<![CDATA[The teaching of Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) requires an approach that emphasizes not only linguistic aspects but also the development of communicative skills and cross-cultural understanding. This study aims to describe the form of authentic learning in the Cultural Market activities at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and its contribution to the development of language skills and cultural understanding among BIPA learners. The Cultural Market is an experience-based learning activity that presents a variety of Indonesian cultural activities and products within the context of real-life social interaction. The stalls featured are classified into several main categories: Indonesian cuisine, textiles and traditional cloth, traditional games, arts and crafts, and creative cultural practices. This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach with foreign students in the BIPA program (BIPA 1–BIPA 7) as subjects. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and analyzed through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results indicate that the Cultural Market functions as an authentic learning space that enables BIPA learners to use Indonesian naturally and contextually. This activity enhances mastery of cultural vocabulary, language confidence, and understanding of Indonesia’s cultural diversity. Thus, the Cultural Market has the potential to serve as an effective and relevant model for authentic experience-based BIPA learning that can be developed sustainably.]]>
