Indonesia Is Haunted By The Threat Of Regional Language Extinction, Kemendikbudristek: Because Its Certificates Do Not Inherit

Participants who took over from Java in the competition held by the Yogyakarta City Disbud at Taman Pintar, Monday, August 22, 2022. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) stated that Indonesia will face the threat of regional language extinction. The threat is based on the results of a study in 2021.

The study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture stated that the number of regional languages that are vulnerable to increasing by four languages, experiencing a decline to increase by 14 languages, and the threat of extinction increased by three languages.

This means that we will get a very large threat of regional language extinction. Therefore, we need to make efforts," said Head of the National Ministry of Education and Culture's Language Development and Development Agency E. Aminudin Aziz in a virtual 'Maintaining Languages' webinar, Tuesday, October 4.

He explained that previously his party had conducted a study in 2019 which found 11 endangered regional languages. In the 2019 study, it was also stated that there were 27 vulnerable regional languages, 29 regional languages that experienced setbacks, and 26 endangered regional languages.

Meanwhile, the regional language categorized is still safe or still used by all people in ethnic groups totaling 18 languages and only eight languages are experiencing critical or said in community groups aged 40 years and over.

"This extortion occurs mainly because language speakers no longer use or pass the language on to the next generation," said Aminudin, quoted by Antara.

According to Basic Data on Language and Association, Indonesia has 718 regional languages identified. Aminudin said the West region has a small number of regional languages, but the population is large. While the Eastern region has a large number of regional languages but the population is small.

"This is inversely proportional and this will of course make efforts to preserve regional languages and literature difficult if you look at facts like this," he said.

Head of the Central Java Provincial Language Center, Ganjar Harimansyah, added that a number of languages or literatures are threatened with extinction or experience setbacks indicating disturbances in inheritance, especially the younger generation who are reluctant to use the language anymore.

"Therefore, the Agency for Language Development and Development is making efforts to keep the existence of languages and literature alive by revitalizing regional languages which this year are carried out in 12 provinces," said Ganjar.

The revitalization of language is divided into three models, namely model A, B, and C. He explained that model A is more likely to be a regional language that has indeed been included in the school curriculum or school-based revitalization.

Unlike model A revitalization, in model B and C adapt community or mixed bases, such as communities and schools or communities and certain groups such as churches, mosques, and so on.

"Especially among the speakers of the younger generation, both verbal and language literature speakers, we are revitalizing with various stakeholders, especially local governments," he said.

Ganjar also said that the legislation has mandated that the revitalization of regional languages and literatures is the authority of the regional government, while the Language Agency as a reflection of the central government coordinates, facilitation, and encourages participating in preserving regional languages and literature so that its existence is maintained.