Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Intro

Michael: What alphabet does Indonesian use?
Blanca: And has it changed over time?
Michael: At IndonesianPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Willa Washington is a foreign exchange student and is in class with her friend Sandi Sasmita. Willa is curious about the history of the Indonesian language, so she asks her classmate, Sandi,
"Has Indonesian always used the Latin alphabet?"
Willa Washington: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Dialogue
Willa Washington: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Sandi Sasmita: Tidak.
Michael: Once more with the English translation.
Willa Washington: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Michael: "Has Indonesian always used the Latin alphabet?"
Sandi Sasmita: Tidak.
Michael: "No."

Lesson focus

Michael: In the conversation, we hear Willa say,
Blanca: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Michael: "Has Indonesian always used the Latin alphabet?" to which Sandi responds,
Blanca: Tidak.
Michael: "No."
Michael: As we heard in the dialogue, the Latin alphabet was not always the basis for the Indonesian language. In fact, Old Malay was once written using the Rencong alphabet, which was especially prevalent in parts of South Sumatra. This phonetic alphabet system is a descendent of Aramaic and lasted until the 18th century when the Dutch arrived. Since the start of the 19th century, the Indonesian language has adopted the Latin alphabet. The Indonesian alphabet uses the same 26 letters as the English alphabet and also emphasizes the same five vowels:
Blanca: "a," "e," "i," "o," "u,"
Michael: In spoken language, Indonesian speakers refer to the letters the same way they are called in Dutch.
Michael: It's also important to note that, in 1972, Indonesian saw a major reform of its language. The ‘Enhanced Spelling System' or, simply, the ‘Indonesian Spelling System' was established by the former President Suharto with the goal of creating cohesion between the Indonesian and Malay-based languages.
Michael: Ever since the original language reform took place, small letter combinations, in the form of diphthongs, have been made, although nothing major. As Indonesian language learners, once you've mastered the Latin alphabet, you're already off to a great start.
Practice Section
Michael: Let's review the sample conversation. I'll say each sentence in English, and I want you to try and reply out loud in Indonesian. The native speaker will then model the correct answer. Listen and repeat with an emphasis on your pronunciation.
The first sentence is "Has Indonesian always used the Latin alphabet?"
[Beep. Pause 5 seconds.]
Blanca: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat focusing on pronunciation.
Blanca: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
[Beep. Pause 5 seconds.]
Blanca: Apa bahasa Indonesia selalu menggunakan huruf Latin?
Michael: The second sentence is "No."
[Beep. Pause 5 seconds.]
Blanca: Tidak.
Michael: How did you do this time? Listen again and repeat.
Blanca: Tidak.
[Beep. Pause 5 seconds.]
Blanca: Tidak.
Cultural Insight/Expansion (Optional)
Michael: Do you know the Indonesian version of the ABC song?
Blanca: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Michael: (in English) A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Outro

Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them!
Blanca: Dadah.
Michael: See you soon!

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