Foreign language signs unpatriotic

Foreign language signs unpatriotic

TULUNGAGUNG, East Java: The use of foreign languages in signs, posters and billboards is an indication of the inferiority felt by the advertisers, a linguist says.

Suparno of the Teachers College in Malang said on Tuesday that the advertisers' insistence on using foreign languages, which is illegal under a new city ordinance, reflects a lack of pride in their nationality.

This "lack of confidence hampers the process of shaping national character and identity," said Suparno as quoted by the Antara news agency.

"The development of education, technology and all other aspects of life is inseparable from the use of Indonesian language as the national communication tool," he said. (swe)