Indonesia Has Largest Number of Japanese Language Learners

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Japan Foundation said Indonesians formed the second largest Japanese learner group in the world, claiming that 872,444 people have learnt the language. This claim positions the country right behind China that has 1,046,490 learners of language.

"The number increased significantly, by around 21.8 percent compared to 2009," Director General of Japan Foundation for Southeast Asia region, Tadashi Ogawa said here, Monday.

Senior high school students formed the largest chunk, accounting for almost 40 percent learners. It makes Indonesia a country that will be accorded priority in matter of aid to increase Japanese language proficiency, especially for local teachers.

The Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) and the Japan Foundation have put into place a partnership program called "Nihongo Partners" to increase the Indonesian teachers Japanese language proficiency.

Ogawa explained that 49 Japanese language teachers in Senior and Vocational High School from 19 different provinces have been sent to Japan this year.

These teachers went in two different groups. The first group comprised 24 teachers who pursued the program from October 11-25. The second group of 25 teachers would start the program on October 26 which will end on November 10, 2015.

As part of the program, all the participants follow an intensive two week exercise at "The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute," located at Urawa, Japan. During the training, the participants are accompanied by native speakers.

"In Japan, we trained the teachers through teamwork learning method. We hope that with all the opportunity they receive in Japan, they will be able to increase their capability," Ogawa noted.

Kemdikbud, through the Director General of Elementary and Junior Education, Hamid Muhammad, stated that the government strongly supported these activities and hoped that teachers can benefit from the program.

Currently, Indonesia has 4,538 Japanese language teachers at school level, high education and non-formal education.

A teacher from Cilegon 1 Senior High School, Nita, said the program would be very useful for teachers to develop their knowledge of the Japanese language in Indonesia.

"The teachers have an opportunity to deepen the understanding of Japanese language," she said.(WDY)