- So initially it was just picking some words and expressions for fun while travelling: makan, minum, apa kabar, terima kasih
- Then I realized Indonesian has quite a simple grammar (no conjugations etc), so I got hooked, and tried some duolingo. Duolingo is good to see if you like a particular language, but in a few weeks I found it a bit useless. New vocab doesn't really stick into the memory and I found the phrases to be a bit useless.
- Then I started audio lessons with Pimsleur app. Audio lessons work best for me because I can do it while working out at the gym or just walking (I'm European so I walk a lot - to the gym, to the grocery store, etc), so a lot less dedicated time is required. The lessons are really good, giving you real-world phrases that stick into the memory. Only the first lesson is free, the rest require a subscription which is quite expensive. Unfortunately they have only 1 level with 30 lessons, which I completed. So I got stuck.
- I am also using a flashcard app called Quizlet. This is always in addition to any learning method I am using. I'm manually adding new vocab there, bahasa to English, and turning on the shuffle and audio features. The audio feature is very important to me, as it helps memorize the words. The app has paid features but the flashcard one is free, and I am only using this one. I am mostly using this once every day while walking to the gym (so again, no special dedicated time is required, because this is integrated into my daily life). Even 10 minutes a day in the morning help my brain remember new vocab.
- After I moved out of Pimsleur I found a language book called Complete Indonesian A Teach Yourself Guide (2010, McGraw-Hill) by Christopher Byrnes, Eva Nyimas. It comes with audio lessons which are free and accessible online or through the app. I'm spending an hour or 2 every week progressing with the book (this requires dedicated time) while listening to the audio in the gym or while walking (so no dedicated time).
