7. The development of English as lingua franca in Indonesia and the extinction of local languages - The development of English as lingua franca in Indonesia and the extinction of local languages
7. The development of English as lingua franca in Indonesia and
the extinction of local languages
Agus Setia Budi, S.Pd., M.Pd.
Department of Language, Communication and Tourism, Politeknik Negeri Jember,
Indonesia
Abstract
The development of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia can give
positive and negative impacts to Indonesian people. Some positive impacts
of English as a lingua franca are including the use of English in the
Educational System, the use of English in Indonesian Linguistic
Landscapes, the use of English in Media such as television, internet and
radio, the use of English in Interpersonal Communication, the use of
English in Academic Setting and the use of English in the Workplace.
While, one of the negative impacts of this is the dominance of English as a
lingua franca in Indonesia can cause and accelerate the local languages
extinction in Indonesia.
Keywords: English, lingua franca, local language, extinction
Introduction
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) refers to the use of English as the medium of
communication among the people of different languages from all of the countries in the
world. The people use English as their additional language beside their second and first
languages. They have agreed that English is their lingua franca.
Nowadays, English has become global, worldwide and across all social classes
in most countries and societies. It is stated by House (2003) that now English is not only
owned and used by native speakers but also used by non native speakers in international
contacts. From his statement, we can conclude that English is now dominant or official
language in most countries in the world. Furthermore, Crystal (2003) estimates that in
2000 there were approximately 1,500 million speakers of English worldwide, consisting
of around 329 million native speakers, 430 million speakers as second language and
about 750 million speakers of English as a foreign language. Because of this reasons, it
can be concluded that English is a vital means of communication for millions people
around the world. As it is stated that English is chosen as the means of communication
among people from different first language backgrounds, across linguacultural
boundaries, the preferred term is ‘English as a lingua franca’ (Seidlhofer 2001).
In the context of English as lingua franca, it is realized that English very
important for Indonesia. As a lingua franca, English has an effect to Indonesian people.
It is potentially a lot of people in Indonesia know and capable to communicate in
English. The current status of English in Indonesia is as an international or global
language. Huda (2000) stated that It is commonly used in a range of fields such as
Journal of English in Academic and Professional Communication
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59
politics, diplomacy, international trade and industry, commerce, science and
technology, education, media, information technology, and popular culture. Related to
this Crystal (2003) stated that English is regarded important because it has the role in
the areas of economics and business, international relations, the media, education,
communication and international travel. He explained that (1) in the area of economics
and business, organizations have to use English if they want to enter international
market, (2) in the area of international relations, English is one of the official languages
used by diplomats beside they learn the language of a country. (3) in the area of media,
English dominates cinema especially film from western countries like box office from
America released in English, (4) in the area of education, a large proportion of the
scientific papers in all subjects are published in English and it is taught as a foreign
language for students or as a requirement for employment, (5) in the area of
communications, it is used as a means of international communication with the people
from other countries, and (5) in the area of international travel and safety, English is
used for navigation at sea and for air traffic control.
The History of English Language in Indonesia
English in Indonesia is generally used as a foreign language. Foreign language is a
language that is not used as a communication tool by Indonesian people in their daily
life. On the other hand, like in Singapore, English is used as a second language. It is
used in communication and conversation in the country.
As a foreign subject, in Indonesia, English is usually taught as a subject in the
school with the goal of mastering the four English skills like listening, reading, writing,
and speaking as well as the English components like structure, vocabulary and
pronunciation.
In Indonesia, the policy of teaching English as a foreign language change over time and
change of policies that most influence economic and political sectors.
About the history of English in Indonesia, Lauder (2008) explained that English
has been already taught during the Dutch colonial period but only few Indonesians
received any education, even at primary level. This policy caused the colonized people
in the dark situation of knowledge that it is contradictive and different with the British
colonialism in their territories. The few secondary schools that existed in Indonesia
were attended only by Dutch children and the children of a select few local officials and
well-connected people. Although English was taught as a foreign language in these
schools, very few indigenous children attended them. English was first taught to
Indonesians in junior high school in 1914. While in senior high school was set up in
1918. Then, the privileged class of Indonesians received Dutch and English but English
was never taught to be used as a medium of communication.
Furthermore Lauder (2008) explained that during the second world war, the
Japanese banned the teaching of English in Indonesia. When the Dutch returned to
Indonesia after the Japanese defeat, they tried to continue the teaching of English with
the curriculum that they had used before the war. Then, after Indonesia proclaimed the
Independence from the Dutch, it was decided that English, rather than Dutch, would be
the first foreign language of the country, because Dutch was the language of the
colonialists and it did not have the international status that English did.
