Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Language Development and Cultivation Agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology has chosen 92 languages that will be targeted by the Local Language Revitalization (RBD) program in 2024.

The agency's head, Aminudin Aziz, said that the number has increased compared to 2023, when 72 local languages from 19 provinces were covered by the program.

"Next year, we will expand it (the program) to 92 local languages and dialects with a coverage of 34 provinces," he told ANTARA here on Tuesday.

According to him, the increase in the number of languages and the coverage of the RBD program in 2024 is inseparable from the awareness of regional governments' regarding the importance of preserving mother tongues.

For that reason, the program, which has been running since 2021, is receiving optimal support.

He added that his side will continue to implement the 2024 RBD program using three approaches, namely Model A, Model B, and Model C.

Model A is specifically implemented for local languages with homogeneous societal characteristics. Here, the learning of languages, such as Sundanese and Javanese, is implemented through formal institutions.

Model B is implemented in areas with heterogeneous population characteristics, with local language subjects introduced in school curricula. It also involves attracting communities of language enthusiasts to disseminate information regarding the program to young speakers.

Model C is applied in areas where the number of speakers of a certain language is very low, such as Papua, Maluku, and other eastern Indonesian regions. Thus, the learning concept applied is community-based.

"Model C is for those (languages) with a small number of speakers, for example, Papua, Maluku, and other eastern regions. Thus, the learning intervention, if possible, is (carried out) in schools, but if not, (it would be) community-based," he informed.

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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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