2008-10-09 - 9:55 p.m.
My name is Ruby Astari. I am from Jakarta, Indonesia. As a part-time English teacher, I work in ILP (International Language Program) Ciputat in South Jakarta. I've been teaching there for five months.
As a freelance writer, I work independently. I know that I still haven't made much from my writings yet, but that just doesn't stop me. I mostly write fiction, but I'm also still learning to write feature articles and essays. I love languages and literature.
Why do I need the Fulbright's FLTA (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant) Scholarship Program? As we're all already aware of, without languages, there'll be no communication.
Although I'm an English teacher for Indonesian students, I'm genuinely curious about teaching my own language (Bahasa Indonesia) to other people - especially foreigners. Which one is more challenging and difficult? I keep silently wondering about it. I have several American friends who have been living in Jakarta for several years. Some of them are learning Bahasa Indonesia too - especially in order to be able to communicate with the locals here more easily.
One day, a guy named Patrick asked me, "Why is it 'setia kawan', not 'kawan setia'? I thought 'setia' was the adjective."
(Setia kawan = loyal friends / an attitude that describes one's loyalty to friends.)
Unfortunately, at that time, I couldn't give him a satisfactory answer beside: "Because that's just how it is." Then I realized one thing. I've been taking my own language for granted. If we tend to accept everything as it is without really understanding its meaning and purposes, then how can we teach other people something?
In college, I took three years of studying broadcasting and journalism. That's why I believe that the FLTA Program fits with my previous education background and also current profession. It's also important for me to gain more knowledge and experiences. After all, that's how people grow properly.
What are my future plans? Aside from introducing Bahasa Indonesia more to the world as a fun, foreign language - I also want to introduce my country's real cultural heritage. Some people still have trouble separating the difference between Indonesia and Malaysia, especially since we almost speak the similar language. That's also my mission to clarify.
The Author
