The Importance Of Regional Language And Literature Sustainability, Kemendikbudristek Will Revitalize 71 Regional Languages

Illustration. (ahmad syahrir/Pexels)

MEDAN - As an effort to maintain the survival of regional languages and literature in Indonesia, the Ministry of Education and Culture's Language Development and Development Agency (Language Agency) in 2023 will revitalize 71 regional languages in 25 provinces.

"Of course, the main goal of revitalization is to maintain the regional language and sustain its existence," said Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture's Language Development and Development Agency, Hafidz Muksin in Medan, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, April 1.

Furthermore, he said this at the dissemination of priority programs in the field of language and literature in the city of Medan, in the context of drafting a Language Agency Policy Recommendation which also presented a member of Commission X DPR RI, Sofyan Tan.

He said that in Indonesia there are still 718 regional languages, but many of the regional languages are threatened with extinction and criticalness. The main cause of regional language extinction is because the speakers are no longer using and passing their language on to the next generation.

Whereas language is not just a collection of words or a set of grammar principles, but also as a source of cultural wealth, thought, and knowledge.

"The extinction of the language means the loss of the inner wealth of the speakers of the language," he said.

He said, with the revitalization of the language and regional literature, it is hoped that young speakers can become active speakers of regional languages and in turn have the will to learn regional languages with joy through the media they like.

Then maintain the survival of the language and regional literature, create spaces for creativity and independence for regional language speakers to maintain their language and find new functions and realms of a language and regional literature.

Meanwhile, the Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Language Center, Hidayat Widiyanto, said that the implementation of regional language preservation needs to be supported by all stakeholders, ranging from local governments, academics, traditional and cultural stakeholders, clergy, art actors, school supervisors, and of course children as young local language shooters.

Regional language revitalization implemented in North Sumatra is included in the B model category. Model B is a province that does not have a dominant language, but has approximately the same or equal speakers.

Language life is classified as vulnerable even though the number of speakers is relatively large. The language used competes for its use among other regional languages in the area.

To increase children's interest in producing regional languages, there are at least seven types of material that children can develop.

The seven materials are reading and writing regional characters, writing short stories, reading and writing poetry, storytelling, speech, singing or traditional songs, and single comedy (stand up comedy).

"Children can develop regional languages through the materials they like. The experience of 2022 shows that children are very happy and happy in showing their ability to speak regional languages through festivals that are tiered from school level to national level," he concluded.