Revival of Lost Languages

The richness of local languages in Indonesia is rapidly declining. The Language Development and Preservation Agency of the Education and Culture Ministry noted in 2016 that 15 of Indonesias 617 vernaculars and dialects were no longer spoken. Another 139 regional and local languages are in danger of becoming extinct, as fewer people use them. This compelled the Indonesian Community to Preserve Mother Tongues (IMBI), based in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, to revive local languages. IMBI today conducts research and to popularize their efforts, it produces videos, comic books, short stories, and social media campaigns in the local languages. This effort involves hundreds of university students and social media enthusiasts. In Bengkulu, the Office of Regional Languages is actively cataloging the vocabularies of local languages. In other regions, governments are working closely with local communities to preserve their respective local languages. A report by Tempo English in observance of International Mother Language Day on February 21.