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THE ROLE OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE SUPPORTS THE MANAGEMENT OF MULTILINGUAL SOCIETY: IS IT EFFECTIVE?
By: Endang Eko Djati Setiawati endang_eds12@yahoo.com
Abstract
This writing presents an idea of being multilingualism and multiculturalism. The issues are two things that we cannot separate each other. It is like two sides in the same coin.
Multiculturalism causes various conflicts such as racial prejudice. In Indonesia we find SARA. In U.S.A, we recognize Civil War, Ku Klux Klan, L.A”Riot and other racial prejudice.
The nations realize the problem of being multiculturalism and multilingualism since the beginning of their existences. To promote the unity they create slogans. U.S.A has A pluribus Unum which is the same meaning to Bhineka Tunggal Ika, Unity in Diversity.
National Language is also one of solution to unite the multicultural society. Hopefully they have national identity to promote nationalism.
To be nationalist doesn’t mean to ignore the vernaculars and the multicultural of the nation. The nation should find smart solution of the problem. To be nationalist doesn’t mean to ignore other foreign languages and cultures also. The nation should find wise solution to adopt the foreign languages as well as other cultures.
As we agree that the ability to communicate in more than one language is advantage. It opens to unlimited opportunity and accessibility to enjoy and immerse oneself in many cultures.
2 INTRODUCTION
What does being Multilingual Mean?
Multilingualism is interesting issue to be discussed. It concerned to the various factors such as culture, politics, economics and education as well.
The great majority of countries in the world are multilingual. These mean that many languages are spoken in them. It doesn’t mean that everybody speaks all the languages spoken in the country. However, many people are multilingual, in the sense that they speak more than one language. Indonesia is one of the examples of typically multilingual Asian country. It comprises more than 200 different ethnic groups, all of whom speak their own languages and have their own cultures.
I take an example from our surrounding, in Javanese community. The people of Java follow the Islam religion, they are familiar with Arabic, and they speak Javanese to their parents, grand-parents and children. They have a distinct culture. In order to be able to communicate with other communities such as Sudanese or Batak, Balinese and the others, Indonesians learn their national language, Bahasa Indonesia.
It is not surprising that, in multilingual countries, many people need to be able to speak more than one language. Let’s look at two typically multilingual people, one from West Java and one from central Java. The first is Mr. X. He is ethnically Sudanese and he comes from Tasikmalaya. The second is Mrs. Y, she comes from Semarang .
As you will see, although these multilingual people speak several languages, they do not speak them all perfectly. Each language they speak serves as special function, so they only need to speak the language to the level they need it for.
X is a lecturer in his forties. He speaks four languages, namely Bahasa Indonesia, Sudanese, English, and Arabic. Sudanese is his best language as he speaks this with his parents, family and with members of the Sudanese community. Indonesian is the national language and he learned this in school. He can read and write it well, as he needs to be able to read and complete official forms and write reports in Bahasa Indonesia. He also speaks English which he also learned at school. He uses English to speak with other English collegians and some of his collegiums from another country who do not speak either Sudanese or Bahasa Indonesia. Finally he is able to speak a little Arabic, as this is the language his religion mostly used.
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English. She can also read and write, as she needs it for her studies. At the office and at the informally affair she speak Bahasa Indonesia. This language is her national language so she needs it to complete official forms and write report in her job. Finally she has to learn Arabic as her religion duty. She is going to Saudi Arabia to have a holy pilgrimage and Arabic is the language she need it badly. X and Y are typical examples of people in today’s multilingual and multicultural world. Looking at X’s and Y’s multilingual abilities, it is important to realize that being multilingual doesn’t mean having native –speaker – like proficiency in several languages.
It simply means knowing enough of a language for your own needs. It is also worth noting that, while X and Y both speak some English, they very seldom use it with native speaker of English. They use it to communicate with other non- native –speakers like themselves. This use of English as a lingua franca is now the most common use of English in the world.
X and Y certainly don’t need to sound like native speakers when they speak English. In fact, they are proud to be Indonesian and Javanese and Sudanese respectively, so would not want to sound like native speakers of English anyway.
What does National Language mean?
A National Language is a language (or language variant; i.e. dialect) which has some connection de facto or de jure with people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A National Language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country. National Language may alternatively be a designation given to one or more languages spoken as first languages in the territory of a country. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National Language.)
Another definition comes from Jazir Burhan in Politik Bahasa Nasional states that Bahasa National adalah bahasa yang dipakai oleh suatu Negara sebagai bahasa persatuan dalam lingkungan politik, social, dan kebudayaan.
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used in teaching learning process as Jazir Burhan says that Bahasa Pengantar adalah bahasa yang digunakan dalam menyampaikan pelajaran di sekolah- sekolah.
