Language Policy and Multilingual Practices in Indonesia
Summary
Indonesia is home to more than 700 indigenous languages alongside the national tongue of Bahasa Indonesia, reflecting a complex multilingual ecology shaped by geography, history and state ideology. Since independence, language policy has sought to balance the unifying role of the national language with the preservation of regional speech communities. Constitutional and ministerial regulations enshrine Bahasa Indonesia as the primary medium of instruction and official communication, while regional bylaws and local initiatives variably endorse the teaching and use of heritage tongues. In practice, urbanisation, internal migration and digital media foster novel multilingual repertoires, whereby speakers fluidly alternate between Bahasa Indonesia, local languages and global lingua francas such as English. Education planning, public broadcasting and cultural festivals serve both as sites of language standardisation and as arenas for renegotiating local identity. Current debates centre on the coherence of national and regional policies, equitable support for endangered languages and the role of emergent digital platforms in shaping future patterns of language maintenance and shift.
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Language Policy and Multilingual Practices in Indonesia publication trend
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Technical terms
Diglossia: The coexistence of two language varieties within a speech community, each serving distinct functions.
Language policy: Formal and informal rules and strategies that govern language use and status in a society.
Language planning: Deliberate efforts by authorities to influence the function, structure or acquisition of languages.
Lingua franca: A bridge language used for communication between speakers of different native languages.
References
- Discursive valuing practices at the periphery: Javanese use on Indonesian youth radio in multilingual Solo. International Journal of the Sociology of Language (2023).
- Exploring complex diglossia in Javanese society. Cogent Arts and Humanities (2024).
- Indonesian language policy and perspectives on its implementation in promoting Bahasa Indonesia as an international language. Cogent Arts and Humanities (2024).
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