A NEW LANGUAGE POLICY FOR INDONESIA
Language Policy is “decision making about language” (p. 2) Rubin & Jernudd (1971)
Weinstein (1980) defines language policy as “A government authorized long term sustained and conscious effort to alter a language itself or to change a language functions in a society to solve communication problem” (p. 3)
Ager (2001) defines Language policy as “official planning, carried out by those in political authority” (p. 5)
“Language policy is not neutral” (Shohamy, 2006, p. 78)
Language policy in education is the form of imposition and manipulation of language policy set by the authority to turn ideology into practicality
This paper tries to offer a theoretical perspective of language policy
Language education policy plays a significant role in reviving a language back to life even with the one that is almost (if not) dead
Current issues
Government Policy About Language
719 languages
‘Bahasa’ as the national language
Bahasa is widely used as the medium of communication in government domains such as official ceremonies and documents
Vernaculars can be used as the medium of instruction in the early stage of education when needed
Foreign language(s) can be used as the medium of instruction in more specific circumstances
Educational issues
Indonesian people's literacy is still low
inconsistent acts towards the language policy in education
abolition of the English subject in elementary school
Separatism Issues
‘Free Papua Movement’
‘Republic of South Maluku’
Indonesia's’ free Aceh Movement (GAM)
Policy model
Current Application
6 years of formal education from elementary
school
Junior high school = EFL (not for communicative purpose)
National examination
English and bahasa
Paket
University = TOEFL
The Proposed Model of New Language Education Policy
the students will be given the
flexibility to speak either their vernaculars or Bahasa
Once they enter Junior High School, the medium of language instruction will only be given in the national language which is Bahasa
In the Senior High School level, the situation is similar to the junior high school. However, the portion of English is increased
the students are expected to
be able to communicate in English either in spoken or in written form
ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT
Rights and Equality
Vernaculars can be set as the language
of instruction when they do not have writing systems
this can help some
students or people who are not capable enough of the majority language
by highlighting the linguistic right of the minority, it is pulling them up into existence
L1 Assistance In Early
When the learners learn a subject in a language classroom, they may be better equipped
with L1 for acquiring the target language
moving from L1 to L2 might not be easy for early learners
vocabulary mastery
Conflict Preventions
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this paper always provides a transition phase
for the students to get engage with the new language while relying on the language that they
have mastered
carefully manage the language policy is
necessary to prevent the disappointment of groups of minorities
Accommodating the minority with recognition of their language will be one of the positive acts to prevent the conflict from appearing
minority languages are used and preserved along with Bahasa as the national or official
language
National language for National Identity
English for Globalization