01/08/09, 02:20:20 UTC

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Tourism police come up against language barrier

thejakartapost.com

Officers with the Jakarta tourism police brush off criticisms they lack the English language skills needed in the tourism sector.

"To be frank, I can't speak English. But there's no shame in that," said tourism policewoman Sr. Brig. Nani R.

"I get by because I never feel embarrassed when speaking to tourists."

"Most foreign tourists in Jakarta can speak Indonesian. If they can't, we resort to gestures," 41-year-old Nani said recently.

Nani, who has been assigned to the Jakarta Police's tourism unit since it was established in 1996, said she found it easy to communicate with most people.

"However, Japanese tourists pose a challenge. They keep saying haik, which sounds to us like they are assuming a karate attack position," she said.

Nani's colleague, Sr. Brig. Ni Putu Swasti, 31, said sometimes new recruits avoided coming into contact with foreign tourists altogether.

According to Putu, who has also served in the division for 11 years, being a tourism police officer requires no special skills and certainly not a high score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

There are only eight women in the division.

Putu said she hoped the division would offer an English conversation program as real use of the language was important for the job.

"Speaking English is hard because we are not familiar with the language.

"Officers with superior foreign language abilities used to teach the others, but not anymore," Putu said, adding that only some 20 percent of officers in the division were fluent in English.

The tourism division aims to promote Jakarta as a city friendly to both domestic and foreign tourists.

The division has 57 personnel and 15 patrol cars, which are painted maroon with the words "Tourism Police" on the sides.

Tourism police officers are tasked with monitoring tourist attractions city-wide, including Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta; Ancol Dreamland, North Jakarta; Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta; heritage sites and museums.

In addition, the division routinely patrols 176 karaoke lounges, 132 cafes, 233 discotheques, more than 300 hotels and dozens of malls.

Putu said: "Not only do we lack English language skills but also the personnel to monitor those sites".

It seems, however, this fact does not disturb the division's chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gusti Ngurah Warsika.

"There are other priorities. Jakarta is unlike Bali or Yogyakarta. There are just not that many tourist sites here, you see?"

"Most of the visitors are locals anyway," he said.

When asked about the importance of having good foreign language skills for the tourism police, Gusti said: "They don't have to be experts. So long as they can speak a little of the language, it's alright".

New recruits are, however, offered training opportunities.

The Jakarta Tourism Board, for example, runs a three-day language course every September. The National Police also hold 90-day Korean, Chinese, English, Japanese and Arabic courses twice a year.

Perhaps the division needs to learn that poor language comprehension can lead to misunderstandings and embarrassment.

 Printable Version  | published Aug 15, 2007