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The Role of English in Indonesia
English language has become a global language since a long time ago. Indonesian
people agree that English is regarded as a global language because of some
considerations. First, English has been used since the colonial era in many countries
because at that time The British Empire had so many colonized countries. Second,
English language has been the medium in the scientific world because most of the
influencing scientists are from the English speaking countries. Third, English is
considered as a quite simple language. Based on the reasons, international world then
proclaimed English as the global language, even though there have been the other
global languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and so on.
As a global language, it is obvious that English plays an important role in the
international interaction. International interactions include economic relationship among
countries, international business relationship, global trading and others. In this kind of
international interaction, English mainly has a function as a global lingua franca. Lingua
franca is a language that is used to communicate among different people from different
countries (Sneddon, 2008).
Finally, English language is very important in the current era, that is why most
people in Indonesia are urged to know and master English as a foreign language.
English has been prerequisite in the job-fields. Moreover, people are considered
qualified if they are able to master and speak English. In addition, it has also been a
medium in education field.
The use of English in Indonesia covers a number of important purposes
(Dardjowidjojo, 2003):
1. as a means of international communication in practically all fields or aspects of
life;
2. as a media to access scientific knowledge and new technologies;
3. as a source of vocabulary for the development and modernization of Indonesian;
4. as a way to know the native speakers of English, their language, culture and
literature.
From the statement above, it can be concluded that in the globalization era,
English has several functions. The first function is for the establishment of close
relations with other nations because English can be used as a means of global
communication in all aspects of life. Second, English can be used as a tool in learning
and mastering science and technology.
The Implications of English Development in Indonesia
As a lingua franca, English has some implications for Indonesian people in their daily
life. The implications are as follows;
1. English in the Educational System
Since long ago, Indonesian people learnt English as the first foreign language.
As a foreign language, English has studied in all the different educational levels in
Indonesia. As it is stated by Lie (2007) that English is officially taught throughout the
secondary schools (three years in junior high school and three years in senior high
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61
school). And, now there has been a growing tendency in many big countries to teach
English starting from the lower levels of primary schools and even from kindergarten.
She explained that even though English has been taught throughout secondary schools
and at the university level, the competence of English among the secondary schools and
university graduates is generally low. Only students coming from middle and upper
socio-economic classes have the easy access to enhance their English proficiency
beyond that of their peer level through private courses, computer-aided language
instruction, internet, and other facilities. This condition has an implication that English
has never been widely used as a lingua franca for the majority of population in
Indonesia.
2. English in Indonesian Linguistic Landscapes
Using English in a society can be indicated from the language used in the public
contexts of some areas such as cities and towns, and within them, streets, squares, etc.
English is commonly used in those public areas. As it is stated by Laundry and Bourhis
(in Barni and Bagna 2009) that “the presence of languages in a given territory can be
described by observing their traces within the social communication space”. In
Indonesia, the presence of English is noticeable in the streets, as you look at shop signs.
It is very common to see the name of a public facilities in English, with a mixture of
English and Indonesia. The impact of English on Indonesia shop signs especially in big
cities or in a tourism areas can be indicated. The fact also provides evidence that
English is commonly associated with values such as modernity and fashion. In addition,
it is the language more frequently employed in the settings of telecommunications and
new technologies.
It is also important to highlight the role of tourism in Indonesia. Tourism can
give an influence not only for the Indonesian culture, but also for the Indonesian
language. These tourists commonly use English to communicate with Indonesian people
in order to create an understanding to each other.
Then, Goddard (1998) gave a comment that English is also commonly used in
advertising, as it is perceived as a very fashionable language. Sometimes, English is
chosen as a foreign language for advertising products in Indonesia because it is not only
appeals to customers as a fashionable language, but it also makes prospective customers
feel good when they are able to understand these words in English.
3. English in the Media
Television
Most of Indonesian televisions channels has special programs presented in English like
news program and movies. Beside that, Indonesian people can enjoy a lot of foreign
television channels broadcast by using different foreign languages, but mostly in
English. It is easy for Indonesian people to access English speaking channels than other
languages. It is a further consequence of the processes of globalisation era. This
situation allows Indonesian people to be familiar with the English language.
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Internet
Nowadays, in Indonesia, the internet is popular to be used in communication. It is a
very useful tool in the globalization era. By using internet, the people can contact other
people anywhere and anytime. English is regarded as the most frequently used language
on the internet (Graddol ,2006). Once more, English is used as a lingua franca, as it
serves the purposes of communication of people whose native languages are different.
