VCE Indonesian Second Language common mistakes
VCE Indonesian Second Language · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Writing answers to listening questions in English, or mixing English words into an Indonesian sentence, when the task requires a response in Indonesian.
Under time pressure candidates translate the meaning in their head and then write the answer in the language they thought in, forgetting that the marks are for producing Indonesian; bilingual dictionaries and habit reinforce code-switching.
What to do instead
Before the recording starts, underline the instruction word (misalnya 'Jawab dalam bahasa Indonesia') on every question; after writing, do a 10-second scan of each answer checking that no English word appears except proper nouns, and practise timed mini-tasks where the answer must be produced in full Indonesian sentences.
Copying long chunks of the spoken text verbatim into the answer instead of answering the actual question asked (e.g. asked for a reason, they transcribe the whole sentence containing it).
Candidates hear a familiar phrase, grab it as a safety net, and stop processing the rest of the utterance, so the answer lacks the specific detail or the relationship (cause, contrast, opinion) the question targets.
What to do instead
Read the question stem first and identify the question word (mengapa, bagaimana, siapa, berapa); while listening, note only keywords and the question word's target, then write a short paraphrase in your own words that directly answers it.
Losing marks on numbers, times, dates and prices in listening passages because they write the first number heard rather than the corrected or final one.
Indonesian recordings often state a figure, then revise it ('sebenarnya', 'maaf, maksud saya', 'bukan jam tujuh, jam setengah delapan'), and candidates who write while the speaker is still talking miss the correction.
What to do instead
Keep the pen moving but treat numbers as provisional until the speaker finishes the turn; train with short recordings containing self-corrections, and drill the forms setengah, seperempat, kurang, lebih, ribu, juta and the difference between 'delapan ratus' and 'delapan belas'.
Answering reading comprehension questions with lifted sentences from the text that repeat its wording but do not answer the question, especially for inference or 'what does the writer imply' items.
Matching visible words feels safe and is faster than constructing a response; candidates also misjudge the register of the question and assume any true statement from the text earns the mark.
What to do instead
For each question, decide what type of information is required (fact, reason, attitude, comparison) and locate the sentence, then rewrite the idea in a new sentence that would still be true if the original wording changed; check that the answer could not be given without reading the text.
Misreading negative and contrastive structures in reading texts, so the answer states the opposite of what the writer says (e.g. treating 'tidak semua siswa setuju' as 'semua siswa setuju').
Indonesian negation and hedging (tidak, bukan, belum, kecuali, meskipun, padahal, sebaliknya) sit before or after the key word and are easy to skim past, and candidates read for gist rather than grammar.
What to do instead
Circle every negation, contrast and hedge word in the passage before answering; build a personal list of these markers and, for each practice text, write one sentence summarising the writer's stance using at least one of them.
Ignoring the text type, audience and purpose in the Writing task and producing a generic essay regardless of whether the prompt asks for a letter, email, article, speech or review.
Candidates prepare memorised essay frames and, under exam pressure, default to them; many also overlook the stated audience, so the register and salutation are wrong.
What to do instead
Spend the first two minutes planning: write down the text type, the reader, the purpose and the required conventions (salutation and closing for letters, headline and byline for articles, greeting and call to action for speeches), then check the finished piece against that four-item list.
Writing a Writing response with accurate but very short sentences and limited vocabulary, so it meets the task but scores low on range and complexity.
Candidates avoid risk by staying inside structures they are sure of, and they do not leave time to upgrade draft sentences, so the piece reads as a list of simple statements.
What to do instead
After drafting, revise at least five sentences to add a connector (namun, oleh karena itu, meskipun demikian, selain itu), a relative clause (yang), or a different verb form; keep a running list of five complex structures practised until automatic and use them deliberately in each piece.
Failing to address all parts of the Writing prompt, leaving out one bullet point or the required opinion, so the response is marked as incomplete.
Time runs out on the first points, or the candidate treats the bullets as suggestions and writes about the topic generally; the opinion element is often dropped because it feels redundant.
What to do instead
Number the prompt's requirements and tick each one off in the plan before writing; reserve the final paragraph explicitly for the required opinion or recommendation, and in practice, mark your own work against the bullet list before checking any model answer.
In the Oral examination, delivering a memorised monologue that does not answer the specific prompt or collapses when the examiner asks an unscripted follow-up question.
Candidates rehearse whole speeches and rely on recall rather than comprehension, so a changed prompt or a follow-up question exposes that they have not understood the words they are saying.
What to do instead
Prepare topics as keyword maps (five or six ideas with two supporting details each) rather than scripts; rehearse with a partner who changes the prompt wording and asks 'mengapa', 'bisakah kamu menjelaskan', and 'bagaimana pendapatmu' follow-ups so you practise generating language live.
Using English fillers, long pauses and single-word answers during the discussion, and not asking for clarification when a question is not understood.
Nervousness and fear of making a grammatical error push candidates into silence or into English; many have never practised repair strategies, so they freeze instead of managing the interaction.
What to do instead
Learn and drill a small set of Indonesian repair and filler phrases (maaf, bisa diulang?; maksudnya...; menurut saya...; jadi, ...) and record yourself answering unseen questions for two minutes, counting pauses and English intrusions, then repeat until answers flow in full Indonesian sentences.