II. DISCUSSION
The discussion will be divided into three parts.
The first part deals with multilingualism and multiculturalism. The second part of the discussion addresses the role of national language, Bahasa Indonesia. Finally, the last discussion is on the management of multilingualism and multiculturalism.
A. Multilingualism and Multiculturalism:
Educator must realize that multilingualism and multiculturalism are not merely fashionable terms but everyday classroom realities. Both of multilingualism and multiculturalism are two things that we cannot separate each other. It is like two sides in the same coin. They have become global phenomenon and sensitive issues as well. Sensitive issues mean that multiculturalism “encourage” conflict as an example race and cultural prejudice. Indonesia has SARA (Suku Agama Ras dan Golongan). History proves that conflict is caused by SARA happened i The following are the facts that riots occurred during the course of the Indonesian History.
Around 1980 there was Pribumi – Chinese “war”, the conflict started in Surakarta. At the beginning the conflict was personal business between Pribumi or the Native and the Chinesse. In these conflicts, the Chinese was supported by other member of Chinese community. At the name of solidarity, the Pribumi (the Native) attacked the Chinese community by destroying their own properties. The conflict promoted the national conflict since it developed from local‘s riot to national’s one.
We still remember on Sampit’s issue, when Maduraness and Dayak tribe were at war. The conflict is begun when the Maduraness wanted to make Sampit as the Second Sampang. The Dayak protected their own land as a result there was horrible war. It is a real horrible war, The Dayak killed men, women and children of the Maduraness without any exception. The way they killed them also something frightening, the Dayak cut and separated the head from the body of the Maduraness. It happened around 2002 in Kalimantan.
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signify the conflict of the races in U.S. The Ku Klux Klan is a racist, anti-Semitic movement with a commitment to extreme violence to achieve its goals of racial segregation and white supremacy. Of all the types of right – wing hate groups that exist in the United States, the Klan remains the one with the greatest number of national and local organizations around the country. The Ku Klux Klan first emerged following the Civil War as America’s first true terrorist group. Since its inception, the Ku Klux Klan has seen several cycles of growth and collapse, and in some of these cycles the Klan has been more extreme than in others. In all of its incarnations, however, the Klan has maintained its dual heritage of hate and violence.
At first, the Ku Klux Klan focused its anger and violence on African-Americans, on white Americans who stood up for them, and against the federal government which supported their rights. Subsequent incarnations of the Klan, which typically emerged in times of rapid social change, added more categories to its enemies list, including Jews, Catholics, and different groups of immigrants. The Ku Klux Klan is a secret white supremacist organization that has sprung up in different times in American History. The Klan existed during three periods. It subsisted during Reconstruction, during and after World War I, and in the 1960s during the civil rights movement
Around 1991 in U.S.A suffered from L.A’s Riot when White and Black people were at war. Black and White conflict has been long and complicated problems that the country has to solve. Though they struggle to maintain the diversity during the course of the history of the nation but racial conflicts are always there. It seems that Melting Pot doesn’t work.
B. The Role of National Language, Bahasa Indonesia
Bahasa Indonesia is one of the examples of typically multilingual Asian country. It comprises more than 700 different ethnic groups, all of whom speak their own languages and have their own cultures. Indonesia needs National Language to unity the diversity. National Language has important role in this case.Sumpah Pemuda 1928 proclaims that Bahasa Indonesia as our national language. It is the first step to formulate the policy of our national language. Undang undang Dasar 1945, Bab XV, Pasal 36 states that Bahasa Negara ialah Bahasa Indonesia. It is emphasized by Keputusan Konggres Bahasa Indonesia 1954 also. As a national language, Bahasa Indonesia has the following roles.
Bahasa Indonesia adalah lambang kebulatan semangat kebangsaan Indonesia
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Didalam kedudukannya sebagai bahasa Negara, Bahasa Indonesia adalah bahasa resmi pemerintah, bahasa pengantar di dalam dunia pendidikan , alat perhubungan pada tingkat nationl untuk kepentingan perencanaan dan pelaksanaan pembangunan nasional. This quotation taken from Amran Halim in his Politik Bahasa National, published by Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa Departemen Pendidikan Indonesia.
From the quotation above we as Indonesia believe that National unity cannot be forged through dominance of one language by another. Such dominance could lead to social tension and even violence, as history indeed shown.
National Language, Bahasa Indonesia promotes multilingualism as respecting language right and linguistic diversity. Hopefully it promotes National Unity in the other hand. The variety of vernacular which spread from Sabang to Merauke has been instrumenting in getting things done. They have been a powerful tool of communication, not only in rural areas but also in towns and big cities.