Moreover, English is the most chosen language for the largest Indonesian companies in
Indonesia when they want to advertise their products on-line. Then, English is also most
foreign language used for academic journals published on-line, since the international
academic world is dominated by English.
Radio
English is often presented in radio stations especially in some big cities in Indonesia.
The radio stations usually present current and classic music in English. In addition,
there are a number of radio stations in Indonesia that broadcast programmes in English
such as talk shows and news program.
4. English in Interpersonal Communication
The globalization era affects the increasing development of communication
technologies that allow fast and easy contact among Indonesian people and the people
from other countries. In the communication, especially with the people from other
countries, Indonesian people usually use English because it serves the purpose of
communication. When doing this, English becomes a pluralised entity, with its different
accents, pronunciations, vocabulary and so on. In this case, English is playing the role
of lingua franca in Indonesia.
5. English in Academic Setting
Academic setting in Indonesia is gradually being dominated by English
language. All of the academic journals especially for the abstract is written in English.
Furthermore, Some of reputable journals in any field like medicine, computers,
engineering, telecommunications, and linguistics are published in English version.
Thus, the readers of the journals needs to have a mastery of English to read the articles.
Furthermore, if the researchers want to publish their findings at a global level, rather
than locally, it has to be done in English. Then, if they want to attend at international
conferences whether they are as speakers or participants have to know, understand and
master English because the conferences are presented in English.
5. English in the Workplace
All of the companies in Indonesia demand the candidates of their workers who
are skilful and have a good English proficiency. So the candidates of workers should
have a good skill and English proficiency if they want to become part of the company.
There is a tendency to require a proficient level of English from the candidates,
especially for positions addressed to highly qualified professionals. Many of the
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positions posted include a good level of English as a compulsory or, at least, desired
requirement. In some government institutions, there are some tests to get a position.
This test may be compulsory or optional depending on each position. Then, English is
necessary for many different professions such as waiters, taxi drivers, hotel
receptionists, travel agents, bank employees. All of them need to be able to
communicate with foreign speakers. In this case, English is used as the lingua franca in
communication.
Local Languages in Indonesia
Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world. Maruli (2010) said that
Indonesia currently has 13 000 islands stretching from Sabang to Merauke, with a
coastline of more than 80791 km and the territorial area of 7.89235 million sq km.
Indonesia also has rich culture and local wisdom in extraordinary number and diversity.
It is a regarded as a very large nation with a correspondingly large population and great
linguistic diversity. It comprises a population of approximately 220 million inhabitants.
There are many languages and dialects spoken in Indonesia. They normally belong to
different ethnic groups of the population. According to Marti (2005) there are 726
languages in the country making it the world’s second most diverse, after Papua New
Guinea which has 823 languages.
The Extinction of Local Languages in Indonesia
A lot of local languages in Indonesia face a serious risk of extinction. Local language
extinction occurs when the language has no more native speakers and there is no one
speaks the language at all. According to Sugiono, the Head of Improvement and Control
Language Body Language Ministry of National Education , as reported by Wardah
(2011), there are hundreds of local languages in Indonesia are threatened with extinction
because of the more rarely used. It is predicted that in late 21 century is only about 10
percent, or only about 75 of the 746 local languages that will survive. Furthermore
Jansen (2003) states that there are five stages in the process of language extinction. The
first stage is about the condition of the local language in which it is potentially
endangered because the local language is seldom spoken by the youths. In this stage,
they are attracted to use the dominant language or foreign language rather than the local
language. The second stage is about the condition in which the local language is
endangered because it is no longer spoken by children. The third stage is seriously
endangered for the local language because it is the condition in which the youngest
speakers of the local languages are 50 years old and above. The fourth stage is
terminally endangered for the local language because in this stage there are only a few
old speakers left who use the local language. The fifth stage is the death stage because
there are no speakers of the local language.
Language extinction may be caused by some factors. They are external factors
such as military, economic, religious, cultural, or educational subjugation and internal
factors such as a community’s negative attitude towards the local languages (Brenzinger
and De Graaf, 2006). Indonesian people regard that their local language has no high
prestige. They think that this condition will not give advantages for them in social and
economic position. Consequently, they do not use and retain their local languages. Thus,
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the local language speakers abandon their languages and in the hope of overcoming
discrimination, to secure a livelihood and enhance social mobility for themselves and
their children.
Here are some factors that cause the extinction of local languages in Indonesia.
