3 More Reasons Why You Should Learn Indonesian (and How to Begin)

Many people ask me about my language interests ...

• What languages are you studying and why?
• Why not focus on Spanish, French, and other standards?
• Does anyone even speak that language?
• Aren't Asian languages too difficult to study?
• Why bother with a language like Indonesian?

... and so on.

I completely understand why people have these questions and wanted to take a minute to talk about the language focus of this blog, Bahasa Indonesia (the national language of Indonesia).

Just recently I compiled an article called Why Indonesian Is One of the Easiest Languages to Learn. This article covered some of the aspects of Indonesian grammar and vocabulary which make it one of the best ways for English speakers to get started with a foreign language.

However, what else is there? Why should someone consider investing time in Indonesian? What does Indonesian have to offer?

Reason #1: Access to 230+ Million People

Language is the true culture of people. Foreign languages give a learner access to new worlds of thought, conversation, and so much more.

I think it's a shame that many North Americans forget to see the bigger picture with language. It is easy to forget that English is a language and not just "how to talk", with everything else being strange or odd.

I do not blame most people because this is all they ever experience and learn. But this issue gets me a bit angry, so humor me with these 4 wake-up calls about people and language.

First off:

NOT EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH!

While English is one of the most widely-spoken native and second languages, it is not the only language, and I hope things stay this way.

There is so much linguistic diversity in the world (check out this listt of languages by native speakers at Wikipedia for just a glimpse).

Secondly:

NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO SPEAK ENGLISH!

English may offer new opportunity as a second language, but that doesn't mean that every person in the world wants to abandon their mother tongue and lose their traditional culture.

Next, even more importantly:

NOT EVERYONE HAS THE RESOURCES TO LEARN ENGLISH!

We must remember that some people do not have the books, computers, teachers, schools, or simply the money to be formally educated in English.

But at the same time, just because someone does not speak English does not mean they are stupid or uneducated.

And finally:

NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THE WESTERN WORLD!

In other words, there is so much to see out there beyond the Euro-centric, white-centric, America-centric world. There is nothing wrong with America, Canada, Europe, and so on ... that's not the point.

The point is that learning a language like Indonesian gives you access to MILLIONS and MILLIONS of more people.

Whether that's opens doors for your business, education, job, travels, or simply personal enrichment, it's a darn good reason to hit the books and study a lesser common language.

Indonesians are most often incredibly friendly to foreigners and overall seem to be a pretty happy and industrious people.

Reason #2: Beautiful Weather, Beaches, and Wildlife

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago of islands and home to some of the largest remaining tropical forest, pristine beaches, and over 160 volcanoes.

It is filled with wildlife: birds and animals (such as the Sumatran orangutan), tropical flowers and trees, and fish and other marine life, including hundreds of endangered and endemic species.

Indonesia is a warm, sunny, lush country with many beaches and resorts as well!

Check out these pictures:

Reason #3: DURIAN! And Other Cheap Ripe Tropical Fruit

If you know me at all, you know that I am a fruit-lover and eat TONS of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I eat a vegan diet of fresh produce and am always on the hunt for new and exotic varieties to try. And most of all, I'm always looking for good deals and the freshest, ripest stuff there is. (Learn more about my diet at my website Brian on Health here.)

Indonesia is a tropical country whose climate and soil lends itself well to so many tropical fruits and vegetables, something to entice both the simple fruit-lover like myself and the gourmet chef and food connoisseur as well.

My favorite fruit in the world is durian, the spiky, creamy, rich, delicious Southeast Asian fruit known for its unique pungent odor. And Indonesia's got it:

Just one more reason to take up Bahasa Indonesia!

How to Begin Learning

What's the best way to get started learning Indonesian?

Pick up a few books and start reading away.

Language self-study is a rewarding hobby that can bring so many new experiences into your life. Simply by reading and seeing new material you are exposing yourself to enriching culture and diversity of thought.

The Internet is a great place for listening to audio, watching video (like Indonesian news), and looking up words and phrases.

However, to seriously begin learning, books are your best bet. This blog will feature lessons and exercises from various Indonesian textbooks, which is my way of sharing what I'm learning and reviewing key points.

The books I have right now are listed at this blog post here. Check them out if you're interested in Indonesian ... they're a great start for learners.

So there we have it. I hope you learned something from this article and maybe are enticed to learn some Indonesian or even head to Indonesia one day yourself!

Selamat belajar,
Bahasa Brian