[Indonesian_open] The Sydney Morning Herald on Indonesia

[R.Machali]

Dear colleagues, 
An excerpt from Week end SM (below).

A full version can be read in:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/regional-thinking-a-number-of-ways-to-put-a
ustralia-back-in-itsplace/2008/04/18/1208025480142.html?page=fullpage#conten
tSwap1

**** start of Excerpt******
Regional thinking: a number of ways to put Australia back in its place
Hamish McDonald, Asia-Pacific Editor
April 19, 2008
[.......]
The language that is strategically useful, most likely to be usable on cheap
nearby holidays, and relatively easy to grasp in its basics (it has simple
pronunciation and structure, and a phonetic script using the Roman alphabet)
is Indonesian.
 
We don't have enough trained teachers of Indonesian to reach everyone,
especially in primary schools. How about an ambitious teacher exchange
scheme? Indonesian teachers could spend a couple of years in our schools,
teaching Indonesian and improving their English, and our teachers do the
reverse.
 
The rapid progress that can be made with Indonesian would attune more of our
students to the idea that foreign languages aren't impossible. More of them
might then go on to study the more difficult ones, such as Chinese,
Japanese, Arabic, Hindi/Urdu and Persian - if available in our senior
schools and HSC marks don't penalise non-native speakers for tackling them
instead of the softer options.
**** end of excerpt****

Salam, 
Rochayah 
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