They are as follows:
1. Migration (Transmigration or Urbanization)
Urbanization in Indonesia increased greatly following the country’s
development. As a result, Indonesia has been facing high urbanization rate driven by
rural-urban migration. Besides the government still has a policy related to internal
migration or transmigration. These two activities are one of factors that can cause the
extinction of local languages In Indonesia because the members of the urban
community who are born to a mixed marriage tend to speak the Indonesian language for
their daily conversation rather than their parent’s first language. Then, the people in
urbanization and transmigration areas tend to use Indonesian language or other
dominant languages such as Javanese language in communication with other people
especially when they communicate with the people from different ethnics. As it is stated
by Lauder (2008) that about 58 percent of the total of Indonesian People used the
Indonesian language for daily conversation. In addition Steinhauer (1994) stated that the
results of transmigration policy can be seen in data extracted from the 1990 national
census, which shows that Javanese was spoken by more than 10% of the population in
eight provinces outside the island of Java on Sumatera and Kalimantan. The condition
above cause the people in urban areas need to acquire proficiency in the dominant
languages such as Indonesian language and Javanese language. Consequently, the other
local languages are threatened to be extinct. The geographic mobility which is gained
by transmigration and urbanization creates opportunities for people from different
cultures and languages to come into contact with one to another. As a result, their local
language and culture are exchanged with wider culture and language or one culture or
language that is assimilated within a more dominant culture or language. This
phenomenon has an effect in accelerating local languages extinction.
2. The dominance of Indonesian Language
After the Republic of Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Bahasa
Indonesia has been the national language. This language has some functions such as a
language of administration and education and the language of the national media.
Because of this fact, Indonesian language becomes the dominant language in Indonesia.
Indonesian language is commonly used by Indonesian people in their daily life. Their
local languages are not in common use anymore. It will be the dangerous stage for their
local languages. Nowadays, the use of Indonesian language in almost all activities of
Indonesian people makes unbalanced of their local language. The pervasive use of
Bahasa Indonesia is gradually threatening the existence of local languages in the
country. As it is stated by Darwis (2011) that local languages have been threatened
because of the dominance of Indonesian language.
3. The Dominance of English
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In the globalization era in which there is a broadening, deepening and speeding
up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of life, English is no longer a very
unusual thing, but English has become the norm especially in the era of globalization.
Able to speak well and fluently English no longer be an added value, but it has become
demands or needs for every people in today's era of globalization. Many people say that
in the era of globalization, it is very important to master at least English or other foreign
languages. They say that without mastery of the English language, a country will not
advance. Because of this fact, English becomes a dominant language beside Indonesian
language. English is dominant in the Internet. It is reported that English covers about
half of all Web pages and its proportion of them are falling as other nations and
linguistic groups expand their presence on the Web. Paolillo (2005) points the
dominance of English in writing the Web, both commercial and regulatory, to the extent
that the latter exist. English is also dominant in electronic media. For the most part,
radio and television programs have been broadcast in just a handful of languages. In the
business world, English is used for business, correspondence, a meeting with strangers
who do not want to learn and cannot speak Indonesian. We know that the development
technology requires each individual to be able to understand English in order to control
technology most of which use English. According to Nettle and Romaine (2000),
English was the language of 70 percent of the world’s mail and 60 percent of radio and
television broadcasts. Based on the fact above, Indonesian people tend to learn, master
and use English rather than their local languages and it can be concluded that the
English as one of the dominant languages may threaten the local languages in
Indonesia.
Conclusion
English as a foreign language tends to be a lingua franca in Indonesia. Even it is not
used as a tool of communication in the daily life of Indonesian people but it is often
used in many sectors such as in economy, science, technology, politics, education etc.
Then, in education, it is taught as the foreign language subject starting from the colonial
period up to now. Moreover, in the globalization era, English is regarded as the global
language and it is used by the people from all of the countries around the world. As a
result, it plays an important role in the international interaction including economic
relationship among countries, international business relationship, global trading, and
others. Because of this reasons, Indonesian people regard that it is very important for
them to know and master English as a lingua franca.
The development and the use of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia has
some implications for the Indonesian people. The implications are including the use of
English in the Educational System, the use of English in Indonesian Linguistic
Landscapes, the use of English in Media such as television, internet and radio, the use
of English in Interpersonal Communication, the use of English in Academic Setting and
the use of English in the Workplace.
Beside giving positive impacts, the development of English as a lingua franca in
Indonesia, it also gives negative impacts to Indonesian people. One of the negative
impacts is the dominance of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia can cause the local
language extinction because the Indonesian people give a priority to be able to master
and speak English well. They think that English is more important than their local
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languages. Because of this fact, English becomes a dominant language beside
Indonesian language. Finally, it can be concluded that the English as one of the
dominant of language may threaten the local languages in Indonesia.
