Yacinta Kurniasih

Yacinta Kusdaryumi Kurniasih was born in Kedungjati, Central Java, Indonesia. In 1986, she went to Yogyakarta where she did her degree in English Literature, Education, and Language Teaching Methodology at the University of Yogyakarta . She has been teaching English, Indonesian, and Javanese as a foreign language in various formal and non-formal educational setting since then.

She obtained her B.A. (Hons) with a thesis which examined the correlation between the learner's perception and attitude toward the culture of the target language (English) and their academic achievement in language learning. Yacinta has a wide variety of hobbies ranging from dancing, drama, writing poetry and short stories to cooking, and self defence (currently Taekwondo).

In 1994 she was invited to work as an Indonesian Guest Teacher in northern Tasmanian Schools and at the University of Tasmania for twelve months where she visited about 40 schools and lived with 18 different families. She then continued working as Indonesian teacher and dancer for several schools and the University while completing her M.ED. in Applied Linguistics, TESOL and LOTE at the University of Tasmania. She completed her Master Research Project on age, gender and foreign language learning strategy: a study case of Indonesian students in Tasmania University

In February 1997 she joined the Monash Indonesian Program, teaching Indonesian/Javanese Language and studies. Currently Yacinta is working on her PhD focussing on Javanese language teaching at schools and Young Javanese in Yogyakarta.

Outside teaching and studying, Yacinta has a role as an In-Country Program Coordinator and a LOTE (Indonesian) Equivalent Examiner. She also has an active role as a language/culture consultant for Indonesian textbook publishers, regular speaker and presenter at VILTA (Victorian Indonesian Teachers Association) conference and workshop, regular speaker at 'Why Learning Indonesian Forum' Melbourne, regular presenter for Indonesian Teachers Workshop run by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development - DEECD).

In the past, Yacinta was often invited as a regular speaker/informant for SBS Radio - Indonesian Program and 'Radio Kita', Indonesian Ethnic Radio Community in Victoria and a contributor for AIA: Australian Indonesian Association Newsletter.