[Kisah Haru Luar Negeri] "KEAJAIBAN PERSATUAN BAHASA INDONESIA YANG DIKAGUMI DUNIA"

Summary

Professor Markus, a German linguistic historian, travels to Indonesia, expecting to study a simple language but is instead astounded by the country’s linguistic diversity. With over 700 regional languages, Indonesian unites millions of people from diverse ethnic groups. Markus explores how the language evolved, its role in national integration, and how it fosters a shared identity across the archipelago. Through his experiences and research, he concludes that Indonesian is not just a language but a national strategy, effectively bridging cultural gaps and promoting unity in a diverse nation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Indonesian is a powerful unifying force that connects over 270 million people from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds in Indonesia.
• 😀 The Indonesian language, despite its grammatical simplicity, plays a central role in national integration and identity formation across the archipelago.
• 😀 Markus initially underestimated the complexity of Indonesian, but quickly realized it is more than just a language — it is a strategic tool for unity.
• 😀 Indonesia is home to over 700 regional languages, and Indonesian functions as the bridge between these languages, enabling communication across the country.
• 😀 Language diversity in Indonesia is so vast that even the common people switch between various regional languages and Indonesian naturally in daily life.
• 😀 Indonesian serves multiple purposes: formal language for government and education, casual language for everyday interactions, and a neutral tool for communication between different ethnic groups.
• 😀 The choice of Indonesian (derived from Malay) as the national language, instead of Javanese, was a strategic decision to prevent alienation of other ethnic groups.
• 😀 Indonesian language policy not only promotes national unity but also embraces linguistic diversity, allowing regional languages to coexist alongside the national language.
• 😀 The simplicity of Indonesian grammar — no verb tense changes, no gender or noun case variations — makes it accessible to a wide audience, but it doesn't limit expressive depth.
• 😀 Indonesian is not just a tool for communication but a symbol of national identity, providing Indonesians with a shared sense of belonging beyond regional differences.
• 😀 The evolution of Indonesian, including the adoption of foreign vocabulary and the creation of new terms, reflects Indonesia's efforts to maintain linguistic independence and cultural integrity post-colonization.

Q & A

What was Professor Markus's initial perception of the Indonesian language before his arrival?

Professor Markus initially believed that Indonesian was just another common language in Southeast Asia, and he expected it to be simple to understand, similar to European languages like English or German.

What was the first moment that made Professor Markus realize his preconceptions about Indonesian were wrong?

The first moment was when he arrived in Jakarta, and he was struck by the linguistic diversity he encountered, such as hearing different languages being spoken in the streets and realizing that even taxi drivers and hotel staff switched languages fluidly.

How did the linguistic situation in Indonesia surprise Professor Markus during his visit?

Professor Markus was surprised by the linguistic diversity in Indonesia, where people from different ethnic groups, speaking over 700 regional languages, could seamlessly switch to Indonesian to communicate with others from different regions.

What role does Indonesian play in the unity of Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups?

Indonesian functions as a unifying language that connects the country’s various ethnic groups, providing a neutral platform for communication between individuals from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

What example did Professor Markus give to illustrate how Indonesian facilitates communication between people from different regions?

One example was when a Javanese-speaking grandmother and a Batak-speaking young man communicated effortlessly in Indonesian while trading at a market, showcasing how Indonesian bridges linguistic gaps between different ethnic groups.

How did Professor Markus come to understand the significance of Indonesian in terms of national integration?

During his visits to various regions in Indonesia, such as Yogyakarta, Medan, and Bali, Markus realized that Indonesian was not just an official language but a tool that had helped unite people from various regions and ethnicities, forming a strong national identity.

What historical event in 1928 significantly influenced the establishment of Indonesian as the national language?

The Youth Pledge of 1928, where youth representatives from across Indonesia declared their intention to make Indonesian the national language, marked a crucial turning point in the development of Indonesian as a unifying language.

Why did the Indonesian youth choose Malay over Javanese as the national language in 1928?

The youth chose Malay because it was a relatively neutral and widely understood language, unlike Javanese, which could have alienated other ethnic groups. Malay had already served as a lingua franca for trade and communication across the archipelago.

How did the Indonesian government promote the use of Indonesian after independence?

The Indonesian government implemented a massive education policy in the 1950s, establishing schools across the country and making Indonesian language education compulsory, while still allowing regional languages to be used at home.

What did Professor Markus find remarkable about the structure of the Indonesian language?

He found Indonesian’s simplicity in grammar, such as the absence of tense changes for verbs and gender for nouns, to be remarkable. Despite this simplicity, he noted that the language still allowed for a great deal of expressive and creative communication through repetition and affixation.

What is the significance of the Indonesian language's vocabulary development post-independence?

Post-independence, Indonesia actively worked to 'Indonesianize' foreign vocabulary, creating new words that reflect Indonesian culture and concepts, while minimizing the influence of colonial languages like Dutch.

What conclusion did Professor Markus reach after his research on the Indonesian language?

Professor Markus concluded that Indonesian is not just a means of communication but a national strategy that has helped unite the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity, showing how language can be a tool for national integration and identity-building.