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the extinction of local languages
Agus Setia Budi, S.Pd., M.Pd.
Department of Language, Communication and Tourism, Politeknik Negeri Jember,
Indonesia
Abstract
The development of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia can give
positive and negative impacts to Indonesian people. Some positive impacts
of English as a lingua franca are including the use of English in the
Educational System, the use of English in Indonesian Linguistic
Landscapes, the use of English in Media such as television, internet and
radio, the use of English in Interpersonal Communication, the use of
English in Academic Setting and the use of English in the Workplace.
While, one of the negative impacts of this is the dominance of English as a
lingua franca in Indonesia can cause and accelerate the local languages
extinction in Indonesia.
Keywords: English, lingua franca, local language, extinction
Introduction
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) refers to the use of English as the medium of
communication among the people of different languages from all of the countries in the
world. The people use English as their additional language beside their second and first
languages. They have agreed that English is their lingua franca.
Nowadays, English has become global, worldwide and across all social classes
in most countries and societies. It is stated by House (2003) that now English is not only
owned and used by native speakers but also used by non native speakers in international
contacts. From his statement, we can conclude that English is now dominant or official
language in most countries in the world. Furthermore, Crystal (2003) estimates that in
2000 there were approximately 1,500 million speakers of English worldwide, consisting
of around 329 million native speakers, 430 million speakers as second language and
about 750 million speakers of English as a foreign language. Because of this reasons, it
can be concluded that English is a vital means of communication for millions people
around the world. As it is stated that English is chosen as the means of communication
among people from different first language backgrounds, across linguacultural
boundaries, the preferred term is ‘English as a lingua franca’ (Seidlhofer 2001).
In the context of English as lingua franca, it is realized that English very
important for Indonesia. As a lingua franca, English has an effect to Indonesian people.
It is potentially a lot of people in Indonesia know and capable to communicate in
English. The current status of English in Indonesia is as an international or global
language. Huda (2000) stated that It is commonly used in a range of fields such as
Journal of English in Academic and Professional Communication
JEAPCo, 1(1) 2014
59
politics, diplomacy, international trade and industry, commerce, science and
technology, education, media, information technology, and popular culture. Related to
this Crystal (2003) stated that English is regarded important because it has the role in
the areas of economics and business, international relations, the media, education,
communication and international travel. He explained that (1) in the area of economics
and business, organizations have to use English if they want to enter international
market, (2) in the area of international relations, English is one of the official languages
used by diplomats beside they learn the language of a country. (3) in the area of media,
English dominates cinema especially film from western countries like box office from
America released in English, (4) in the area of education, a large proportion of the
scientific papers in all subjects are published in English and it is taught as a foreign
language for students or as a requirement for employment, (5) in the area of
communications, it is used as a means of international communication with the people
from other countries, and (5) in the area of international travel and safety, English is
used for navigation at sea and for air traffic control.
The History of English Language in Indonesia
English in Indonesia is generally used as a foreign language. Foreign language is a
language that is not used as a communication tool by Indonesian people in their daily
life. On the other hand, like in Singapore, English is used as a second language. It is
used in communication and conversation in the country.
As a foreign subject, in Indonesia, English is usually taught as a subject in the
school with the goal of mastering the four English skills like listening, reading, writing,
and speaking as well as the English components like structure, vocabulary and
pronunciation.
In Indonesia, the policy of teaching English as a foreign language change over time and
change of policies that most influence economic and political sectors.
About the history of English in Indonesia, Lauder (2008) explained that English
has been already taught during the Dutch colonial period but only few Indonesians
received any education, even at primary level. This policy caused the colonized people
in the dark situation of knowledge that it is contradictive and different with the British
colonialism in their territories. The few secondary schools that existed in Indonesia
were attended only by Dutch children and the children of a select few local officials and
well-connected people. Although English was taught as a foreign language in these
schools, very few indigenous children attended them. English was first taught to
Indonesians in junior high school in 1914. While in senior high school was set up in
1918. Then, the privileged class of Indonesians received Dutch and English but English
was never taught to be used as a medium of communication.
Furthermore Lauder (2008) explained that during the second world war, the
Japanese banned the teaching of English in Indonesia. When the Dutch returned to
Indonesia after the Japanese defeat, they tried to continue the teaching of English with
the curriculum that they had used before the war. Then, after Indonesia proclaimed the
Independence from the Dutch, it was decided that English, rather than Dutch, would be
the first foreign language of the country, because Dutch was the language of the
colonialists and it did not have the international status that English did.
