Online English lessons for children in Indonesia: a guide for parents

How do children in Indonesia learn English at school?

English is taught as a subject in junior and senior secondary schools across Indonesia. At primary level its place has changed over the years: many primary schools teach English, some from the first year, but it hasn't always been a required subject, and national arrangements can change. Some schools, including international and bilingual schools, teach more of the timetable in English.

Because of this, children arrive at secondary school with very different amounts of English. If you'd like your child to start early or to get more speaking practice than their school offers, short lessons outside school are one way to do it.

Is English a second or third language for my child?

In many Indonesian families, children speak a regional language such as Javanese or Sundanese at home, learn Bahasa Indonesia at school, and then add English. Others speak Bahasa Indonesia at home. Either way, children are very good at learning more than one language, and mixing words from different languages in one sentence is a normal stage.

Keep using your home languages. Children who are strong in their first language usually find it easier to learn the next one. Read bilingual children who mix languages for more.

Why does English spelling surprise Indonesian readers?

Indonesian is written in the same alphabet as English, and its spelling is very regular: each letter usually makes one sound, so a child who can read Bahasa Indonesia can read almost any Indonesian word aloud. English is different. The same sound can be spelled in several ways (see, sea, me), and some letters sound different from Indonesian: Indonesian c, as in cari, sounds like the English ch.

Children who expect English to work like Indonesian may sound out words letter by letter and get stuck. Phonics teaches English letter sounds and common letter groups in a clear order, so reading becomes predictable again. Start with what phonics is, and see why sight words and phonics work together.

Which English sounds take practice?

• Long and short vowels, as in ship and sheep, or full and fool.
• **The th sounds** in think and this.
• F and v, as in fan and van, which some children find hard to tell apart.
• Word endings, especially s for plurals and ed for the past, which change meaning in English.

These are normal and improve with listening and practice. Correct gently by repeating the word back the right way, rather than stopping your child mid-sentence. If your child says I go to school yesterday, you might answer Oh, you went to school yesterday? What did you do?

When can a child in Indonesia fit in an online lesson?

Indonesia has three time zones: Western Indonesia Time (WIB) for Java and Sumatra, Central Indonesia Time (WITA) for Bali and Sulawesi among others, and Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT) further east. None of them change their clocks during the year. Wherever you are, an after-school slot between about 4pm and 8pm local time, or a weekend morning, suits most families.

When you book online lessons, make sure the times shown are in your own zone, especially if you are not in WIB. A 25-minute lesson is easy to fit around school, religious classes and sport; keep it at the same time each week. Our guide to online lessons across time zones has more tips.

What age should my child start English?

There is no single right age. Children of four or five can enjoy short, playful English lessons built on songs, pictures, simple conversation and letter sounds. At this age the aim is to enjoy English and tune the ear, not to write or learn grammar. See English for 4-year-olds.

Many Indonesian children learn to read in Bahasa Indonesia around the start of primary school. That skill helps with English: a child who already knows that letters stand for sounds picks up English phonics quickly, as long as they learn the English sounds. Older beginners, at eight or ten, often move fast through the first steps and soon need more speaking and reading at their own level.

What should I look for in online English lessons?

• A real teacher, live, who talks with your child.
• 1-to-1 lessons with plenty of speaking time.
• Phonics for reading, not only conversation.
• A clear starting level and regular feedback.
• Short lessons with games for younger children.
• Clear safety rules and an easy way to raise a concern.

How can I support English at home in Indonesia?

• Share an English picture book a few times a week; talk about it in any language.
• Label things at home in English: door, window, table.
• Play quick phonics games at home, like sound I spy.
• Let your child be the teacher and show you what they learned.
• Watch a short English cartoon together with English subtitles on, so your child hears and sees the words at once.

How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in Indonesia?

CurioKids gives children aged 4–12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons, 25 minutes each, with a real teacher in our online classroom: video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Most children start with Phonics Starter, which teaches English reading sound by sound, then move on to CEFR-based levels. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. Learn more on our curriculum and safety pages.

Visit our Indonesia page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in Indonesia haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in Indonesia are priced in Indonesian rupiah: see the prices for Indonesia.