Currently, even regional languages with many speakers are experiencing a significant decline in terms of young speakers.
Bandarlampung (ANTARA) - The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry's Language Development and Guidance Agency has said that the revitalization of regional languages is needed to prevent the use of such languages by the younger generation from dying out.

"Today, we are witnessing an increase in borrowed languages, and a decline in the number of youth speaking regional languages. Therefore, efforts to revitalize regional languages have become more important and must be done at the earliest," Head of the Agency's Center for Language and Literature Development Muh Abdul Khak said in Bandar Lampung on Friday.

The revitalization process would involve two models, namely targeting vulnerable regional languages and targeting those with a lot of speakers, but experiencing a decline in young speakers, he explained.

"Currently, even regional languages with many speakers are experiencing a significant decline in terms of young speakers. With that in mind, it is necessary to target them in the revitalization process in hopes of preserving them and increasing the number of young speakers in big cities," he said.

To preserve a regional language in its place of origin, one can make a simple effort by promoting its use in daily conversations with families, he added.

"We have formulated a regional language learning model for elementary and junior high schools. The model is different to local contents, as it offers a number of fun alternatives that the students can freely choose (from),” he said.

The alternatives include classes on short story and poetry writing, storytelling, solo comedy, writing and reading regional languages scripts, and speeches, he added.

"This is basically a model of freedom of learning, where children are provided with the free will to choose what they like in regional language learning. The model will be applied in the hopes of raising the confidence of youths to speak their regional languages," he added.

With regards to solo comedy, he said that students from 1st to 6th grade would be gathered in a single class where they would learn a regional language through the concept of solo comedy.

He affirmed that the model was projected to be implemented in various regions by this year, including in Lampung province.

"This has to be implemented this year since provincial and national level festivals will be held at the end of the year. Hopefully, district and municipal governments will take part in supporting this model. If we do not start from now, our mother language or regional languages will lose their speakers from the young generation," he said.


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Translator: Ruth Intan Sozometa, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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