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The Role of English in Indonesia
English language has become a global language since a long time ago. Indonesian
people agree that English is regarded as a global language because of some
considerations. First, English has been used since the colonial era in many countries
because at that time The British Empire had so many colonized countries. Second,
English language has been the medium in the scientific world because most of the
influencing scientists are from the English speaking countries. Third, English is
considered as a quite simple language. Based on the reasons, international world then
proclaimed English as the global language, even though there have been the other
global languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and so on.
As a global language, it is obvious that English plays an important role in the
international interaction. International interactions include economic relationship among
countries, international business relationship, global trading and others. In this kind of
international interaction, English mainly has a function as a global lingua franca. Lingua
franca is a language that is used to communicate among different people from different
countries (Sneddon, 2008).
Finally, English language is very important in the current era, that is why most
people in Indonesia are urged to know and master English as a foreign language.
English has been prerequisite in the job-fields. Moreover, people are considered
qualified if they are able to master and speak English. In addition, it has also been a
medium in education field.
The use of English in Indonesia covers a number of important purposes
(Dardjowidjojo, 2003):
1. as a means of international communication in practically all fields or aspects of
life;
2. as a media to access scientific knowledge and new technologies;
3. as a source of vocabulary for the development and modernization of Indonesian;
4. as a way to know the native speakers of English, their language, culture and
literature.
From the statement above, it can be concluded that in the globalization era,
English has several functions. The first function is for the establishment of close
relations with other nations because English can be used as a means of global
communication in all aspects of life. Second, English can be used as a tool in learning
and mastering science and technology.
The Implications of English Development in Indonesia
As a lingua franca, English has some implications for Indonesian people in their daily
life. The implications are as follows;
1. English in the Educational System
Since long ago, Indonesian people learnt English as the first foreign language.
As a foreign language, English has studied in all the different educational levels in
Indonesia. As it is stated by Lie (2007) that English is officially taught throughout the
secondary schools (three years in junior high school and three years in senior high
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school). And, now there has been a growing tendency in many big countries to teach
English starting from the lower levels of primary schools and even from kindergarten.
She explained that even though English has been taught throughout secondary schools
and at the university level, the competence of English among the secondary schools and
university graduates is generally low. Only students coming from middle and upper
socio-economic classes have the easy access to enhance their English proficiency
beyond that of their peer level through private courses, computer-aided language
instruction, internet, and other facilities. This condition has an implication that English
has never been widely used as a lingua franca for the majority of population in
Indonesia.
2. English in Indonesian Linguistic Landscapes
Using English in a society can be indicated from the language used in the public
contexts of some areas such as cities and towns, and within them, streets, squares, etc.
English is commonly used in those public areas. As it is stated by Laundry and Bourhis
(in Barni and Bagna 2009) that “the presence of languages in a given territory can be
described by observing their traces within the social communication space”. In
Indonesia, the presence of English is noticeable in the streets, as you look at shop signs.
It is very common to see the name of a public facilities in English, with a mixture of
English and Indonesia. The impact of English on Indonesia shop signs especially in big
cities or in a tourism areas can be indicated. The fact also provides evidence that
English is commonly associated with values such as modernity and fashion. In addition,
it is the language more frequently employed in the settings of telecommunications and
new technologies.
It is also important to highlight the role of tourism in Indonesia. Tourism can
give an influence not only for the Indonesian culture, but also for the Indonesian
language. These tourists commonly use English to communicate with Indonesian people
in order to create an understanding to each other.
Then, Goddard (1998) gave a comment that English is also commonly used in
advertising, as it is perceived as a very fashionable language. Sometimes, English is
chosen as a foreign language for advertising products in Indonesia because it is not only
appeals to customers as a fashionable language, but it also makes prospective customers
feel good when they are able to understand these words in English.
3. English in the Media
Television
Most of Indonesian televisions channels has special programs presented in English like
news program and movies. Beside that, Indonesian people can enjoy a lot of foreign
television channels broadcast by using different foreign languages, but mostly in
English. It is easy for Indonesian people to access English speaking channels than other
languages. It is a further consequence of the processes of globalisation era. This
situation allows Indonesian people to be familiar with the English language.
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Internet
Nowadays, in Indonesia, the internet is popular to be used in communication. It is a
very useful tool in the globalization era. By using internet, the people can contact other
people anywhere and anytime. English is regarded as the most frequently used language
on the internet (Graddol ,2006). Once more, English is used as a lingua franca, as it
serves the purposes of communication of people whose native languages are different.
