He began his education at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) in Surakarta, where his father also taught. He continued his education at a MULO (Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs), then continued studying language at a high school in Yogyakarta until 1951. He graduated from the Faculty of Education at Gadjah Mada University in 1955, received a M.A. from New York University in 1963, and was awarded his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1965.