialog on the CD was spoken far too quickly to understand. I don't know whether they were stupid or whether (I suspect) it actually was too fast, so they just slowed it down electronically rather than re-recording it. It really is ridiculous, the words are so distorted that you'd never get proper pronunciation from it. "CO...P...Y....WRRRR...ITE" It is so bad that I have tossed it. Luckily, there are transcripts of the audio lessons at the back of the book.

For all my criticism above, this is actually an amazingly useful book that has given me a number of "a-ha!" moments. It explains grammar in a plain language method that is easy to understand and put into context. For that reason alone, it's actually worth the money (it's really not that expensive). And the exercises are good, you just don't know whether you're doing it right or not. I suppose I could type the questions into Google Translate to check.

Finally, this book has one of the most interesting back-of-book dictionaries I've ever seen. Rather than the usual textbook index of the words encountered in the book, instead it takes 100 high-frequency English words and explains how to use them in different contexts in Indonesian.

"Learning Indonesian" Podcast

Type: Audio podcast
Cost: $149.95 USD/lifetime access to 72 full lessons. (32 free "quick lessons" are also available)
Audience: Complete beginner +
Requirements: Listen online or download and use an mp3 player
Website: http://www.learningindonesian.com/

Post updated 21/2/2016

This was one of the first things I tried when I was just starting out. I haven't used the premium lessons; only the free ones which have a long podcast intro and are shorter. Evidently the premium lessons go into a lot more detail. The progression is good, at first they say everything in English but they blend in Indonesian more throughout the course, until in the later lessons it's all in Indonesian.

The program is run by a couple, Cici who originally from Indonesia and Shaun, who is American. They started this small business for Indonesian language learning because the big language companies don't invest much in Indonesian - better to focus on the money spinners like Spanish, Italian and Mandarin.

Being more of a visual learner myself, I find it hard to motivate myself to listen to podcasts but I must admit, I found I remembered a huge amount of what they covered. This was due in part to the free PDF study guides that they will email out to you, even if you just took the free lessons. It would be nice to skip the podcast intro, so I am likely to get into the premium.

Rosetta Stone

Type: Online software
Cost: $99 USD/3 months
Audience: Complete Beginner +
Requirements: PC or Mac

Post updated 21/2/2016

Rosetta Stone is probably the best reviewed software for learning a wide range of languages. It works on an immersion principle: no instruction, no English, just associating words (either spoken, written or both) with pictures. It starts very simply: "Halo". The next page is pictures of men and women, with "seorang pria" - you choose which one it is. It builds information slowly and effectively.

There are several focus points of the course, and you can choose to include any or all of them including reading, speaking, pronunciation, written and grammar. I have included everything to begin with, and when I go back to review I might just choose spoken words. There are activities where you need to say the word or phrase (this works very well), some where you need to read the words and choose the right picture, some where you have to type the words in, and some where you need to choose from a selection of answers. It is very easy to work with and quite intuitive.

The exercises start with a core lesson that introduces a ton of new concepts, and then it's broken down into manageable chunks by type (reading, pronunciation etc).

I really like it. It's easy to pick up for half an hour here and there when you have some time. I sometimes find myself using a word that I didn't realise had sunk in, so the repetition works too. The only thing I would like is an iPad version - the online version won't work as it uses Flash. This is just a symptom of a less popular language though, as the company has brought out a new online offering (with forums, games etc) for several of the French/German/Spanish etc and this also includes an iPad app.


Buying the software

For whatever reason, the Indonesian software is no longer available as a CD box set from Rosetta Stone themselves, although you may find it at retailers. There are two options: a 3 or 6 month online subscription, and only from the US Rosetta Stone site. There are both 3 and 6 month subscription options, which have now had their prices reduced.

US Site - learn Indonesian

Bear in mind that the Indonesian course only goes up to Level 1 (French, Spanish, German etc go up to Level 5). There are 4 units which should take 40-50 hours to complete. If you're using this software every day or two, you're not going to need more than 3 months to go through the course.

Beware

There are a ton of pirate versions of this floating about the internet. They look genuine. They have a box that looks right. And the price is too good to be true, $70 - 100. The harsh reality is that if you end up with a pirate copy you leave yourself open to viruses, defective software, or maybe you just spent $100 and got a blank CD.

Rosetta Stone’s product:

• Is never on CDR or DVD media

• Does not have anything called a “Pro” or “Professional Edition” for any language

• Will always have a EULA (End User License Agreement) specifying the purchase of a license as opposed to a product

• Is not sold or published in Multi Language Editions in packs or otherwise

• Will not have spelling errors on the software packages

• Is not sold or published in any versions referred to as “cracked versions”

• Is sold through online access to its services via the website but is not sold as downloadable applications/programs

First clue: If they say they are an "offical" (sic) supplier, they probably are not.

Why Learn Indonesian?

In 2010 I popped over to Malaysia for what was originally meant to be a week-long break, but turned into five weeks. You can read the blog if you want. I planned the first two weeks so I could go to a particular dive resort, but by the first evening my plans all changed when I met Yvonne. She taught me what she'd learned on her own travels: how to choose a restaurant that won't kill you, how to decipher the menu, and how to say thank you. Suddenly I wasn't just in the country to get away, I was actually starting to enjoy the culture and the people, and developed a real passion for the place. 

I travelled around Sabah, down to Kuching and Miri and Mulu, and even into Brunei for a few days. Borneo is a really big place though, and I had only just reached the tip of the country that very much resembles an iceberg - the Malaysian part is above the surface with tourism, widely-spoken English, and regular reliable transport. Duck your head under the water and you'll find Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Tourism is patchy at best, Inggeris is something they learn at school in Jakarta, and planes crash all the time. However, it's filled with wildlife - orangutans, big cats, sun bears: you name it. In fact, just a week ago Indonesia signed a decree stating that it would conserve at least 45% of its share of the Bornean jungle, which is good news for the whole planet.

So it sounds like a place I would love to visit - leeches, mozzies and all. I realised though that if I wanted to go to Kalimantan, I was going to have to get around without too many problems. I'd already picked up a lot of everyday language that got me through the smaller towns in Malaysia and meant I could have awkward conversations with encouraging taxi drivers (no, I don't want to add you to Facebook but thanks anyway), so it didn't seem like it would be too hard to learn some more. 

I came back to Australia intending to learn Malay. A quick Google search revealed very little, with the exception of one Teach Yourself Malay book (which actually looked quite good, more on that later). But in February I was invited to a wedding in Melbourne, where the whole service was in Indonesian. To my surprise, I actually understood several parts of the service, and that was the lightbulb moment when I realised that Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia were so similar that as a traveller you could use them interchangeably and get by. I Googled "learn Indonesian" and although this also wasn't great, it was far better and over the last several months I have accummulated several quality resources, and it's time to share.