Moreover, English is the most chosen language for the largest Indonesian companies in
Indonesia when they want to advertise their products on-line. Then, English is also most
foreign language used for academic journals published on-line, since the international
academic world is dominated by English.
Radio
English is often presented in radio stations especially in some big cities in Indonesia.
The radio stations usually present current and classic music in English. In addition,
there are a number of radio stations in Indonesia that broadcast programmes in English
such as talk shows and news program.
4. English in Interpersonal Communication
The globalization era affects the increasing development of communication
technologies that allow fast and easy contact among Indonesian people and the people
from other countries. In the communication, especially with the people from other
countries, Indonesian people usually use English because it serves the purpose of
communication. When doing this, English becomes a pluralised entity, with its different
accents, pronunciations, vocabulary and so on. In this case, English is playing the role
of lingua franca in Indonesia.
5. English in Academic Setting
Academic setting in Indonesia is gradually being dominated by English
language. All of the academic journals especially for the abstract is written in English.
Furthermore, Some of reputable journals in any field like medicine, computers,
engineering, telecommunications, and linguistics are published in English version.
Thus, the readers of the journals needs to have a mastery of English to read the articles.
Furthermore, if the researchers want to publish their findings at a global level, rather
than locally, it has to be done in English. Then, if they want to attend at international
conferences whether they are as speakers or participants have to know, understand and
master English because the conferences are presented in English.
5. English in the Workplace
All of the companies in Indonesia demand the candidates of their workers who
are skilful and have a good English proficiency. So the candidates of workers should
have a good skill and English proficiency if they want to become part of the company.
There is a tendency to require a proficient level of English from the candidates,
especially for positions addressed to highly qualified professionals. Many of the
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positions posted include a good level of English as a compulsory or, at least, desired
requirement. In some government institutions, there are some tests to get a position.
This test may be compulsory or optional depending on each position. Then, English is
necessary for many different professions such as waiters, taxi drivers, hotel
receptionists, travel agents, bank employees. All of them need to be able to
communicate with foreign speakers. In this case, English is used as the lingua franca in
communication.
Local Languages in Indonesia
Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world. Maruli (2010) said that
Indonesia currently has 13 000 islands stretching from Sabang to Merauke, with a
coastline of more than 80791 km and the territorial area of 7.89235 million sq km.
Indonesia also has rich culture and local wisdom in extraordinary number and diversity.
It is a regarded as a very large nation with a correspondingly large population and great
linguistic diversity. It comprises a population of approximately 220 million inhabitants.
There are many languages and dialects spoken in Indonesia. They normally belong to
different ethnic groups of the population. According to Marti (2005) there are 726
languages in the country making it the world’s second most diverse, after Papua New
Guinea which has 823 languages.
The Extinction of Local Languages in Indonesia
A lot of local languages in Indonesia face a serious risk of extinction. Local language
extinction occurs when the language has no more native speakers and there is no one
speaks the language at all. According to Sugiono, the Head of Improvement and Control
Language Body Language Ministry of National Education , as reported by Wardah
(2011), there are hundreds of local languages in Indonesia are threatened with extinction
because of the more rarely used. It is predicted that in late 21 century is only about 10
percent, or only about 75 of the 746 local languages that will survive. Furthermore
Jansen (2003) states that there are five stages in the process of language extinction. The
first stage is about the condition of the local language in which it is potentially
endangered because the local language is seldom spoken by the youths. In this stage,
they are attracted to use the dominant language or foreign language rather than the local
language. The second stage is about the condition in which the local language is
endangered because it is no longer spoken by children. The third stage is seriously
endangered for the local language because it is the condition in which the youngest
speakers of the local languages are 50 years old and above. The fourth stage is
terminally endangered for the local language because in this stage there are only a few
old speakers left who use the local language. The fifth stage is the death stage because
there are no speakers of the local language.
Language extinction may be caused by some factors. They are external factors
such as military, economic, religious, cultural, or educational subjugation and internal
factors such as a community’s negative attitude towards the local languages (Brenzinger
and De Graaf, 2006). Indonesian people regard that their local language has no high
prestige. They think that this condition will not give advantages for them in social and
economic position. Consequently, they do not use and retain their local languages. Thus,
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the local language speakers abandon their languages and in the hope of overcoming
discrimination, to secure a livelihood and enhance social mobility for themselves and
their children.
Here are some factors that cause the extinction of local languages in Indonesia.
