Indonesian Embassy offers language classes in Laos

Now the Indonesian embassy in Vientiane is offering a new course in the language, supported by the government of Indonesia.

Indonesian classes have been provided by the embassy since 2010, with almost 300 people attending courses.

“This is the seventh course of its kind and has attracted more than 90 Lao nationals. Of them, 24 are officials at the Ministry of National Defence and the rest are other civil servants, Vientiane residents, and students,” Defence attache at the Indonesian embassy to Laos, Colonel Albert B Tiranda, said at the opening ceremony of the course recently.

The course is available free of charge to all Lao nationals. Classes run for one-and-a-half hours a day from Monday to Thursday and are taught by both Indonesian and Lao teachers.

The course is part of efforts being made to strengthen the existing relations, friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Laos and Indonesia as well as to build a cultural bridge, Tiranda said.

It also aims to increase Lao nationals’ knowledge of foreign languages, especially those who will go on missions to Indonesia.

Tiranda said the course would teach Bahasa Indonesia, which is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide, including in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

Indonesian ambassador to Laos Irmawan Emir Wisnandar said the courses began in 2010 with the aim of enhancing the longstanding relations and cooperation between Indonesia and Laos.

“I am very happy and proud that Lao nationals are enthusiastic about learning Bahasa Indonesia,” said Wisnandar. He hopes students will stay focused until the end of the course and complete a successful period of study.

“I think Indonesian is a significant language among the Asean member states because so many people speak it. I was very excited when I saw the information about this course posted on Facebook and I persuaded my friends at school to apply for the course as well. I would like to thank the government of Indonesia for giving me a chance to participate. I will do my best over the next eight months,” said Vatsana Chansamone, 17, a student at Nonsavang Secondary School.