Language teaching hoped to help defuse separatism

Language teaching hoped to help defuse separatism

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fadjar said on Tuesday
that teaching the country's national language, Bahasa Indonesia,
could reduce separatist sentiments in the country.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at the 8th Indonesian Language
Congress, Malik Fadjar said, "Since the cause of rebellion is the
lack of a sense of nationalism, the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia
may boost the sense of nationalism and thus overcome rebellion."

The three-day congress is hosting 843 people who have come
from throughout the archipelago, as well as from foreign
countries including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria,
China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and Suriname.

As many as 61 local, and 18 foreign, experts on Indonesian
literature and linguistics are scheduled to present their papers.

Indonesia is currently facing separatist groups such as the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

Besides boosting the sense of nationalism, the teaching of
Bahasa Indonesia is needed to resist the influx of technology and
foreign cultures, Malik Fadjar said.

"The problem is more complicated, as there is tendency to
uphold a foreign language, especially English, while Bahasa
Indonesia becomes the second language," he said.

He said the problem had emerged because the teaching of the
national language was boring and too theoretical.

"I hope the congress can find a way to make the Bahasa
Indonesia teaching methodology interesting, useful and
enlightening," he said.

Many experts had earlier criticized the government through its
language curriculum, called the Language Center, for focusing too
much on how to use Bahasa Indonesia yang Baik dan Benar (Good and
Correct Indonesian Language Usage).

They said by concentrating on how to use good and correct
Bahasa Indonesia without considering evolving society and
culture, the "Good and Correct Indonesian Language" became
nobody's language and thus, unpopular.

Besides their ethnic vernacular and tribal languages, most
Indonesians also speak popular dialects, such as the Jakarta
dialect, and slang-speak, such as Bahasa Gaul and Bahasa Prokem.

Meanwhile, Language Center head Dendy Sugono said they would
continue to campaign the use of good and correct Indonesian.

Dendy, who is also the congress' organizing committee
chairman, said improving individuals' ability in speaking the
national language was also expected of all state officials, from
the regency to the national levels.

"As part of our efforts to provide good role models, we award
public figures who speak good Bahasa Indonesia," he said.

Gozney, Susilo get Bahasa awards

Six public figures, including British Ambassador Richard Gozney
and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, were chosen on Tuesday as the best
speakers of Bahasa Indonesia.

Other noted figures who received the awards given in
conjunction with the 8th Indonesian Language Congress were
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Muslim
scholar Nurcholish Madjid, political observer Eep Syaifullah
Fatah and banking expert Pradjoto.

Women writers NH Dini, Dorothea Rosa Herliany and Oka Rusmini
received literary awards on Tuesday, the opening of the four-day
congress held at the Hotel Indonesia, Central Jakarta.

The congress is held every four years.

Despite questioning his own command of Bahasa Indonesia,
Gozney graciously accepted the award.

Of the foreign envoys in Jakarta, Gozney has proven his
proficiency in the Indonesian language, including during public
events, such as televised talk shows. --JP