I really struggled with learning Bahasa Indonesia during Pre Service Training. For ten weeks this geezer’s brain fought to overpower Arabic enough to replace it with the language spoken here, Bahasa Indonesia.

I am now in Garut, West Java where I will be living and teaching for the next two years. I live with an Indonesian family in a house built on a fish pond. It’s a family compound actually with separate houses for a married son, his wife and their 1 ½ year old son (same age as 2 of my grand-nephews), a house for their unmarried son, the daughter and her husband’s house, an aunt and her family’s house and a house where there is a family who may or may not be related – I’m not sure yet.

So far, I have been able to understand and respond to everything they all have said to me. I miss only a word now and then. The reason for my ability to understand is that they all speak with me using English, Bahasa Indonesia and Arabic with a word now and then in Bahasa Sunda (the language of this part of West Java.) All four languages are used in the same sentence. Most sentences have four languages in them. I have no idea how my geezer brain is able to switch from language to language this quickly but it seems to be working.

MAN 1, my school, has several Arabic Language teachers. These teachers have been speaking to me in 100% pure formal Classical Arabic straight from the Koran. The Arabic I know best is Egyptian Colloquial. There’s a big difference between the two. When these teachers speak slowly I can usually add a neutral kinda response that keeps the conversation going.

I’ve been given a desk in the male teachers’ room. There are 25 desks here. Only one of the English teachers has a desk in this room.  The others are used by teachers of all kinds of different subjects. All of these teachers have been speaking to me in English (except the 2 Arabic Language teachers).  They have different levels of English but we seem to understand each other. I have asked them to speak either Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Sunda with me so that I can improve and learn these. No go! I’m their English teacher and they want English more than I need an Indonesian Language or two.

The teachers in charge of the media center, computer lab, motor repair lab and the music teachers all speak English as well as the English teachers. The teachers in the Clothing Fabrication class seem to speak only Bahasa Indonesia and their language, Bahasa Sunda. If I’m going to practice my Indonesian languages at school, I’m going to end up with a lot of well-made Batik clothing.