MOTIVASI BELAJAR BAHASA INDONESIA MAHASISWA STUDI ASIA OPEN UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY VIETNAM

Indonesian is increasingly being learnt by foreign speakers, including university students in Vietnam. In this context, learning Indonesian is not only influenced by linguistic factors, but also by learning motivation, social environment, and cultural experiences. This study aims to describe the internal and external motivations, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by Asian Studies students of Open University Ho Chi Minh City (OU HCMC) in the process of learning Indonesian.
This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews and observations of 18 active students and alumni. The results showed that students' internal motivation was driven by interest in Indonesian culture, the phonetic ease of the language, and personal goals such as scholarships and careers. Meanwhile, external motivation is influenced by the support of lecturers and friends, academic opportunities, and job prospects. Challenges faced include difficulties with vocabulary, grammatical structures, and learning time, but are offset by opportunities in the form of cultural activities, interaction with native speakers, and student exchange programmes.
The findings of this study indicate that the combination of cultural experiences, social support and personal goals forms a strong motivation to learn. Therefore, Indonesian language learning for non-native speakers will be more effective if it integrates culture-based approaches, hands-on practice, and social context. BIPA programmes are advised to design curricula that are adaptive, contextualised, and support students' active participation in meaningful learning experiences.