English making inroads into daily language usage<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Language Month closed yesterday amidst
\nconcerns about the inroads English is making into people's daily
\nlanguage, often at the expense of proper Bahasa Indonesia usage.<\/p>\n
The ministry of education and culture's Director General for
\nCulture Edi Sedyawati said, however, that as long as Indonesians
\ncould maintain and appreciate their cultural heritage, they could
\nwithstand any form of pressure from alien cultures.<\/p>\n
\"There will always be a conflict of interest between the
\nbusiness or economic sector who tend to be more commercially
\noriented and the need to maintain our own national identity,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the closing of the 1994 Month of Language and
\nLiterature, Edi considered the media, and other people who are
\nconcerned with the issue, as having the responsibility to convey
\nto the business people the urgent need to preserve the country's
\nculture and prevent the public from over-indulging in foreign --
\nor \"western\" -- cultures.<\/p>\n
The Language Month has been commemorated every year since 1980
\nand in 1989 its activities were expanded to include literature as
\nwell.<\/p>\n
The activities this year consisted of essay and poetry-writing
\ncontests for teachers and students, language and literature
\ncompetitions for junior and senior high schools, arts and
\nliterature workshops, dialogs and discussions on literature and a
\nnomination of best television reporters.<\/p>\n
Winners of the contests were announced yesterday and presented
\nwith trophies and presents.<\/p>\n
The winner of best television newscaster from the state-owned
\nTelevisi Republik Indonesia was Dian Budiargo, with Hasan Ashari
\nOramahi as first runner-up and Toto Iswanto as second runner-up.<\/p>\n
The winner for a similar category for private televisions was
\nTossi Susanto from Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI), with
\nBahrul Alam from Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia as first
\nrunner-up and Enda Saragih from TPI as second runner-up.<\/p>\n
Intonations<\/p>\n
Lukman Ali, former head of the Center for Language Training
\nand Development, who is a soft-spoken but often critical man,
\nconsiders many television newscasters, especially those from
\nprivate TV stations, as having incorrect intonations when reading
\nthe news.<\/p>\n
\"I suppose this is because many of them (from private
\nstations) have time limits, to keep up with commercials. In the
\nend, their intonations come out wrong and the meaning of
\nsentences or even phrases change,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Behind all this, the deterioration of Bahasa Indonesia can
\nslowly, but surely, be felt.<\/p>\n
During the opening ceremony of Planet Hollywood, for instance,
\nmore English than Bahasa Indonesia was used, starting from the
\nrestaurants' manager down to its waiters.<\/p>\n
\"We can't always avoid these changes because learning about
\nyour cultural heritage doesn't mean you stop at your own
\nhistory... Societies change and people continue to interact,\" Edi
\npointed out.<\/p>\n
Indonesians, she said, were not suffering a \"cultural
\ninferiority syndrome\", however, she feels certain business people
\nwould do anything with a western zest to it for the mere sake of
\ntheir business.<\/p>\n
\"It is actually these people who are suffering the syndrome
\nbecause they feel insecure with their own culture,\" she pointed
\nout. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/english-making-inroads-into-daily-language-usage-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}