Learning West Papua Language allows us to communicate with locals easily. It is not only sounds and voice but also gestures and written symbols. So, people can send and deliver information through language.
Although the West Papuans have various living languages, only a few are still actively used recently. Here is brief knowledge about the West Papua language.
Unique Language
Located on Papua island, West Papua shares the Austronesian language. Yet, there are fewer West Papuans who speak the West Papua language. They actively use the language in their daily lives.
Studies found that West Papua has more than 270 languages. It is mostly used in small families. The elder lets the young generation learn it in informal education.
In general, the Papuan languages are unique compared to other local languages. This language is part of Papua New Guinea Languages, the region located in the eastern Papua. Besides, it is also part of the language of the neighbouring islands, neither Australians nor Austronesian.
Through the languages, it helps us to know how it forms. Additionally, it shares some information about the long history of Papua, especially during the colonialism period.
Aside from that, there are many other things that the language can inform us. It includes how people interact with other ethnic groups. Moreover, it allows us to learn about missionary organizations and non-scientific activities.
Local Government Involvement
Nowadays, the local government participates in supporting the growth of some of West Papua’s languages. The government has a corporation with the department of education and culture in Papua. They published dictionaries of fewer languages.
These dictionaries are translated into Bahasa Indonesia. Through them, it does not only help to preserve but also to promote the West Papuan languages.
The government starts by documenting the most used languages to assist the young generation inlearning West Papua Language. Although there are various languages in the region, the local people only speak a few of them.
There are multiple reasons why fewer people speak local languages. One of them is because the huge differences appear in geographical conditions, like in the mountainous and coastal regions. Thus, the dictionaries share useful knowledge with the next generation.
Moreover, it enables the youth to learn the local languages at ease. They can learn more about their ancestral heritage culture through these dictionaries.
The Benefit
Recently, there are around one thousand words of the local language preserved in the dictionary. Like other dictionaries, it also mentioned the completed word examples used in a sentence. Then, those words and sentences are translated into Bahasa Indonesia.
After that, the dictionary is printed with more items and distributed to the students. From here, students can learn the local languages without difficulties.
Apart from that, the presence of these dictionaries gives more benefits to the non-Papuan people. It can invite new learners outside the region. So, it allows them to learn these unique languages without difficulties.
After the performance of a famous comedy series, more people are interested in learning Papuan languages. People are more interested in the West Papuan languages. It can make them understand the comedy series better.
Through these dictionaries, hopefully, there are many other books published. It will introduce more about the West Papuan languages and traditions.
Those dictionaries do not only promote the local languages. It also helps to preserve the language and culture. It maintains the originality and uniqueness of local languages.
Many influences can attract young people to communicate with newer language recently. So, it makes the local languages wipe off bit by bit. Learning West Papua Language has become a valuable heritage for the next generation in Indonesia.
