ILLA (Indonesian Language Learning Ambassador)
The first iteration of the Indonesian Language Learning Ambassadors (ILLA) Program ran between 2017 and 2019. It was then put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following former Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit to Australia in July 2023, a joint announcement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed ILLA’s resumption in Australian primary and secondary schools.
Australia Awards in Indonesia is proud to be developing and implementing the re-launched Indonesian Language Learning Ambassador program, expanding the initiative to involve even more host institution partners across Australia, including universities.
Australia Awards are prestigious and transformational scholarships funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for emerging leaders from developing countries.
Australia Awards recipients involved in ILLA are scholars already living in Australia and studying a Masters or PhD program across a range of disciplines at an Australian university. Scholarship recipients come from a range of diverse backgrounds, with teachers well represented among them.
At any given time, there are over 300 Indonesian Australia Awards scholars in Australia.
When they complete their postgraduate studies, scholars return to Indonesia to use their knowledge, skills, and experience to contribute to Indonesia’s development, prosperity, and resilience.
WHAT IS ILLA?
The Indonesian Language Learning Ambassadors (ILLA) Program matches participating Australian schools and universities with an ‘ambassador’: an Indonesian scholar fully funded by the Australian Government.
The ILLA program provides Australian Government-funded scholars from Indonesia with an opportunity to directly engage with Australian schools and universities, and to learn first-hand about Australian culture, community, and classroom teaching practices. It also enables ambassadors to share their skills and knowledge of the Indonesian language, culture and customs, and establish local Australian community connections.
Australian schools and universities engaged in the program benefit from passionate and engaged Indonesian scholars willing to share their language, knowledge, cultural perspectives, and enthusiasm about Indonesia. School and university students involved with the program will improve their knowledge and understanding of Indonesia through direct experiences with an ambassador, and grow their language and intercultural learning capacities. There is no financial cost to Australian schools or universities to engage with the ILLA program.
WHAT ARE ILLA’S LIKELY OUTCOMES?
For schools: ILLA offers a simple and effective way to engage and advance students’ Indonesian language skills and conversation proficiency, intercultural capacities, as well as an enhanced awareness of Indonesia. This helps schools meet their commitments to key priorities in The Australian Curriculum, including: Languages; Humanities and the Social Sciences; and the cross-cutting priority, ‘Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia’. The benefits of ILLA also extend beyond the classroom, creating a cohort of culturally inclusive students and stimulating interest in learning Indonesian.
For universities: ILLA offers interaction with Indonesians as native speakers with diverse accents, enriching students’ linguistic understanding and exposing them to contemporary and real-world contexts through enriched class content. It also increases the opportunity to foster cross-cultural understanding and friendships, strengthening and building linkages with Indonesia’s current and future change agents.
Depending on the background, skills, experience, and interests of each ambassador, and the interests or priorities of each school or university, ILLA themes may include: history, politics, culture, food, dance, music, customs, sport, art,or informal discussions. ILLA ambassadors will provide new perspectives in classroom settings at all educational levels, offering teachers and lecturers an invaluable resource for fostering intercultural competence and global citizenship among Australian students.
For ILLA ambassadors: ILLA provides a great opportunity to engage in a meaningful way with a broad cross-section of the Australian population as reflected in each school or university community.
ILLA ambassadors gain real-life experience in an Australian classroom, working alongside an experienced educator. They have the opportunity to practise public speaking and presentation skills and to share their skills and expertise with Australian students.
Both the professional experience in the classroom and the interactions with the school or university community provide invaluable insights into Australian culture, memories that will last a lifetime, as well as skills that will better equip ambassadors for their future careers.
Key application dates for the second round of the 2025 ILLA Program:
- ILLA Host Institutions: 16 April – 15 May 2025
- ILLA ambassadors: 16 May – 9 June 2025
Click here for the application details.
For further information, please view the ILLA guidelines here, and feel free to contact us at: ILLA@australiaawardsindonesia.org.
