Advice for teachers - Indonesian Second Language

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 3

Theme: The individual
Topic: Personal identity
Sub topic: Health and wellbeing

Outcome 1

Participate in a spoken exchange in Indonesian to resolve a personal issue.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read an article outlining the importance of a healthy lifestyle for young people in Indonesia. Summarise your findings in a 100-word paragraph. Discuss the findings with classmates.
  • Read blog posts from Indonesia about how young people balance co-curricular/school commitments and fitness; then present the key information in a table.
  • Listen to a conversation between two young people in Indonesia discussing school routines and finding time for recreational activities/part-time work. Answer questions about the conversation. Observe features of informal language that are different to formal Indonesian and discuss.
  • In pairs, act out the above conversation, paying careful attention to recreating the rhythm, intonation and pronunciation of the speakers.
  • Write a 250-word informative article for the school magazine outlining the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
  • Write a 250-word personal email to a friend to suggest actions they could take to adopt a more balanced lifestyle.
  • Role-play in pairs, asking each other questions about how you balance study and leisure and exchanging opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.

Detailed example

A personal email to a friend

  1. List vocabulary related to health and wellbeing.
  2. Listen to a conversation between Year 12 students about how their studies are progressing. Take notes on what they say to each other and the language they use.
  3. Watch a vlog in which a teacher offers advice to students about how to reduce stress in the lead-up to National Exams (Ujian Nasional).
  4. Find and read websites that target students and their study methods. List ideas and advice provided.
  5. Read a youth magazine where students have asked questions about healthy and balanced lifestyles. Discuss the responses and decide whether they are realistic.
  6. Write an email to a friend suggesting actions they could take to have a balanced and healthy lifestyle in Year 12.

Theme: The Indonesian-speaking communities
Topic: History and change
Sub topic: Indonesian-Australian relations

Outcome 2

Interpret information from texts and write responses in Indonesian.

Examples of learning activities

  • View a timeline of significant dates in the history of Indonesian–Australian relations; read sentences about significant events and match the sentences to their respective dates.
  • Research information about relations between Makassan seafarers and communities in Arnhem Land before European settlement in Australia. Organise your findings as a set of questions and answers under the headings: Siapa? Apa? Kapan? Di mana? Mengapa?
  • Watch a documentary or film about a significant event in the history of Indonesian-Australian relations. Write a journal entry reflecting on the knowledge you gained, whether or not it changed your perception of the relationship and what else you would like to find out. Read a research report about Australians’ perceptions of Indonesia and Indonesians’ perceptions of Australia. Discuss your reactions to the report.
  • Listen to and read information about one period in the history of Indonesian–Australian relations in order to create a more detailed section of your timeline. Identify an event in this period and write one or two paragraphs explaining why you want to research the event further.
  • View a series of historical photos that depict a significant event and analyse them
  • Put your selected event in context by finding out what factors led to the event, what was happening elsewhere at the time, what the short- and long-term impacts of the event were, the main participants, their motivations and the impact the event had on them.
  • Based on information from the texts studied, give a three-minute speech to the class about your selected event.
  • Write a 250-word evaluative report about your selected event

Detailed example

A three-minute speech on an event in Indonesian–Australian relations

  1. Research the event from different perspectives.
  2. Summarise the main elements of the event: who, what, when, where, why, how.
  3. Write a list of key linking words and phrases and formulaic introductory and concluding phrases.
  4. Gather images that will support your audience’s comprehension of your speech. Display them on a poster with appropriate captions.
  5. Watch a video of someone giving an informative speech. Make notes under these questions as headings: How do they present themselves physically while giving the talk? What type of language do they use? What techniques do they employ to make it engaging and interesting?
  6. Plan the three-minute speech and re-read your research to ensure you have included all the information you need.
  7. Practise reading the script aloud and time it. Record your practice and listen to it with a critical friend to identify any problems with delivery and to anticipate likely questions from your audience.
  8. If using images as part of the speech, practise indicating them to others so that listeners are aware of them and appreciate how they support the spoken material.
  9. Present your speech to your classmates and respond to their questions.

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Environmental issues
Sub topic: Renewable energy

Outcome 3

Express ideas in a personal, informative or imaginative piece of writing in Indonesian.

Examples of learning activities

  • Create a glossary of words and expressions on concepts and ideas that you need in order to talk about energy usage.
  • Consider how Indonesia and Australia rate in energy usage in global terms. Research the major energy usage and energy production of both countries. List the differences and similarities; then write comparative sentences about energy usage in Indonesia and Australia.
  • Compare infographics from Indonesia and Australia about reducing energy usage. In pairs, discuss the similarities and differences based on the evidence you have collected. Write a 100-word paragraph outlining these.
  • Choose one form of renewable energy. Find out how it works and its strengths and weaknesses as a source of energy in Indonesia. Create an informative poster for a junior high school science classroom in Indonesia.
  • Search for video clips using the key phrase ‘menghemat energi’. Watch a selection of clips, taking note of the source, key messages and intended audience. Discuss with your classmates.
  • Use information from spoken, written and viewed texts on the topic of renewable energy in Indonesia in order to create a leaflet that presents strategies for promoting sustainable practices.
  • Listen to an interview about a renewable energy project in an Indonesian village and read information about the method of energy production. Write a 250-word informative article for a general interest magazine about the project and the science behind it. Incorporate direct and reported speech from the interview in your article.

Detailed example

A leaflet on the topic of renewable energy in Indonesia

  1. View a documentary on renewable energy in Indonesia.
  2. Read an article on renewable energy usage and how it has changed over the last 10 years.
  3. Listen to a conversation between young people in which they discuss their views on energy usage in Indonesia.
  4. Discuss in pairs how best to answer questions related to the topic in Indonesian using full sentences.
  5. Individually, select an article and write questions on it. Also, create an answer key for these questions.
  6. Circulate the sets of questions. Answer all of them. Correct as a group.
  7. Examine some advertising material and leaflets.
  8. In pairs draft some paragraphs to be used in the leaflet.