Indonesian Language Also Determines the Formation of the Indonesian State

By A. Zamroni Sw.

Bekti Patria-wordpress.com

Historically and etymologically, Indonesian comes from the regional language, namely Riau Malay. This regional language has officially become the national language of Indonesia and the language of the unity of the Indonesian nation. Indonesian - which comes from the Malay language of Riau - was ratified as the state language the day after the proclamation of Indonesian independence, on August 18, 1945, to be precise. The ratification was carried out in a package with the ratification of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia as the state constitution. In Article 36 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, the Indonesian language is stated directly and explicitly as the state language.

The naming of the Indonesian language (from the Riau Malay language) begins with the II Youth Congress which gave birth to the Youth Pledge on October 28, 1928. Indonesian has experienced several attempts at standardizing the spelling to make it a modern and sophisticated language. This standardization effort causes the Indonesian language we currently use to differ from its original language, namely the Malay language used in Riau and the Malay Peninsula. Indonesian has now become a dynamic language, a language that lives and continues to produce new words, both through the creation and absorption of regional and foreign languages.

Indonesian is the primary and most important language in Indonesia. As the language of the state and the language of unity, Indonesian is the means of communication for all Indonesian people - from Sabang to Merauke - who have a variety of ethnic, cultural, and regional backgrounds. Without the Indonesian language, the existence of tribes in remote areas of the country that have their own local culture and language will be difficult to meet, connect and mix.

Thanks to the role of the Indonesian language, communication and interaction between ethnic groups in Indonesia can run well. The Indonesian language enables people from various regions and tribes to greet one another, talk, cooperate, stay in touch, and build friendship, kinship and brotherhood. It is also thanks to the Indonesian language that people and figures from various islands and ethnicities can communicate with each other and understand their aspirations and interests, build unity against colonization by foreign nations, and exchange ideas to formulate the basis of the state and constitution so that the Indonesian nation and state can be formed.

It is inconceivable that the end of the struggle of the heroes and founders of the country if their efforts to be free from colonialism and to establish the Indonesian state were not supported by the existence of the Indonesian language. Without language that can be a means of communication and unification, efforts to free oneself from foreign colonialism will be very difficult to do. Without the support of a language that can carry out such a role, the effort to achieve independence and form an Indonesian state seems impossible.

Promote and Support Indonesian Language as an International Language

 By  A. Zamroni Sw.

http://www.damniloveindonesia.com

Language and nation are two entities that influence each other in relations between countries. So far, the adage applies that "language denotes the nation" so that as a consequence of the close relationship between the two, this phenomenon appears: the role of the nation will determine the degree of the language of the nation concerned. English can become the main international language in the world because of the role and dominance of the British people in international forums that exceed other nations in the past centuries.

The phenomenon and experience of England has further confirmed the fact that the status and degree of a language in the midst of world relations is largely determined by the role of the nation that owns it. The same is true of the Indonesian language and nation. The role of Indonesia is quite important in several regions and international organizations have contributed to increasing the popularity and frequency of use of the Indonesian language in world forums.

Our country has a big role in Southeast Asia and in ASEAN. Indonesia has an important position in the Non-aligned Movement because Indonesia is one of the countries that initiated the establishment of the Non-aligned Movement. Indonesia also occupies a strategic position among Asian-African countries. Because of its crucial and strategic role and position, many Westerners (United States, Western Europe, Canada, and Australia) consider Indonesia an important country so that it needs to be a friend and partner for cooperation in various fields. In an effort to make Indonesia a collaborative partner and to get to know the culture and life of the Indonesian people, several Western countries have made Indonesian as a subject and subject in their schools and universities. The same is done by other countries outside Western countries.

This causes the popularity of the Indonesian language and the mastery and use of Indonesian by foreign nationals to increase. Coupled with the beauty of the natural panorama and the stunning wealth of Indonesian cultural arts and the large population of Indonesia, the interest of foreign nationals to learn and master the Indonesian language is getting bigger. The objectives of foreigners (foreign countries) to master the Indonesian language, among others, facilitate their efforts to learn Indonesian culture, facilitate efforts to make friends with the Indonesian people, and facilitate communication with the Indonesian people in marketing goods and services.

This series of phenomena has made Indonesian a language that is widely used in other countries and in international forums. The symptom that sticks out is that Indonesian is developing into an international language. Keeping in mind the predictions of experts that in the next 20–50 years Indonesia will be among the top ten countries in the world so that Indonesia's role in the world will become increasingly dominant, the position of Indonesian as (one of) the international languages ​​will be even stronger.

However, this positive development certainly requires concrete support and participation from the government and the Indonesian people. The Indonesian government needs to make policies that are able to encourage and strengthen the status of Indonesian as an international language; for example, by promoting the ease and practicality of Indonesian as the official language in international forums. As a form of support, the Indonesian people themselves must also increase awareness to use Indonesian properly and correctly for various purposes in order to show foreigners who are in Indonesia that Indonesian is a language that is easy, simple, communicative, intellectual, and at the same time deserves to be one of the international languages.

Teaching English in Indonesia during the Colonial Period and the Present

 By  A. Zamroni Sw.

http://www.awardeelpdpugm.web.id .jpg

As an international language, English is an important language taught in educational institutions in Indonesia. Learning and teaching in Indonesia has been going on since the Dutch colonial era. The teaching of English as a foreign language in Indonesia has evolved over time and changes in policies. The teaching of English in the colonial era cannot be separated from the policies and interests of the colonial government.

During the reign of the Dutch East Indies, English language learning was provided at MULO (SMP level schools) and AMS (SMA level schools). At that time, apart from Dutch children, only certain indigenous children were allowed and able to attend schools at MULO and AMS. Most of the ordinary indigenous children only go to school up to SD level now. Education in the Dutch era, especially teaching in the field of language studies, was recognized as having sufficient quality so that MULO school graduates were generally able to communicate in English well. Apart from mastering English, students are also required to master Dutch as well as French or German (optional) and local languages ​​(Javanese or Malay).

When Japan came and occupied Indonesia, the teaching of English (as well as European languages) underwent drastic changes. Japan carries out a series of cleanups. They completely prohibit the use and teaching of Dutch, English and other European languages. Books and references in English, Dutch and European were muzzled. On the other hand, Japanese is used in society and is taught in schools intensively with the aim of making it a second language in Indonesia.

After Japan was expelled from Indonesia due to its defeat in World War II against the Allies, and Indonesia entered its independence era, English was taught again in schools. The decision to teach it back at school was issued by the government of the Republic of Indonesia. Through the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia in 1967, English is taught as a foreign language in Indonesian schools.

This marks the strengthening of English as a foreign language in the world of teaching and education in Indonesia. Along with changing times and the development of life, the Indonesian government and people are increasingly aware of the urgency of teaching English to Indonesian students. English is considered important to be mastered by the Indonesian people so that the Indonesian people are able to keep up with the development of world life because English is the main international language. The way that is considered the best and systematic so that English is mastered by Indonesian society (especially the younger generation) is to teach it in schools from an early age.