They are as follows:
1. Migration (Transmigration or Urbanization)
Urbanization in Indonesia increased greatly following the country’s
development. As a result, Indonesia has been facing high urbanization rate driven by
rural-urban migration. Besides the government still has a policy related to internal
migration or transmigration. These two activities are one of factors that can cause the
extinction of local languages In Indonesia because the members of the urban
community who are born to a mixed marriage tend to speak the Indonesian language for
their daily conversation rather than their parent’s first language. Then, the people in
urbanization and transmigration areas tend to use Indonesian language or other
dominant languages such as Javanese language in communication with other people
especially when they communicate with the people from different ethnics. As it is stated
by Lauder (2008) that about 58 percent of the total of Indonesian People used the
Indonesian language for daily conversation. In addition Steinhauer (1994) stated that the
results of transmigration policy can be seen in data extracted from the 1990 national
census, which shows that Javanese was spoken by more than 10% of the population in
eight provinces outside the island of Java on Sumatera and Kalimantan. The condition
above cause the people in urban areas need to acquire proficiency in the dominant
languages such as Indonesian language and Javanese language. Consequently, the other
local languages are threatened to be extinct. The geographic mobility which is gained
by transmigration and urbanization creates opportunities for people from different
cultures and languages to come into contact with one to another. As a result, their local
language and culture are exchanged with wider culture and language or one culture or
language that is assimilated within a more dominant culture or language. This
phenomenon has an effect in accelerating local languages extinction.
2. The dominance of Indonesian Language
After the Republic of Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Bahasa
Indonesia has been the national language. This language has some functions such as a
language of administration and education and the language of the national media.
Because of this fact, Indonesian language becomes the dominant language in Indonesia.
Indonesian language is commonly used by Indonesian people in their daily life. Their
local languages are not in common use anymore. It will be the dangerous stage for their
local languages. Nowadays, the use of Indonesian language in almost all activities of
Indonesian people makes unbalanced of their local language. The pervasive use of
Bahasa Indonesia is gradually threatening the existence of local languages in the
country. As it is stated by Darwis (2011) that local languages have been threatened
because of the dominance of Indonesian language.
3. The Dominance of English
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In the globalization era in which there is a broadening, deepening and speeding
up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of life, English is no longer a very
unusual thing, but English has become the norm especially in the era of globalization.
Able to speak well and fluently English no longer be an added value, but it has become
demands or needs for every people in today's era of globalization. Many people say that
in the era of globalization, it is very important to master at least English or other foreign
languages. They say that without mastery of the English language, a country will not
advance. Because of this fact, English becomes a dominant language beside Indonesian
language. English is dominant in the Internet. It is reported that English covers about
half of all Web pages and its proportion of them are falling as other nations and
linguistic groups expand their presence on the Web. Paolillo (2005) points the
dominance of English in writing the Web, both commercial and regulatory, to the extent
that the latter exist. English is also dominant in electronic media. For the most part,
radio and television programs have been broadcast in just a handful of languages. In the
business world, English is used for business, correspondence, a meeting with strangers
who do not want to learn and cannot speak Indonesian. We know that the development
technology requires each individual to be able to understand English in order to control
technology most of which use English. According to Nettle and Romaine (2000),
English was the language of 70 percent of the world’s mail and 60 percent of radio and
television broadcasts. Based on the fact above, Indonesian people tend to learn, master
and use English rather than their local languages and it can be concluded that the
English as one of the dominant languages may threaten the local languages in
Indonesia.
Conclusion
English as a foreign language tends to be a lingua franca in Indonesia. Even it is not
used as a tool of communication in the daily life of Indonesian people but it is often
used in many sectors such as in economy, science, technology, politics, education etc.
Then, in education, it is taught as the foreign language subject starting from the colonial
period up to now. Moreover, in the globalization era, English is regarded as the global
language and it is used by the people from all of the countries around the world. As a
result, it plays an important role in the international interaction including economic
relationship among countries, international business relationship, global trading, and
others. Because of this reasons, Indonesian people regard that it is very important for
them to know and master English as a lingua franca.
The development and the use of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia has
some implications for the Indonesian people. The implications are including the use of
English in the Educational System, the use of English in Indonesian Linguistic
Landscapes, the use of English in Media such as television, internet and radio, the use
of English in Interpersonal Communication, the use of English in Academic Setting and
the use of English in the Workplace.
Beside giving positive impacts, the development of English as a lingua franca in
Indonesia, it also gives negative impacts to Indonesian people. One of the negative
impacts is the dominance of English as a lingua franca in Indonesia can cause the local
language extinction because the Indonesian people give a priority to be able to master
and speak English well. They think that English is more important than their local
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languages. Because of this fact, English becomes a dominant language beside
Indonesian language. Finally, it can be concluded that the English as one of the
dominant of language may threaten the local languages in Indonesia.
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