C. The management of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism
How manage the multilingualism and multiculturalism becomes a never ending homework for a nation. The diversities have been realized by the founding father of the nation. In the beginning they think how to unite the diversities into one by creating a slogan A Pluribus Unum in America which has the same meaning to Bhineka Tunggal Ika,from many to one. Both of the slogans put in the Symbol of the nation in the form of an eagle. In Indonesia we call it Garuda Pancasila. Melting Pot is another idea to unite the diversities of American society. The Melting Pot is analogy for the way in which heterogeneous societies becomes more homogeneous, in which the ingredients in the pot ( people of different cultures, races and religions) are combine so as to develop a multiethnic society.
The term which originates from John De Crevecoeur ( 1735 – 1813) in his writing “ What is an American” is a part of Letter from an American farmer. In his writing he dreams of the unity of the diversity of the various races that immigrate to the American continent. He dreams that the various races of the world who came to America would blend into one nation that is America, one could not identify anymore which one French, Dutch, Japan, Black, Spain etc. It united into one nation, America. It is what he calls Melting Pot.
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contributions of African Americans? Has African American history now converged with American history, and therefore, the celebration should be eliminated? But one admits that this kind of program is one way to unite the diversities of the societies in America. The above discussion portrays the efforts of the multilingualism, multiculturalism, as well as multiethnic society in America in uniting the diversities. Indonesia has experienced more difficult problem to carry out the effort. Indonesian live in spread islands. Another problem comes from the diversities of the races and religions also. The conflict between Pribumi (the native) and the Chinese ethnic need serious solution.Some efforts have been done. Remember the following program, BAKOM PKB (Badan Koordinasi Masyarakat Pembauran Keluarga Bersama), this program try to unite the Native and the Chinese. In the program the Chinese had been given some knowledge about the government affairs, pay attention to the surrounding, help the native in economic improvements, etc. The Chinese encourage helping the native in economic business, for example, in Pedan, Klaten there is Koperasi Pembauran China dan Jawa. It is called KSUP (Koperasi Serba Usaha Pembauran). This program is named CENKUKO (central Kulakan Koperasi). It intends to unite the Chinese and Javanese in economic affairs since the successful of the Chinese causes social jealous among the Javanese.
Surakarta, one can find PMS (Perkumpulan Masyarakat Surakarta), this organization intend to unite the diversities of Surakarta society. The organization has several activities such as Bhakti Sosial, Seni, Olah Raga. The successful Chinese support the program especially for financial needs. The activities followed by the member of the society in Surakarta without any restriction of certain ethnics. The organization has their own facilities to support the activities.
And now we come to multilingualism of Indonesian community. Multilingualism seems unavoidable in Indonesia since Indonesia can be called a nation with thousand islands. People live with their own languages and cultures.
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Based on the quotation above. I can say that to ignore the vernacular and force the community or group to speak certain language (in this case Bahasa Indonesia) will change the way they live. It means that we are in a danger since it is against human rights.
In the opposite side, it is the government duty to support Indonesian to learn, speak, and respect the National Language. By doing so, we support the group to take participation in economic, politic, education and community. It is what we call making meaning life or to make life is more meaningful. It is the dilemma.
One more issue should be taken into consideration: What should we do to the foreign language, in this case English? Should we take it and ignore the National Language? In Politik Bahasa Nasional, Indonesian.
Indonesian government creates a certain rule to govern how foreign language has to learn in national education. Foreign languages supposed to promote some language skills. Hopefully the competency of language usage will support the Indonesian people to, communicate with other nation, recognize and understand other cultures learn the knowledge and culture through the books written in the foreign language.
As stated in Politik Bahasa Nasional that foreign languages enable us to, berkomunikasi dengan bangsa asing tersebut, Mengenal dan memahami bangsa dan kebudayaan asing tersebut, mempelajari ilmu dan kebudayaan asing melalui buku yang ditulis dalam bahasa asing tersebut. Last but not least, mastering foreign languages invite people to take participate in a larger community, thus it makes life more meaningful
III. CONCLUSION
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decreased. “If you are white is all right, if you are brown stay around, if you are black step back” doesn’t work anymore .This expression often appears in voting the American President. Obama proves it that the expression doesn’t work indeed. The Afro-American has right to get the pride now. Look at the following poem,
I, TOO
I, too, sing America
I am the darker brother
They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well, And grow strong.
Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,” Then
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed…
I, too, am America (Langston Hughes)
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Sneddon, James. The Indonesian Language.U.N.S.W . Press. 2003
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William.Oscar.Edwin Honig. Major American Poets. USA: Mentor Books. 1962 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/national language.
http://www polity.org za/article/ngubane-national-multilingualism-consultative competence.
