Learn real life Indonesian with TV shows and have a lot of fun in the process. Who says that learning a new language must be boring? Learning Indonesian with TV shows not only will expose you to different Indonesian slang words and expressions, but it will also help you to practice your Indonesian listening skill.
The challenge with Indonesian TV shows is, they are not yet available on popular online streaming websites such as Netflix and Flixable, hence you will have to watch them without subtitles. This method is great and can be effective if you are already at intermediate or advanced level. Otherwise, you may resort to watching Indonesian movies that you can find on online streaming website such as Netflix or Flixable, so that you can take advantage of their subtitling features.
If you plan to consider watching Indonesian movies as a way to practice and improve your Indonesian, check out this article below:
8 Indonesian Movies to Watch for Indonesian Language Learners
It’s good to note that there are some advantage of learning Indonesian with TV Shows over Movies, here they are:
- With TV Shows / TV Series, the plots often involve repetition and little by little, you improve your understanding of what’s going on – this will allow you to learn and get familiar with Indonesian terminology (which may include slang or idiom) used repeatedly in the shows.
- TV Shows / TV series episodes typically are not long, so you can stay focused despite any problems you may have understanding. That also means they are easy to watch multiple times.
- You can watch some episodes / snippets of them on Youtube (it’s free!)
If you are still keen to watch Indonesian TV Shows as a way to learn and practice your Indonesian, here are some of our recommendations in no particular order:
Kick Andy Show
Kick Andy is an Indonesian talk show that has been around for 14 years. Debuting in 2006, the program will air its final debut on 28 February 2020. The talk show is inspirational in nature, and the host, Andy F. Noya, is considered to be the “Oprah Winfrey of Indonesia.” The host often invites people from middle to low income background that despite all odds rose above their struggles, inspire and impact their communities. You can find some episodes of Kick Andy Show on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOx9DJubyZQjiCFIQZ1inlw
Indonesian Idol
If you love watching singing competition, Indonesian Idol may be a good choice for you. Through this show you will also be exposed to a plethora of popular and beautiful Indonesian songs that can further your learning new Indonesian vocabulary words.
This is the link to Indonesian Idol’s Youtube channel where you can find some episodes to watch for free: https://www.youtube.com/user/IndonesianIdol2012
MasterChef Indonesia
Do you like to cook? If you do, then MasterChef Indonesia may suit you. When picking a TV Show to watch to take your Indonesian to the next level, it’s important to pick one that suit your interest. Through this show, not only you’ll be able to practice your Indonesian listening and learn conversational everyday Indonesian. You will also be exposed to different types of Indonesian cuisines and spices that you may never heard of before. Be in for a surprise 🙂
Link to MasterChef Indonesia on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6GIiaWJxZyKk_CAVa6y54Q
Kuliner
You may love food, but hate – or have no interest in cooking. In that case, instead of MasterChef Indonesia, we’d like to recommend this show instead: Kuliner. As you can probably guess, Kuliner means Culinary in English. This shows revolves around culinary adventures all around Indonesia. Indonesian dishes typically have rich flavours due to the use of mixture of bumbu (seasoning) and spices, and are vibrant and colourful by appearance. Learn different arrays of Indonesian food and Indonesian food culture with this tv show.
Office Boy
Office boy is an Indonesian sitcom (situational commedy). Originally aired in 2006, this show stopped for a while, before then being aired again for its 3rd Season with a new title: OB OK (OK’s Office Boy). The plot revolves around funny incidents at the OKTV television station office, due to the innocence of Sayuti (Aditya Warman), the office boy at the office.
Not only is “Office Boy entertaining, but it is also an excellent resource for improving your informal Indonesian by learning tons of Indonesian slang. You will also gain some Indonesian lifestyle and cultural knowledge while watching this show.
OK-JEK
OK-JEK is another Indonesian sitcom. This sitcom tells the life of online motorcycle taxi drivers and all staff in the OK-JEK office. The sitcom’s name and story were inspired by the popular Indonesian online motorcycle taxi application: GOJEK (Indonesia’s first decacorn company). The story revolves around the main character named Asna, the first female OK-JEK driver.
Jejak Petualang
For non-conventional travelers who love outdoor adventures, you may enjoy watching Jejak Petualang (translaed as: Adventure Trail). It is a TV program that allows viewers to explore nature and culture of Indonesia in another new level.
To get a glimpse and overview of what their show is about, you may also check out their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/jejakpetualang_trans7/
My Trip My Adventure
If you love traveling, but not very adventurous in nature, you may like this tv show better than Jejak Petualang (Adventure Trail). Through this tv show, you’ll also get to explore the beauty of Indonesian natural landscape. Just so you know, you may catch the travel bug after you’ve watched this show. Don’t say we’ve never warned you 😉
So that’s all folks, 8 Indonesian TV Shows to further your learning Indonesian. Learning Indonesian with TV shows is a fun and motivational way to develop your listening, pronunciation and fluency.
Not all TV Shows have the same effectiveness, however. So by creating this list of 8 Indonesian TV Shows to watch for Indonesian Language Learners, we have compiled the best 8 that we think are the most practical for you – being relatable and displaying examples of natural conversations in real life – and at the same time having highly-engaging content.
Thank you for reading. If you find this post useful, please help us share this article so more Indonesian language learners know variety (and fun) ways to practice their Indonesian.
