Papuan people’s ability to speak local languages is increasingly fading. It has resulted in the several challenges facing Papuan language preservation. The Papuan people must also begin to be aware of the importance of regional languages.
12 The Challenges Facing Papuan Language Preservation
The existence of Papuan language is increasingly being marginalized and threatened with extinction because of the lack of speakers. The following are some of the challenges facing Papuan language preservation today:
1. Many Young People Do Not Use Local Languages
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology encourages local governments to preserve regional languages in Papua, which are almost extinct.
It is not only the responsibility of the central government or the community but local governments too.
Based on the UNESCO report, every two weeks, one regional language in the world experiences extinction. The reason is that the language is no longer used.
The representative of the indigenous Papuan community, Luther Salamala, highlighted that currently,
The younger generation among the Moi tribe is prestige to use the regional language in social interactions because parents in the family do not actively use the Moi language.
Luther pushed for indigenous peoples, or the Moi tribe, to maintain their local language.
The protection and preservation of the regional language are essential for young speakers to become active speakers of the regional language and learn the regional language with joy.
2. Parents Do Not Teach Their Children The Local Language
The preservation of language in Papua is still a significant challenge. The reason behind a regional language experiencing a decline is that some speakers, both children, teenagers and the older generation, no longer use it.
Meanwhile, most speakers aged 20 years and over and the older generation need to speak the local language to children.
The extinction of a regional language occurs mainly because the speakers no longer use or pass on the tongue to the next generation.
3. Keeping Up with the Times
Language is dynamic and constantly changes with the times. In the industrial revolution era, there were many changes due to various aspects of life, such as society, language, politics, economy and culture.
In an increasingly developing era, people must use national or international languages. Therefore, they started to get used to it and left the local language.
This problem can still be overcome if there are still many local people who also use the area. However, it won’t be accessible if someone has migrated outside the room or the island.
4. Contact with Outsiders Occurs
Language has a vital role as a means of communication between humans. Papuan people who are aware of the importance of speech are considered easier to get along with and respect others although they have challenges facing Papuan language preservation.
Whether or not a regional language is extinct depends on its speakers. If there is contact with outsiders, the local language will gradually be affected.
5. Many Communities are Moving
Apart from depending on the language used, preserving the language in Papuan also depends on geographical elements. If someone still lives there, then the regional language will remain intact.
However, many Papuan people have moved and do not live in their area of origin. They grew up outside and didn’t stick with the language. In addition, marriage to people who are not ethnic or regional can also stop the spread of regional languages.
6. The Variety of Languages
He said the wide varieties of languages in Papua make the Papuan people need a unifying language.
But they often use a unifying language (Indonesian) rather than regional languages in their travels. So that, the varieties become challenges facing Papuan language preservation.
7. Entry of a New Religion
In addition, the entry of a new religion into Papua has also influenced the development of regional languages, like the obligation of students in boarding schools and Islamic boarding schools to use Indonesian.
8. Being Judged Hinders the Educational Process
Another factor that could put Papua’s regional languages at risk of extinction is the notion that bilingualism can delay children’s education.
Children who know more than one language are considered to impede the progress of their educational process.
Another reason for the extinction of regional languages is the competition between regional languages with national languages and foreign languages. Even so, the love of culture must be maintained.
9. The Influence of Foreign Languages
Papuan language still has to compete with other languages in its use, both locally and nationally. This competition can affect the use of the Papuan language in society and being challenges facing Papuan language preservation.
Like many other regional languages in Indonesia, the Papuan language is also influenced by foreign languages, mainly Indonesian and English.
This influence can affect the structure and vocabulary of the language in Papuan and make this language even more difficult for the younger generation to understand.
10. Changes in Lifestyle and Cultural Values
The development of times and modern lifestyles can shift the use of the Papuan language so that people are less accustomed to using it in their daily interactions.
Inherited cultural values may also become irrelevant to the current era, making them less attractive to the younger generation.
11. Lack of Government Support
Despite many efforts from the community and academics to preserve and develop the Papuan language, support from the government still needs to be provided. It can affect the development and use of regional languages.
12. Limited Libraries and Literature
The lack of literature in the Papuan language makes many people less interested in learning the language. It also complicates efforts to preserve and develop the language in Papuan.
Several speakers even predict that the local language will be a distant memory. Or simply to turn on the romance of the past.
These are some of the challenges facing Papuan language preservation. As the nation’s successors, young people must be aware of the importance of regional languages and start preserving them so that they continue to develop in their future children.
