Almost Gone, 38 Regional Languages are Revitalized

VIVA – The government through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology plans to revitalize 38 regional languages ??in Indonesia. This revitalization effort aims to prevent the extinction of regional languages.

Head of the Language Agency, Aminudin Aziz said that by 2022, the number of regional languages ??that will be the object of revitalization is 38 regional languages ??spread across 12 provinces, namely North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, North Maluku and Papua.

"Since last week our team has done socialization, Alhamdulillah it's very good," Aminudin said as Head of the Language Development and Development Agency E at a press conference in BSD, South Tangerang, Banten on Friday, June 1 2022.

According to Aminudin, the budget for the revitalization of regional languages ??totals Rp31.9 billion. In this revitalization, teachers, local government, teachers, students, academics and community leaders will be involved.

The targets for the revitalization of regional languages ??are 1,491 local language speaking communities, 29.370 teachers, 17.955 school principals, 1.175 supervisors, and 1.5 million students in 15.236 schools.

"Indonesia has the second largest number of regional languages ??in the world after Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea 815s. Indonesia 718," Aminudin said.

Therefore, he asked the head of the Education Office, the Culture Service for this year to be given a choice of which language to revitalize.

"Ask the community which regional languages ??they want to revitalize," he said.

Aminudin also said that there were several problems in maintaining and preserving regional languages, among them the number of speakers are very small and they change to other languages.

"Especially the eastern part of Indonesia. Some of them speak less than 100 people. Some of them speak less than 50 people. So, when it was offered whether they wanted to be revitalized or not. They answered who else would speak, we also don't have the ability to speak local languages ??anymore because it is difficult to change to a new, more functional language," Aminudin said.

Another problem is migration from one place to another, for example from East Nusa Tenggara, and Papuans moving to Jakarta.

 "There is a disaster, when COVID-19 hundreds of thousands of people die. They are speakers of regional languages, then the number decreases. It's called a disaster, so it's a threat, so the number of speakers of regional languages ??will decrease," Aminudin added.

Here’s the list of 38 regional languages ??that will be revitalized: Balinese, Sasak, Samawa, Mbojo, Dawan, Manggarai, Kambera, Rote, Abui, Tobati, Sentani, Biyekwok, Sobey, Imbuti, Biak, Komoro, Buru, Kei, Yamdena, Makian Dalam, Sula, Tobelo, Ternate, Makassar, Bugis, Toraja, Kenyah, Paser, Kutai Kota Bangun dialect Malay.

Then, the Panai dialect Malay, Angkola dialect Batak, Serkam Malay dialect, Sundanese, Javanese, Ngaju Dayak, through the Kotawaringin dialect, Uud Danum or Ot Danum to Maanyan language.

Previously, Acting Head of the Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Fahturahman said that revitalization of regional languages ??needed to be carried out considering that most of the 718 regional languages ??in Indonesia are in danger of extinction and critical from time to time.