In Reply to: Learning Bahasa? posted by nyc_to_bali on Monday, 12. July 2004 at 03:00 Bali Time:
Here is one of the fun sites I have saved in my time reading the forum. It is called "Flirting in Indonesian"
http://people.freenet.de/indonesian/
And an expat site with some of the basic words
http://www.expat.or.id/info/bahasa.html
An online English to Indonesian dictionary (but I don't find them that useful)
http://www.freedict.com/onldict/ind.html
Indonesian in Seven Days - an online tutorial
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/indonesian/percakapan/indonesia7days/indo7days_fs.htm
A site I have not really used..but it may be useful to you..
http://www.geocities.com/mbordt/lang1.htm
I have a few little books I rely on.
The first is the Berlitz Indonesian Phrase Book and Dictionary. It does not have many words in the Indonesian to English index, but does explain the inflection of different syllables in each word very well. I go back to this one for the sound of the words.
Lonely Planet's 'Indonesian Phrasebook' with Two Way Dictionary (purply cover)is excellent for the dictionaries and the info on customs and culture sprinkled through it. I used it a lot this last trip, but was glad I had bought the Berlitz book on a previous visit for the pronunciations.
At the airport on the way home (isn't it always the way!) I found another little book, green cover, which is brilliant and I wish I had found it long ago. It has stuff in it the others don't. It is called 'Instant Indonesian' and subtitled 'How to Express 1,000 Different Ideas With Just 100 Key Words and Phrases'. It is for the traveller more than someone who wants to actually learn the whole language. Author is Stuart Robson and publisher is Tuttle Publishing.
I have asked at many bookshops in Bali if any have a CD or tapes for learning Bahasa Indonesia with no luck.
Good luck, and have fun!