Don't Be Embarrassed To Speak Regionally If You Want Indonesian Cultural Sustainability To Be Maintained

Masses joined the Regional Language Care Forum to walk to the DIY DPRD building in Yogyakarta, Tuesday (15/1/2013). (Between/Noradika)

Indonesia is one of the countries with a lot of language diversity in the world. However, in the midst of such rapid times, regional languages in Indonesia continue to struggle to maintain their existence experiencing extinction. One of the reasons is suspected to be due to the reluctance of the younger generation to use regional languages because they are considered not cool.

Padahal bahasa daerah memiliki kontribusi besar dalam mempertahaan kebudayaan Indonesia. Menurut Undang-Undang Nomor 24 Tahun 2009 tentang Flag, Bahasa, dan Emblem Negara, serta Lagu Kebangsaan, dinyatakan bahwa bahwa bahasa daerah adalah bahasa adalah bahasa yang digunakan secara barah oleh warga negara Indonesia di wilayah Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia.

The threat of regional language extinction has been in the spotlight in recent years. Based on data from the Ministry of Education and Culture's Language Agency, Indonesia has 718 regional languages. However, currently 38 regional languages are targeted for revitalization, 11 of them are extinct and 25 are threatened with extinction.

Head of the National Language Development and Development Agency Prof. Endang Aminudin Aziz said threats to regional language extinction always occur. According to data, until 2019 there have been 11 regional languages that have been declared extinct because there are no longer speakers.

"Data (regional languages) that has been declared extinct because there are no more speakers in 2019, there are 11 languages, especially in the eastern region," said Prof. Endang, at the Coordination Meeting with the Regional Government in the Regional Language Revitalization Program in Central Java Province on March 14, 2023.

The threat of regional language extinction does not only occur in regional languages with few speakers, but also in regional languages with many speakers. The threat of regional language extinction in Indonesia is caused by several factors. Imam Budi Utomo, head of the Language and Sastra Development and Protection Center, said there were at least three factors that threatened the language of the region with extinction.

The first and most important factors are the attitude of language speakers. Whether language speakers have a positive or negative attitude.

"Positive attitude means whether people in the regions still have a proud attitude to use their regional languages. A negative attitude is that speakers are reluctant to use regional languages," said Imam to VOI.

"Using regional languages now, it is often identified with villagers, not modern, and has no economic value. This is what causes reduced regional language speakers to become endangered," said Imam again.

The second factor is the failure of local language transmission from parents to their children. In today's era, many parents are reluctant to use regional languages with their children. People are also increasingly massive and widespread in Indonesian, even foreign languages, in families, communities, communities, and workplaces so that local languages are forgotten.

The third cause is migration or high mobility, and people who do crossbreeding or two different ethnic marriages, Imam added.

On the other hand, the Head of the BRIN Language and Literature Preservation Research Center (Kapusris), Obing Katubi, added the cause of the extinction of regional languages. According to him, technology and digital media have become one of the main triggers in changing people's language behavior.

"The increasingly massive language contact is due to digital media, making it easier for members of the language community to explore other languages in cyberspace as well as the factor," said Obing.

To slow down the decline in regional language speakers, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology revitalizes regional languages through Freedom of Learning.

Language revitalization is an effort made to protect languages and literature from extinction. According to the Language and Sastra Protection Center (Pusbaling), regional language revitalization can be done through five steps, namely language mapping, language vitalization study, conservation, revitalization, and registration.

"We can slow down the threat of regional language extinction by fostering a mindset, how language speakers have a positive attitude towards regional languages," Imam continued.

Language revitalization targets schools and related communities, ranging from the language community, families, students, teachers.

"While registration means registering or registering regional languages with UNESCO world bodies. This needs to be done so that our regional languages are not claimed by others. This is a form of international protection," said Imam.

Regional language revitalization needs to be done to slow down the extinction of regional language speakers. As previously mentioned, Kemenbudristek said 11 regional languages in Indonesian are extinct and 25 others are threatened.

Based on data from the Ministry of Culture, Maluku Province is the area that has lost the most regional languages, namely eight languages. Meanwhile, the other three languages are from North Maluku, West Papua, and Papua.

UNESCO Assistant General For Education, Stefania Giannini, said that if regional languages are in critical condition, then together with the regional language, world culture and ancestral knowledge systems are also threatened with extinction.

The purpose of protecting and preserving the language, said Stefania Giannini, is to guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples to preserve, revitalize, and promote their language, and prioritize language and multilingual diversity into all sustainable development that runs.

"We must ensure that digital technology supports the use and preservation of languages and the diversity of languages," Stefania said, quoted by the official website of the Ministry of Culture.

The extinction of regional languages should not be allowed to occur. Because after all, regional languages are an important part of the nation's culture that must be preserved and preserved.

"Language is not just a collection of words. In language there are properties of cultural wealth, thoughts, knowledge. Regional languages can also show people's manners. So if the regional language is extinct, then cultural knowledge disappears," said Imam.