Pahlawan kami - our heroes

Tuti's project is a personal statement about someone she considers to be a hero - Dr Pratiwi Sudarmono. This piece of writing actually came from an Indonesian girl in yr 6, and the full transcript of her piece of writing is included here (in Word or PDF).

The concept of 'pahlawan' has changed in Indonesia. It originally had the connotation of someone who has paid the ultimate sacrifice and died for their country - so many of the earlier 'heroes' were male and had fought for Indonesia in some way, often in the military. It is only recently changing to encompass the idea of a 'hero' as someone who has excelled in some way as an individual, achieving something remarkable. This perhaps reflects the importance of family or community in Asia, rather than the individual being so important, as in many western countries.

Gender roles were also strongly defined in Indonesia, and it is only in recent times that women have begun to be recognised as achieving in traditionally male spheres. So Dr Sudarmono is indeed a worthy hero!

What does the concept of a hero mean to Australians? Who would your students choose? Why? Have students reflect and briefly write to answer these questions in English. Share and classify into type of hero eg sportsperson, celebrity, religious figure, etcetera.

Fifteen yr 10 students from SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Yogyakarta have written in English about who they would choose as a hero and why. Ten chose parents or another family member, three chose the Prophet Mohammed, one chose himself, and only one chose a sportsperson.

Read a selection of their writing with students (in Word or PDF). Discuss, considering questions like:

How does this compare with Australian students?

Does it give you any insight into the things that are valued in each culture? Why or why not?

Does it say anything about national culture in each country? Why or why not?

What advice would you give those students to help improve their English?