Why these mothers teach their children to speak Indonesian in Australia?
SBS Indonesian
06/05/2025 11:57
SBS Indonesian interviewed three parents who shared their strategies for teaching Indonesian to their Australian-born children.
Building Family Connections Nita Woodman, 32, mother to toddler Clara, wants her daughter to "connect with Indonesian culture and family." For her under-five daughter, this Melbourne resident introduces Indonesian through everyday play. "I speak Indonesian during mealtimes and while she's playing," Woodman said.
She enhances learning with Indonesian storybooks and children's songs like "Cicak-cicak di Dinding" (Lizards on the Wall) and "Balonku Ada Lima" (I Have Five Balloons) to build a foundation of simple vocabulary.
L-R: Nita Woodman & Clara, Shelly Grindrod & Feliza, Levina Raharjo & Mia. Credit: Supplied Fostering Cultural Identity Shelly Grindrod, 35, sees language as fundamental to her children's cultural identity. The Bunbury resident specifically chose a primary school offering Indonesian language instruction.
"Language is the gateway to understanding culture deeply," Grindrod said. "Without Indonesian, you can't truly grasp how Indonesians see the world or how they think."
Developing Practical Skills Taking a different perspective, Mia, daughter of Levina Raharjo, values her Indonesian as a practical skill that gives her independence when visiting Indonesia. When asked about the benefits, she said, "I can communicate when shopping or ordering food."
Thanks to 42-year-old Raharjo's consistency in speaking Indonesian at home daily, Mia has developed fluency in her family's mother tongue. The Melbourne resident's dedication has equipped her daughter with both cultural connection and practical communication skills.
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Kara Young, who was nominated for a Tony in the role of featured actress in a play four years in a row, won for the second year in a row for her role in the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose. Natalie Venetia Belcon won the award for best featured actress in a musical for her role as Cuban singer Omara Portuondo in Buena Vista Social Club. Jak Malone won the award for best featured actor in a musical for Operation Mincemeat, a fast-paced World War Two spy farce based on a bizarre true British plot to trick the Nazis with a dead body. Best revival of a play went to Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day, a sharp comedy about well-meaning parents at a progressive school whose unity cracks open over a vaccine debate. Four-time Tony-winning actor and writer Harvey Fierstein received a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theatres. "I dedicate this award to the people in the dark," he said. with AP and AAP Succession star Sarah Snook has won a Tony Award for best leading actress in a play for her tour-de-force performance of more than two dozen roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Snook made her Broadway debut in the production and the Tony is the second major accolade she has won for the show after picking up an Olivier Award in London in 2024. "This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway," Snook said as she accepted the award at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Sunday (Monday AEST). "I don't feel alone any night that I do this show," Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. "There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work." Snook came to international attention for playing Shiv Roy in the TV series Succession, for which she won an Emmy. The 37-year-old was considered the frontrunner to claim the Tony for her astonishing performance inhabiting 26 characters, but admitted on Sunday her surroundings were daunting. "This is an intimidating room full of incredibly talented people," she said. She paid tribute to the show's Australian writer and director Kip Williams, who was also nominated, and thanked her husband Dave Lawson. "An exceptional thank you to my husband, my soulmate," she said. "You are so brilliant holding the fort down and keeping our family together." The Sydney Theatre Company production was nominated for a total of six awards, with Marg Horwell winning best costume design of a play, following her Olivier Award. The big musical winner of the night was Maybe Happy Ending, a sweet and futuristic story that follows two obsolete helper robots as they navigate isolation, affection and what it means to be human. The show won three big awards including best musical. Darren Criss won his first Tony for best leading actor in a musical for his role as the innocent Oliver, and its director Michael Arden won the award for best director of a musical. The modern reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Sunset Blvd also won big, taking awards for best revival of a musical and for Nicole Scherzinger, who stars as the faded movie star Norma Desmond, won best actress in a musical. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose won the best play award. