Archives for 09/07/2020

We’ve achieved another milestone! – interesting that even in 2020, more than a century after the mile was replaced by the kilometre, we still use this ancient expression. Indonesia actually adopted the metrical system very late. It was introduced in 1923 but became compulsory only in 1938. Before that they used the imperial system and the mile was called batu.

But, no, we don’t want to talk about the metrical system in Indonesia. Today we want to celebrate with you another milestone that we have achieved:

Anak Jalanan

Many years ago I came across a series recorded by Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, more precisely by the Indonesian section (seksi Indonesia) of Radio Nederland. Juliana, a journalist from Radio Nederland, observed a group of street children in Yogyakarta, and tracked their development over the years. This resulted in a very interesting series of recordings, for which we were given the permission from Radio Nederland to use them as teaching materials.

We made this material available online, but over the years the technology changes and what was state of the art in 2005 has now sunken into oblivion.

We like the materials so much that we decided to give «Aku Anak Siapa: Anak Jalanan di Yogyakarta» a complete overhaul.

Not only did we change the “engine” from the now completely outdated HotPotatoes from the University of Victoria to h5p, but we added new exercises, new sound files, and we also added many more entries to the vocabulary list.

We also added a new vocabulary list in alphabetic order, and, most important, we added a downloadable deck for Anki – a software that makes it much easier remembering vocabulary items.

«Aku Anak Siapa: Anak Jalanan di Yogyakarta» is not for beginners, but for advanced learners. Present users of «Baca Yuk» and «Serba Serbi Nusantara» will substantially benefit from the Anak Jalanan materials.

«Aku Anak Siapa: Anak Jalanan di Yogyakarta» is a nice introduction into the world of colloquial Indonesian using exclusively authentic materials. It hence perfectly complements «Baca Yuk» and «Serba Serbi Nusantara», which also use authentic materials, but predominantly in formal Indonesian.

«Aku Anak Siapa» is included in the Platinum and Bahan Tingkat Atas subscriptions. Everyone else can purchase the new Anak Jalanan materials for as little as $20, which is a 50% discount, and which is only available to current users of Indonesian-Online. This offer expires on 1 February at 24:00 HST.

If you want to get an idea how this course is structured, we invite you to have a look at the Table of Contents. There you can access the first five lessons for free ao that you can test the materials before you buy them.

So, as you see, the “Indonesian Online” team is constantly adding new materials.

But we also always strive to better the existing materials. In a few weeks we will make an announcement of changes to «The Indonesian Way».

And finally, please do not forget to tell us what you are missing. This feedback is extremely important to us. You can use the form, which is included in the right sidebar, or you can email us directly at [email protected].

Terima kasih, Mahalo, Thank you,

20 January 2020

Everybody wants to become a better, more successful learner. But how can we do that? Here is an interesting article.

In this world full of misinformation it is important if we can rely on newspapers that are trustworthy. One of the better newspapers of that kind is The Guardian, an independent daily British newspaper, which has a British, an Australian, a US, and an international online edition, all accessible through theguardian.com.

The Guardian has today (16/2/2020) posted a very interesting article which is relevant for all of us, especially for those who are currently enrolled at a university, and who want to become more successful learners.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/16/neuroscience-become-a-super-learner-scientific-research-better-learning-long-term-memory

What are Anki Flashcards?

Anki, derived from the Japanese word meaning ‘to memorise,’ is not only a term but also a powerful application designed to aid in the memorisation process. With Anki, you can effectively memorise a wide range of information, including vocabulary items. This program revolutionises the way we remember things by offering an efficient alternative to traditional study methods. As a result, you have the option to significantly reduce the time spent studying while simultaneously increasing the amount of information you retain. Anki flashcards incorporate spaced repetition, further enhancing the effectiveness of the learning experience.

Spaced repetition is an evidence-based learning technique that is usually performed with flashcards. Newly introduced and more difficult flashcards are shown more frequently while older and less difficult flashcards are shown less frequently in order to exploit the psychological spacing effect.

How Anki works

This is how it works: Anki shows you a vocabulary card, let’s say rumah. You just learned that rumah means ‘house’, and you flip the card. Anki now gives you three choices: it asks you whether it was easy, whether you hesitated, or whether you didn’t remember the word. If you remembered the word easily, Anki will not ask you again during this session, but it will ask again in a week. If after a week you still know that rumah means house, it will ask. again in a month. If after a month you still remember the word, Anki knows that you have memorised it very. well. But, just. to be. on the safe side, it. will prompt. you again in a year!

By utilising Anki, you can ensure long-term retention of the vocabulary you’ve learned. Furthermore, Anki allows for customisation according to your preferences. For example, you can limit the number of vocabulary items to no more than 20 or allocate a specific duration, such as 10 minutes per day, which can be extended if you have additional time available. This flexibility enables you to tailor your learning experience to suit your needs.

The Anki spaced repetition flashcards provide various statistics related to your learned vocabulary. It offers great flexibility in terms of card layout and review timing. You can use Anki to learn either Indonesian to English or vice versa. Additionally, Anki supports audio, so the words are not just displayed but also spoken by a native speaker. Thousands of words have been recorded for you to enhance your learning experience. Moreover, you have the option to switch off the text display and solely listen to the items.

Anki is a highly versatile application that is compatible with a wide range of platforms, making it extremely convenient for vocabulary learning. Whether you find yourself waiting for the bus or taking a quick coffee break, you can easily access Anki on your smartphone to improve your vocabulary skills. You can use Anki on various operating systems, including Android, iOS (iPhones), Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, allowing you to seamlessly integrate it into your preferred device or operating system. This flexibility ensures that you can make the most of Anki’s features regardless of your chosen platform.

Anki is (mostly) free

And the best thing is – Anki is a free application. Well, at least for Android, and for all computers. If you are an iPhone user, they charge you $25, but, hey, when you can afford an iPhone, then $25 are nothing, right?

We have developed Anki decks for almost all of our courses. For the upper level courses Anki is no longer audio supported because at that stage you already know how to pronounce Indonesian.

As an alternative to Anki, at least for The Indonesian Way, you can also use Quizlet, but without audio support.

So go to your course homepage, and check the link to the Anki download page. We provide the Anki flashcard decks, but you must download the Anki application yourself.