Next Door Land
Next Door Land is a new app released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The app takes learners on a virtual journey through Australia and Indonesia. On their travels, learners get to experience the sights and sounds of the capital city Jakarta, or whilst in Australia climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge, learn to play the gamelan, compete in a krupuk eating competition for Independence Day, surf near Perth, cook Indonesian dishes and play cricket in Adelaide. Learners will also learn about the history of both countries, their traditions, cultures, architecture and mythology. The graphics are culturally relevant and will appeal to primary school aged learners, however the games like trying to steer the Bajaj through the streets of Jakarta or keeping away from the monkeys in Bali, or diving in Raja Ampat will appeal to all learners ( and teachers, although was not very good at any of them!:-)). The text is quite simple and easily read, with information that learners will find interesting. Best of all, it is a free app which is available for android on google play and through itunes. Make sure you check it out. Menarik sekali!
Indonesian Cuisines Match 3
This is a fun app which follows the format of many popular games, where the learner has to move foods and drinks into rows to score points. There are lots of different levels and the player needs to complete a few challenges to complete each level. While not a language learning app, it is a fun way to look and learn about different Indonesian food and drinks. You could ask players to name the foods or give an opinion about their taste or food preference (Saya suka nasi goreng./ Rasa bakso pedas etc) It could be used as a ‘hook’ for some sentence writing…. Otherwise, just use it to have fun! The game is available for both android and apple devices and it is free.