The Existance of Local Languages

“Bilingualism is a norm and monolingualism is an exception”
Ronald Wardaugh
Abstraction
The discussion is begun from the thesis of Wardaugh. He purposed the issue of bilingualism and multilingualism as a consequence of the development of human civilization. In spite of that, Indonesia which is constructed from a very complex cultural background is defined as multilingual country. Actually many aspects may support the existence of multilingualism. Otherwise, multilingualism, in some cases, may potentially create local or even national problems. The coming issue will be valuable to discuss to find out ‘win-win solution’.



Local Language as a Part of Language Variety
Local language as language variety has come to be one of the greatest masterpieces of human’s. However, the term ‘variety’ itself may have more than one interpretation. Hudson defined ‘variety’ as a set of linguistic item with similar distribution. In line with that, Wardaugh defined regional variation as dialects. If it is, Blitar Javanese, Solo Javanese, Tegal Javanese are parts of language variety. Ferguson offered another definition that is any body of human speech pattern which is sufficiently homogenous to be analyzed by available techniques of synchronic description.
We can, then, compile both definitions by underlying the term ‘linguistic item’ and ‘human speech pattern’ and associating them to some external aspects such as social group, geographical setting, cultural background, and so on. It is the fact that the multiculturalism of Indonesia may support the growth of language varieties. Local language spoken in Java is not completely the same as in Bali, Sulawesi, Papua, and any other regions in Indonesia, because geographically and culturally, they are different.
Local language etymologically means language used in particular place. Local language can also be defined as ‘vernacular’ as being described by Pei and Gaynor that language which is commonly used in certain place or certain geographic place.
That Indonesia is the archipelago country with over thousand islands is famously known. Every island is divided into several parts and subparts. Different parts of regions usually have different language. People in particular region almost speak differently from other regions.
Local languages in Indonesia are juridical-legitimated as one of national culture parts by purposing section 36/point XV and UUD 1945. Since local languages have rights to be protected by the government, its speakers should reasonably pay much attention and preserve the progress of local languages. The Indonesian government has also given an open chance to local languages to develop through formal education. It is proven by taking local languages into account during learning process in educational institutions. For instance, elementary and junior students are still learning Sunda language today.
However, the restlessness concerning local language extinction considerably should be taken into account too, because there are some real cases. Let’s have a look to Indian language in America, Aborigine language in Australia or even Kaili language as mother tongue of central Sulawesi people that come closer to be extinct.
It is the fact that the ‘battle field’ factually has been opened for both local languages and Indonesian language as the official language to compete each other. Being understandable that the use of Indonesian language cannot be avoided in the recent years. Everybody considers that globalization and modernization make everything changes including language. This is basically the main point of discussion. The problem of the existence of local languages among the progress of era appears to be in existence. While local languages naturally are functioned to develop and support the culture of certain place in this country. Of course, to preserve Javanese culture, the society basically needs Javanese language to communicate with and to promote it. Furthermore Indonesia is constructed from a hundreds attractively meaningful local cultures that are supposedly needed to be preserved.
Almost every member of society has his or her mother tongue before learning Indonesian language as an official language. It means the formal education at home is handled communicatively by local language, since it is a very natural communication tool in one’s original community that naturally reflects moral and cultural value. Prof.Dr.H.Mudjia Rahardjo, M.Si., expert in sociolinguistics, once stated that one word carries a moral and cultural value that cannot be carried even by its synonym. That’s why; local language is not a linguistics system which can be changed easily by another language. This is the matter of how speakers of certain local language view the world that refers to solidarity, social identity, and thinking process. In conclusion, local languages in Indonesia specifically carry Indonesian local cultures.

References
Wardaugh, Ronald. 1986. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. UK: Blackwell, Basil
________. 1977. Introduction to Linguistics. USA: McGraw-Hill, Inc
Chaedar, A. Alwasilah. 1993. Pengantar Sosiologi Bahasa. Bandung: Angkasa
Oxford Learner Dictionary