Written by Argi Afriandi – AIYA Victoria

Edited by Dinda Ichsani – AIYA National Blog Editor

Click here for Bahasa Indonesia version.

One of the most interesting programs from AIYA is Language Exchange (LX) which is the semi-formal learning of Indonesian and English language for the youth of Australia and Indonesia. This program is implemented in many chapters of AIYA in Australia and Indonesia including in AIYA Victoria which is conducted almost every Wednesday at 6 pm in Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre. 

LX opens up new knowledge about Australia and Indonesia

“For me personally, LX has opened up a lot of new knowledge about Indonesia and Australia. What I remember most was the explanation about the differences between the Australian and Indonesian legal systems, where in Australia, judges are more observers and lawyers are very active in arguing with each other. Meanwhile in Indonesia, judges and prosecutors are more dominant in court by asking lots of questions.”, said Argi, one of the LX facilitators and participants.

According to him, the discussion of differences in legal systems was very interesting. Plus, there is the Netflix documentary film: Ice Cold which discusses the law in Indonesia a little. When this documentary became trending in Indonesia at the end of September, LX also discussed this film by discussing how the Indonesian media framed this case, the legal process in Indonesia, the opinions of Indonesian people, especially on social media and the conspiracy theories that were widely circulating.

LX also discusses other interesting topics. One of them is the topic of Inland Tribes. This topic discusses inland tribes in Indonesia, including history and Indonesian television programs related to inland tribes. One of the surprising things is the fact that one of the interior tribes, namely the Suku Anak Dalam in Jambi, is facing the threat of malaria and loss of forests as a place to live. The discussion about inland tribes made LX participants sad and worried about this issue.

Another interesting topic is the discussion about “ghosts” in Indonesia. The discussion about ghosts attracted a lot of attention from LX participants. On this topic, LX participants learn the names of ghosts, myths and facts behind horror stories in society. One example is a discussion of a study which explains that the emergence of female ghost stories in society such as Sundel Bolong is an effort to reduce crime at night, especially against women.

Apart from that, there are lots of other interesting topics at LX’s AIYA Victoria such as watching short films, making “Pantun”, discussing traditional food, learning about general elections in Indonesia, practising regional languages, multilingual poetry performances by Mrs. Yacinta Kurniasih, Mask Monologue DAM performances by Wawan Sofwan, and others.

LX strengthens relations between Australian and Indonesian youth

Apart from having conversations on interesting topics about the two countries, LX is also a place for socialising between young people. One of the LX topics is “night markets” where LX participants learn about night markets in Indonesia. Participants then visit and enjoy the night market at Queen Victoria Market. Apart from that, usually after the LX meeting, the participants will have dinner together at an Indonesian restaurant in Melbourne. Annabelle, one of the facilitators and LX participants in 2023, revealed that LX strengthened its friendship with Indonesian. LX also made himself try a lot of Indonesian food.

“When I joined AIYA, I didn’t know what to expect from LX other than improving language skills. After a year of LX, I have made many strong friendships and gained a deeper appreciation for Indonesia. LX is a friendly and comfortable space where I have become more literate in both Indonesian and Australian cultures. I have loved learning about Indonesian pop culture, regional identities and stereotypes and trying new foods at Indonesian restaurants near LX.”, said Annabelle.

LX is also a place for Australian and Indonesian youth to socialize by collaborating on joint programs with AIYA chapters. In 2023, AIYA Victoria with AIYA NTT conducted LX with a tourism theme. On this topic, AIYA Victoria explained the popular tourist attractions in Victoria and AIYA NTT explained the best tourism spots in East Nusa Tenggara.

In the end, LX becomes a forum for young people not only to learn Indonesian but also to learn about culture, law, politics, the environment and other interesting issues. LX is also a place to form friendships between Australian and Indonesian youth. So for those of you who are in Melbourne and the surrounding area, don’t forget to come to the LX event. The 2024 LX event will also be held in hybrid for AIYA members who are in Victoria but far from Melbourne so that all AIYA Victoria members can join LX. For more information, follow Instagram AIYA_Victoria and Facebook Australia-Indonesia Youth Association – AIYA Victoria.