Thursday, February 3, 2011

Good Behavior and Language Levels

Indonesia is a country that built by many cultures, and all of the cultures have their own characteristics. With all the cultures, Indonesia becomes the country with the most various cultures. But it will be useless if the government forget, because all of those cultures are the gates to keep Indonesia, to keep Pancasila.
Language, as the one of the culture, has important part to build the feel of proud, about this country. In Indonesia, the first language commonly known as mother tongue (Javanese, Sundanese, Bataknese, etc), the second language is Indonesian language, and the third (or foreign language – bahasa asing) is English. Javanese language learnt by anyone who lives in Java (some parts in West Java, Middle Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java) with all the varieties and dialects (dialect in Javanese is about six dialects). Sundanese learnt by anyone who lives in Sunda (some parts in West Java), etc.
One of the exclusive things of the mother language is, when people learn their mother tongue, at the same time they will learn about attitude, good attitude. One example, Javanese language is famous because it has three levels and one special language (use in Kraton). The first is known as Ngoko, then the second is Madya, and the third is Krama Inggil. If there is a Javanese that want to talk with his/her friends which has same age, he/she will use Ngoko, to show the close relationship. When he/she talks with his husband/wife, he/she will use Madya, because it shows the close relationship and also respect. When he/she talks with the older people (their parents, teachers), he/she must use Kromo Inggil to show the high respect for them.
Not only Javanese that have the language levels, but also Bataknese. Bataknese has five language levels, but the point is same as in the Javanese language levels, to show respect to other people that older than the speakers.
The fact that English is more recognized by Indonesian young generations than their mother tongue (or Indonesian language) is true, and it must be accepted. The long term effect of the phenomenon is Indonesia will lose the identity, real identity, and people will forget about Pancasila. The spirit “unity in diversity” (I use Obama’s term), will disappear if young generations forget about who they are, and where they are from.
The good way to block the penetration of English (or any west cultures), is introduce them (children) into their mother tongue. Make them friendly with mother tongue, by teach them. Automatically, they will learn about good attitude. If they teach English while they are child, their behavior will be English. One experience, there was a kid that school in SBI (Sekolah Berstandar Internasional). She talks English well, and one day she talks to her grandfather, “I hate Indonesian, because Indonesian language is bad.”
Then the question is, how if all elementary schools in Indonesia are SBI?
Local wisdom is needed. Teach Indonesian young generations their mother tongue, because their attitude will be Indonesian attitude. Indonesia will ‘dissapear’ from the map, if the west culture still more-like than its own culture.

1 comments:

  1. .."One experience, there was a kid that school in SBI (Sekolah Berstandar Internasional). She talks English well, and one day she talks to her grandfather, “I hate Indonesian, because Indonesian language is bad".."

    ..the extreme one of cases, whereas my cousin who studies at SBI said the different thing, he said that the class was suck, he didn't like English but he was forced to learn much, it made his achievement got worse..
    ..and now he faces a worse fact that the UAN & UAS also use bilingual standard..
    ..heheheeee..
    ..a boy's heart..

    ReplyDelete

 

Copyright © nglengkong Design by O Pregador | Blogger Theme by Blogger Template de luxo | Powered by Blogger