PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. BANDUNG - Every two weeks, the world loses one regional language because it becomes extinct because there are no longer any speakers. According to the Head of the Language Development and Development Agency of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Aminudin Aziz, the data is the result of a survey by the United Nations (UN) world body, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Aminudin conveyed this when opening the training on Improving the Competency of Primary Teachers Revitalizing Regional Languages for Elementary School Mother Tongue Teachers throughout West Java, in Soreang, Bandung Regency, Sunday (31/3/2024).

"Of the around 7,600 regional languages in the world, UNESCO noted that within two weeks one regional language had disappeared or become extinct because there were no longer any speakers," he said.

In Indonesia itself, which has 718 regional languages, according to 2019 data, 11 of them have been declared extinct. Then in 2021 data, 24 regional languages were declared to be starting to decline in terms of the number of speakers.

"And this happened starting from Eastern Indonesia, Central and Western Indonesia. Even though in the Central and Western regions the number of regional language speakers is still quite large. For example, there are 70 million Javanese, 40 million Sundanese," he explained.

Then what about Sundanese? Aminudin conveyed BPS data, from 2010 to 2020, Sundanese lost at least 2 million speakers.

"That was within a period of 10 years. Currently it may have increased. Therefore, to slow down the extinction of regional languages, the Language Agency has launched the Regional Language Revitalization program since 2021 throughout Indonesia, targeting elementary and middle school students, with the main policy being to provide as wide an opportunity as possible. "The wide use of their respective regional languages," explained Aminudin.

As a reference for teaching materials in the revitalization of regional languages, there are 4 principles, namely relevant to the student's character and the language environment, fun, integrated and collaborative.

Meanwhile, the Head of the West Java Provincial Language Center in his activity report said that Improving the Competency of Primary Teachers, Revitalizing Regional Languages for Elementary and Middle School Level Mother Tongue Students in West Java in 2024 was attended by 345 participants, which were held at different times.

"This activity is the first step in the 2024 Regional Language Revitalization program in West Java, as a provision for these main teachers to convey it back to their colleagues and students," said Herawati.

The revitalization of regional languages is also a manifestation of the 17th episode of the independent curriculum and one of the 3 priority programs of the West Java Language Center in an effort to protect regional languages and literature. (Even)