Indonesian, Basic: Learn to Speak and Understand Indonesian with Pimsleur Language Programs

About Indonesian Indonesian, also known as Bahasa Indonesia, is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesia is a form of Malay, an Austronesian (or Malayo-Polynesian) language, which had been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Standard Indonesian pronunciation, which is taught in this course, is based on the language of Jakarta. Indonesian is spoken by nearly 35 million people as a first language and by 150 million people as a second language. It is also spoken in Thailand, East Timor, Sri Lanka, Africa, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Netherlands, and the US. Besides Indonesian, there are over 300 local languages spoken in Indonesia, however, Indonesian is the primary language in education, government, business and communication.