Be proud of one's language!

Pieter Van Der Vienhart's recent article on schooling (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 18) discussed how English language skills are being used as a criteria for employment in some schools above other more essential factors like teaching skills. This is sadly part of a wider trend where English is seen as the be all and end all of education. The use of English is at times elevated to an irrational level and seen as the most important skill to be acquired, to the detriment of otherwise qualified people who do not speak it.

It is also part of a trend, at least amongst certain sections of society, to use English as a status symbol, to gain prestige or to impress. On television, we see the shunning of the Indonesian language by stations such as Metro TV who seem intent on putting the titles of all their programs into English, even when the program is in Indonesian and for an Indonesian audience.

This defies common sense. Why use "live" instead of "langsung"? Why use unnecessary English words when perfectly good Indonesian words exist? Language is a product of culture and history and to neglect one's own language in favor of English is to neglect one's heritage. English is no better than any other language and should not be used as a status symbol. Pride in one's own language is just as important as acquiring skills in another.

DANIEL BAMPTON, Yogyakarta