Don't you just love computers! Sorry, but this player doesn't always work with Firefox. Try Internet Explorer and it should be fine. We're working on trying to solve this problem.
We have a lot of other material in various stages of being ready to put on the website, but... it's always hard to find time to get everything done. I would love to focus exclusively on French, Russian and Japanese for myself (and you) but my helpers aren't ready yet to take over the English and Bahasa Indonesia, so my time is limited. Wanna volunteer to help by contributing your language while learning another? Would love to hear from you. Just send us an email.
Moving around the site:
To move around the site, follow the links on the pages or use the navigator bar shown in the upper left corner.
(sorry, no working yet for French area)
We try to take students 'step by step' in their learning, but also want to allow an easy way to move around to any of your favourite areas.
Often it's convenient to open a new window or new tab when clicking on a link, thus 'holding your spot' while checking out other sections or other sites. To do this, right click on the link then choose 'new window' or 'new tab'.
Bintang Bahasa's philosophy of language learning is simple:
Language is about expressing ideas clearly and easily.
I really hate the way languages are traditionally taught. I studied French in high school but really didn't learn much of anything. I certainly couldn't possibly communicate with anyone! I could read and understand some of what I read, but I could achieve that by reading the backs of cereal boxes. (I'm Canadian and everything is written in French and English but that does NOT mean most Canadians are bi-lingual. Our loss really.)
When I moved to Indonesia I learned Indonesian "on street" simply by talking to people, taking notes, and I had one little book which was actually quite good (but far from ideal). Now, I'm determined to 'unravel the mystery' of learning languages.
Have we found the answer? Not yet, but I honestly think we're closer to it than anyone else. Really. And I mean anyone, anywhere, that I have seen in my travels or searches on the web. I've met with education experts in Europe, England and Canada, read a number of really interesting books on accelerated learning, photoreading, drawing from the right side of the brain, etc. and nobody has 'all the pieces to the puzzle'.
So what's our secret? Basically, I started by putting together 'what I wish I had had' when I was learning Bahasa Indonesia, and combined it with ideas I had about 'how to learn easier and better', intuitively, .... I had no formal training or study in the area, but it's amazing how far common sense will take you, especially when you focus on the needs of a student (and you remember being one).
My biggest problem is that I've never found a school or a book that teaches languages the way I want to learn. I want to learn what people really say! And I want to be able to understand them when they say it naturally, and quickly (obviously). They also always teach formal language which in many languages you will never hear on a daily basis living in the country.
I did go to the French Cultural Centre in Jakarta and enquired about lessons. I said I wasn't sure what level I was at because I had studied some before and I could read and understand some French. She asked me something like "Vous vous appelez comment?" or "Comment vous appelez-vous?" and I replied "Ca va bien, merci." Or it might have been the reverse, she asked "Comment allez-vous?" and I replied, "Je m'appelle Brian." I can't remember which, anyway, I realized my mistake seeing the expression on her face and she recommended I start with Level 1.
I haven't really progressed much since then, but I've been listening to audio files from movies and working with subtitles and miscellaneous other materials, so I have improved but I still can't carry on even the most basic of conversations. It's strange because for some movies I can almost understand all of it (with English subtitles matched in parallel text to the French). Yet, when I try to read some French for kids, grade 1 is difficult!
So, you can begin learning French with me even if you're an absolute beginner. Or perhaps you're like me; you've studied for perhaps quite a long while but still have trouble with basic daily communication. Either way, let's get started.
I'm currently teaching a friend Bahasa Indonesia and he's helping me with French, so I can pass it all on to you.
Getting started:
Try the sample material above and as soon as I get a chance, I'll put more material up. Soon, I promise!
