Chelsea Piper is a student from the The University of New England. Chelsea undertook the Flexible Language Immersion Program (FLIP) in 2024.

 

Q: Why did you decide to undertake the Acicis program?

I was refereed to the ACICIS program by my university as a facilitator for my required in-country study.

 

Q: What classes/units are you currently enrolled in?

During my 2 semesters I took 6 Indonesian language learning classes and 4 immersion classes.

My Indonesian language classes provided by INCULS were one of the best resources for improving my Indonesian language skills. The classes that I took were reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, listening and Indonesian tourism. Each week’s lessons were based on an overarching theme and then the individual classes used the theme’s texts and media resources as study tools.

For my immersion classes I choose two Indonesian culture classes and two foreign language classes. Batik and Gamelan classes were both fun and engaging, a great way to learn new skills and also get a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture. My two language classes, Korean and Mandarin also provided a new and interesting set of challenges as well as an insight into Indonesian style language teaching.

 

Q: Are you involved in any clubs/societies at the university?

I did attend a few meetings for Gadjah Mada University‘s horse riding club but did not continue with my participation, Indonesian University clubs are not for the faint of heart! But I’m glad I got a chance to experience the application and orientation process.

 

Q: How will your proficiency in Indonesian Language gained through the Flexible Language Immersion Program influence your future career or study?

I didn’t have any specific career related goals for my study in FLIP but I can say without a doubt that my Indonesian language skills have increased substantially.

 

Q: How different is in-country Indonesian language learning to your previous experiences in an Australian classroom environment?

In country study is one of the best possible ways to improve your language skills in my opinion. Even the most well delivered/structured classes back in Australia will never measure up with being able to apply your newly learnt vocabulary or grammar rules in your next interaction with an Indonesian speaker as you order your lunch or have casual conversation.

The classes themselves were fairly similar to classes back in Australia but it’s the environment that makes the most difference based on my experiences.

 

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time in Yogyakarta?

My time outside of class was mostly filled with hanging out with fellow ACICIS and other international students as well as Indonesian friends. Yogyakarta is a young and vibrant city so there was always different restaurants to try or a newly opened art gallery to see.

I also took advantage of longer breaks between classes to travel around Indonesia, Yogyakarta is well connected with trains, buses and planes so this was quite easy.

 

Q: What challenges did you face during your program and how did you overcome it?

During my program I didn’t face any large challenges but rather a collection of small challenges. Most of them were quite harmless and I just needed to allow myself some time to adjust to, such as the attention I would get as a foreigner in public places to varying degrees of homesickness. Other challenges I was able to overcome as I came to understand Indonesian culture better and therefore also understood why Indonesians would say or do certain things.

Overall my advice would be to acknowledge that things will be different and uncomfortable in your first few days and weeks. What is most important will be your attitude towards these challenges, a positive and open mindset will help you to have the best experience possible during your program.

 

Q: Favourite Indonesian word/phrase? Why?

“Tidak apa apa/tidak apa2/gakpapa/gapapa/gpp”

I use this phrase at least once everyday! It was not only useful in almost every situation but also summarises the Indonesian “santai, sabar” culture perfectly. For any Australian who wants to express the idea of “no worries” this is a very important phrase for your vocabulary.

 

Q: What’s the most interesting new discovery or story during your stay in Indonesia?

I had far too many memorable and interesting experiences to just pick one, but some common occurrences were questionable toilets, staying on islands without electricity or running water, overnight trips on boats without enough beds, trekking through the jungle in torrential rain and a number of long, long car rides off the beaten track.

But what made all these experiences fun and memorable was my travel companions, I hope that future Acicis students can also make great travel buddies like I did.

 

Q: Will you recommend Acicis to other students?

I would absolutely recommend Acicis to anyone considering studying in Indonesia. Not only do Acicis make the enrolment process easy they also provide excellent ongoing support during your time in Indonesia.

 

Q: Favorite Indonesian food / favorite place to eat?

Although Yogyakarta has a huge selection of western restaurants to choose from I will always love a prasmanan style Indonesian restaurant. Being able to pick and choose what you would like to eat is a great way to try new dishes. My personal favourites are tempe garit, tahu goreng, terong balado, urap, perkedel and anything with saus kacang!