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the play follows a family whose carefully constructed legacy unravels when their youngest son returns home with an unexpected guest, exposing buried secrets and faith-based conflict. Host Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked film star, opened the show with a walk to the stage from the dressing room that mimicked actor Tom Francis' viral post-intermission live outdoor Manhattan stroll as he sings the title song in Sunset Blvd. Cole Escola won the Tony for best lead actor in a play for his creation Oh, Mary! The show, Escola's reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln's life and relationship with husband Abraham Lincoln, blends historical satire with absurd camp. The show also earned Sam Pinkleton the Tony for best director of a play. Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for Yellow Face. He thanked the Asian American actors who came before him and addressed the next generation: "This community sees you and I hope that encourages you to be brave, and to dream and to dream big." Kara Young, who was nominated for a Tony in the role of featured actress in a play four years in a row, won for the second year in a row for her role in the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose. Natalie Venetia Belcon won the award for best featured actress in a musical for her role as Cuban singer Omara Portuondo in Buena Vista Social Club. Jak Malone won the award for best featured actor in a musical for Operation Mincemeat, a fast-paced World War Two spy farce based on a bizarre true British plot to trick the Nazis with a dead body. Best revival of a play went to Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day, a sharp comedy about well-meaning parents at a progressive school whose unity cracks open over a vaccine debate. Four-time Tony-winning actor and writer Harvey Fierstein received a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theatres. "I dedicate this award to the people in the dark," he said. with AP and AAP Succession star Sarah Snook has won a Tony Award for best leading actress in a play for her tour-de-force performance of more than two dozen roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Snook made her Broadway debut in the production and the Tony is the second major accolade she has won for the show after picking up an Olivier Award in London in 2024. "This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway," Snook said as she accepted the award at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Sunday (Monday AEST). "I don't feel alone any night that I do this show," Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. "There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work." Snook came to international attention for playing Shiv Roy in the TV series Succession, for which she won an Emmy. The 37-year-old was considered the frontrunner to claim the Tony for her astonishing performance inhabiting 26 characters, but admitted on Sunday her surroundings were daunting. "This is an intimidating room full of incredibly talented people," she said. She paid tribute to the show's Australian writer and director Kip Williams, who was also nominated, and thanked her husband Dave Lawson. "An exceptional thank you to my husband, my soulmate," she said. "You are so brilliant holding the fort down and keeping our family together." The Sydney Theatre Company production was nominated for a total of six awards, with Marg Horwell winning best costume design of a play, following her Olivier Award. The big musical winner of the night was Maybe Happy Ending, a sweet and futuristic story that follows two obsolete helper robots as they navigate isolation, affection and what it means to be human. The show won three big awards including best musical. 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Host Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked film star, opened the show with a walk to the stage from the dressing room that mimicked actor Tom Francis' viral post-intermission live outdoor Manhattan stroll as he sings the title song in Sunset Blvd. Cole Escola won the Tony for best lead actor in a play for his creation Oh, Mary! The show, Escola's reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln's life and relationship with husband Abraham Lincoln, blends historical satire with absurd camp. The show also earned Sam Pinkleton the Tony for best director of a play. Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for Yellow Face. He thanked the Asian American actors who came before him and addressed the next generation: "This community sees you and I hope that encourages you to be brave, and to dream and to dream big." Kara Young, who was nominated for a Tony in the role of featured actress in a play four years in a row, won for the second year in a row for her role in the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose. Natalie Venetia Belcon won the award for best featured actress in a musical for her role as Cuban singer Omara Portuondo in Buena Vista Social Club. Jak Malone won the award for best featured actor in a musical for Operation Mincemeat, a fast-paced World War Two spy farce based on a bizarre true British plot to trick the Nazis with a dead body. Best revival of a play went to Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day, a sharp comedy about well-meaning parents at a progressive school whose unity cracks open over a vaccine debate. Four-time Tony-winning actor and writer Harvey Fierstein received a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theatres. "I dedicate this award to the people in the dark," he said. with AP and AAP
