Meet our Teachers

Ibu Fitria Ratna Wardika is a PhD candidate at Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a legal drafter for the Indonesian Ministry of Finance.

She has been teaching advanced Indonesian language classes in person at AIAV since 2026. Her teaching focuses on creating an engaging and relaxed learning environment where students can develop their Indonesian language skills while also exploring Indonesian society, culture, and everyday life.

Ibu Nining Ismiyani is a PhD candidate in the School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Her research focuses on digital learning in language education. She has also taught Indonesian to international students through Monash University’s Language Facilitator Program.

Nining has been teaching Indonesian language classes at AIAV since 2025. Prior to this, she worked for 15 years at the Language Centre of a public university in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, where she gained extensive experience teaching both English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Bahasa Indonesia. She earned a nationally recognised Certificate of Competence in Copy Editing from the Institut Penulis Indonesia and was certified as a professional book editor from 2020 to 2023, reflecting her expertise in Indonesian language accuracy and communication. Nining is passionate about BIPA teaching and Indonesian culture and is committed to creating engaging and active learning experiences at AIAV.

Ibu Pradnya Samarra is an experienced language teacher with a Master of TESOL from Monash University. Her research explored how education policies in Indonesia influence teachers’ discretionary effort, particularly through the lens of language and cultural context.

She has extensive experience teaching both English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Bahasa Indonesia. Her journey as a Bahasa Indonesia teacher began in 2015 as a volunteer with an NGO, Dejavato Foundation, where she taught international volunteers. Since then, she has taught Indonesian at Monash University under the Language Drop-in Program (2023), supported Australian Defence Force personnel through the DFSL Language Partner Program (2024), and is currently teaching at AIAV (2025).

Ibu Fatona Suraya (Raya) is an Assistant Professor at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Indonesia, who recently completed her PhD in Education at Monash University (2026). Dedicated to teaching Indonesian as a Foreign Language (BIPA) since 2011, she has taught diverse international learners across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa across all proficiency levels.

Recognised for teaching excellence, including Best Teacher awards from Balai Bahasa Indonesia (2012) and Menara Bahasa (2024); Raya was also spotlighted at the Learning and Teaching Conference at Monash University, Australia (2026) for her best practices in BIPA lesson design, specifically her selective integration of AI to activate teacher and student agency. Her BIPA teaching in Australia spans roles at Monash University, MMM Sydney, and AIAV. Blending innovative media, agentic learning strategies, and deep cultural insights, Raya is excited to bring her passion for BIPA to enrich the learning experience at AIAV.

Ibu Rebecca Kristanto is an Indonesian language teacher, and NAATI translator from Melbourne. She has taught Indonesian at secondary schools and universities in Australia, and lived in Indonesia for several years working as an English teacher, and an Indonesian-English translator in the non-government sector. She joined the AIAV team in 2022. Rebecca loves teaching and learning languages and is passionate about helping others build confidence with second language acquisition. In addition to teaching AIAV classes, Rebecca currently teaches English as a Second Language as part of the Adult Migrant English Program.

Bapak Bede Herradine is an Indonesian linguist who has been enthralled with Indonesian since his first Indonesian class in the mid-1970s! For the past 15 years he has taught Indonesian full-time to Defence Force personnel, and now focuses on developing and managing foreign language assessment programs. An ANU graduate in languages and linguistics, Bede is a regular back-up teacher for AIAV classes, and enjoys passing on to others his passion for learning Indonesian.

Bapak Edan Runge joined the AIAV Teaching Team in 2021. He works as an Indonesian Language Assistant at a Victorian secondary school and has worked as an Indonesian language tutor for secondary school students and adults since 2016.

Edan is a Melbourne University graduate with specialisations in Indonesian language, cultural study and journalism. He is a freelance translator and a member of the AIAV Newsletter Editorial Team.

As a foreign language fanatic, Edan is also a fluent speaker of French, Spanish and Italian, in addition to his first language, English.

Ibu Bea Awiati has worked as a high school teacher in Australia since 1990 in both the International Baccalaureate and Victorian school programs. She studied a Diploma of Education and a Master of Computer Education at Melbourne University. Previously, she worked and studied at the University of Indonesia before moving to Australia.

For several years she has taught at AIAV’s evening classes at different levels. She has taken her school students to Indonesia to experience first-hand the language, school life and culture.

Her goal in teaching Indonesian to adults is to explore further their love of Indonesian and help them speak the language fluently without worrying about making mistakes.