Indonesia Languages
Indonesians in Focus: Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana
The late Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, who was born in Natal, North Sumatra on Feb. 11, 1908, is recognized not only as one of Indonesia’s great writers but also as a philosopher whose ideas still exert a considerable influence in Indonesia’s contemporary literary studies and the development of modern Indonesian Language. Many, including the younger generation, would only know him as the author of the famous novel Layar Terkembang (Open Sail) and the founder and editor of a literary and linguistic magazine, Pudjangga Baru (The New Writer).
Date: March 13th, 2008 |
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Sundanese Writing System
Many ethnic groups across the country, including the Sundanese, are facing the threat of the declining use of their language or writing system. Sundanese leaders are particularly concerned by the fact that while few youngsters use Sundanese at home, fewer still are able to use the Sundanese script.
Date: February 15th, 2008 |
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Coastal Languages on the Brink of Extinction: Jayapura, Papua
Date: November 7th, 2007 |
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Arabic Language in Contemporary Indonesian
One of the most often heard cliches is that Bahasa Indonesia is a simple language. I find this cliche is mainly used by those who have never mastered the language. Nevertheless, it should be admitted that Arabic is much more complex and difficult to master.
Date: October 17th, 2007 |
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Sudanese Dictionary Available: West Java
Travelling in Indonesia it helps to learn some of the language (Bahasa Indonesia) if it’s only for just getting around town, asking for something, or seeking help. When you travel further a field you will notice that the dialect of the island or region is used.
Date: January 24th, 2007 |
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Saving Local Languages
The concern over the world’s endangered indigenous languages is not a new issue. In 1951, UNESCO held a convention on the language of education on a worldwide basis. Its main purpose was to promote and preserve indigenous languages from extinction. Attended by a committee of language pundits worldwide, the convention produced a general consensus that a child’s mother tongue should become the medium of instruction.
Date: March 5th, 2008 |
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Bantik - An Endangered Language: North Sulawesi
According to sources, perhaps the central feature of the Indonesian national culture in the late twentieth century was the Indonesian language. Malay was used for centuries as a lingua franca in many parts of the archipelago. The term Bahasa Indonesia, which refers to a modified form of Malay, was coined by Indonesian nationalists in 1928 and became a symbol of national unity during the struggle for independence. The language went through a series of spelling reforms in the 1950s and 60s to smooth over differences with Malay and expunge its Dutch roots.
Date: November 13th, 2007 |
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Indigenous Languages in Danger of Disappearing
Indonesia is known not only for its multi-ethnic richness, but also for its linguistically diversified provinces and regions. Recent documented records by the National Education Ministry indicate there are 746 indigenous languages in the country, 10 of which have died out.
Date: October 30th, 2007 |
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Thesaurus Bahasa Indonesia
When I was studying Languages at University I was astounded at the complexity and how just one meaning could have a heap words for it. It always helps to have a thesaurus at hand as well as being useful for crosswords!.
Date: February 1st, 2007 |
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Languages of Indonesia
The major languages of Indonesia are Austronesian. Austronesian is a family of agglutinative languages spoken in the area bounded by Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean and Easter Island in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Date: January 15th, 2007 |
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