Making connections

This learning object is designed around an issue or topic rather than around a particular language learning point. However a range of connections can be made to prior language learning and to learning in other subject areas.

Although students can use Perjalanan berbahaya successfully without working through the following activities, they will be better prepared with some prior language experiences.

Endangered species
Mapping: about Indonesia
 

Endangered species

Explain to students that they are going to use a learning object that explores the life cycle of an endangered species, the Leatherback turtle. Give students a rough outline of the situation of this species. (See Overview section.)

To build a list of relevant vocabulary, ask students to suggest a few key words or phrases that they think they might need when working with this learning object. Then give students the sample vocabulary list, Daftar kata (in Word or PDF).  Using the teacher version of the list, Daftar kata guru (in Word or PDF), pronounce each word and support students in filling in the Indonesian, discussing points such as:

• Turtles have flippers and tortoises have legs. There are two words for turtle in Indonesian - kura-kura and penyu. In this learning object we have used penyu.Tortoise is kura-kura darat (land turtle).

• Words for male and female are different for animals and people in Indonesian, whereas in English they are the same. Ask students if they can suggest another way that 'male turtle' and 'penyu jantan' are different. This is an opportunity to look at word order differences. One way of explaining it is that in Indonesian, the most important idea comes first. That is, it is more important that the animal is a turtle rather than that it is male or female.

• 'Laut' and 'lautan' are both words for sea or ocean. Students should be able to spot the common sections of 'marine park' and 'park ranger' and note word order differences again.

• 'spesies' and 'species' are cognates or words that are very similar because they come from a common source. Ask students to suggest why the Indonesian word might be similar to the English word? (It is a recent addition to Indonesian).

• Note the meaning of 'yang' as 'which is / are' - this is a very useful and frequently used construct in Indonesian. You can give students some oral practise in recognising and using it eg 'rumah yang besar', 'monyet yang nakal'.

• Ask students to tell you what they notice about 'telur-telur' and 'bertelur'. This is an opportunity to reinforce plurals and compare these to English. Ask students how they think they would say 'six eggs' (enam telur), to introduce the idea that it is not necessary to double the word as a plural when it is obvious that there is more than one.

• You may also introduce (a little about) the concept of 'ber-' verbs. Some verbs need an object (or thing that the action happens to) but other verbs do not. Ber- verbs do not need an object.

  • One sub-group of ber- verbs are those that produce something eg bertelur = to lay eggs. Ask students to guess what these verbs might mean:  berkata = to say, berbuah = to bear fruit, beranak = to give birth.

  • Another sub-group of ber- verbs refers to actions that are regularly performed or done for a living eg berburu = to hunt. Other examples would be bertani = to farm, berkebun = to garden (for a living).
     

Students can add other words to the daftar kata in the blank spaces.

Give students some time to learn the words, then conduct some simple team games, for example where you say or write a word and the team writes down the meaning. Points are awarded for correct answers. This can be done from Indonesian to English or vice versa.

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Mapping: about Indonesia

Discuss with students what they know of the geography of Indonesia. Brainstorm words to describe the position, climate and geography of Indonesia. This should include Indonesia being an archipelago of over 17,000 islands with 6,000 or so being inhabited (CIA Fact Book). Also its position straddling the equator and therefore having a largely tropical climate.

Have students visit the Go Indonesia website at http://www.curriculum.edu.au/accessasia/goindonesia/index.htm and visit one of the main Indonesian islands. Ask each group to explore their chosen island and note key information to present to other groups. Students may make an oral presentation, design a poster or prepare an 'info sheet' of dot-pointed information, for example.

As students listen to each group's presentation, ask them to note key words about each island. This could be done on a blank map of Indonesia, or as a concept map.

Brainstorm the words of different geographical natural and man-made features such as those found in Kata geografis (in Word or PDF). Allow students to add some extra words to that list, if they wish. Ask them to reflect on the strategies they use to learn vocabulary, and suggest ways to learn these words.

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