Program Overview

The CLS Indonesian Program in Malang, Indonesia provides students opportunities to learn Bahasa Indonesia both inside the classroom and in an immersive cultural setting during an intensive 8-week language program set in the second-largest city in East Java. The structure of the program is designed to cover the equivalent of one academic year of university-level Indonesian study. Students receive a minimum of 20 hours per week of classroom instruction where they learn the four major skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in Bahasa Indonesia. Given the small class sizes, the teacher to student ratio for the CLS Indonesian program can be as small as one to one thus allowing teachers to work closely with students to improve their Indonesian proficiency.

The CLS Indonesian Program is hosted by Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), one of the oldest teaching institutions in Indonesia, dating back to 1954. UM is considered to be one of the premiere institutions in Indonesia for the teaching of educators, professors, and teachers of Indonesian as a second language. UM has been hosting the CLS Indonesian Program since its inception in 2010. The CLS Program has become well integrated into the university culture and CLS students quickly find themselves accepted as a part of the student community. You can find out more about UM on their website.

The CLS curriculum in Malang incorporates extensive co-curricular activities including day and weekend excursions to explore significant sites on the Indonesian island of Java, cultural seminars, and community projects where participants utilize their Bahasa Indonesia to learn more about Indonesia’s culture. In the past, weekend excursions have included group trips to Gunung Bromo and a local tea plantation.

Outside of the classroom, the CLS Indonesian Program provides students opportunities to experience life in an Indonesian family and to build close relationships with local students. Each student will be paired with two native-speaking language partners who are students at UM. Students will also live with a host family, which will allow them to gain insight into cultural norms and daily customs. Family and community are very important traits of Indonesian culture and it is not uncommon for CLS alumni to return to Malang years later and still be greeted as an important family member.