PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. BANDUNG - More than 122 West Java regional language teachers took part in the Regional Language Revitalization (RBD) Primary Teacher Competency Improvement activity for Middle School level Mother Language Tunas in West Java 2024.

This activity took place at the West Java Province Language Center, Soreang, Bandung Regency for 4 days, Thursday-Sunday (18-21/4/2024).

RBD is an effort to slow the extinction of regional languages. This activity has been held by the Language Development and Development Agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) since 2021.

Head of the West Java Province Language Center, Herawati, in her speech said, the West Java Language Center as the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) of the Regional Language Development and Development Agency has three priority programs, one of which is regional language revitalization.

"Our focus in this priority program is language and literary literacy, protection of regional languages and literature, as well as internationalization of the Indonesian language. The regional language revitalization program is included in the second priority program, as a manifestation of the 17th episode of the independent learning curriculum," he said.

According to Herawati, from year to year since 2021, participants in the regional language revitalization program have increased, with West Java becoming a pioneer in the program in 2021 along with Central Java and South Sulawesi Provinces.

"This year, participants in the Regional Language Revitalization Primary Teacher Competency Improvement are not only Sundanese language teachers, but there are also school principals, supervisors, and even Indonesian language subject teachers," he explained.

According to him, this was very encouraging, because many of the participants would later pass on the material they learned to their colleagues and students.

Deputy Regent of Bandung, Sahrul Gunawan, who was present to open the event, appreciated the Language Center's efforts in revitalizing regional languages. According to Sahrul, this is in line with the Bandung Regency Regional Government's efforts to preserve Sundanese language and culture.

"Apart from the Language Center, I also need to appreciate the duties of these noble teachers in preserving Sundanese language and culture through teaching in schools. Because there are two glues in the community of Bandung Regency in particular, namely religion and culture," he said.

He hopes that in Bandung Regency, Sundanese language and culture will not become foreign to the people themselves.

"One way is through the role of fathers and mothers, Sundanese language and culture will continue to live here," concluded Sahrul. (Even)