Indonesian for foreign learners is one of the Indonesian language learning program that is devoted to foreign learners. This program is often called by the name of BIPA. Many foreign learners in Indonesia are studying Indonesian language in BIPA program. The study outlined in this article aimed to describe the cultural and academic background of BIPA learners. The description was used as a guide for selecting and developing teaching materials, specifically teaching materials for developing a communication literacy in learning BIPA. This research was conducted by a qualitative method. Participants of the research were foreign learners and instructors who were involved in BIPA program. The data research were the information about the origin country and the academic background of the learners, the levels of learners' competencies, and their needs in learning the Bahasa Indonesia. The data were collected by interviews, study documents, and observation. Based on the result of data analysis, the research found that BIPA learners who learnt Indonesian had the various cultural and academic background. They had different experiences and goals in learning Indonesian language. According to the differences, learning materials of language skills and Indonesian cultures are the main subjects that need to be taught and trained to them for the development of communication literacy.