The Importance of Preserving Regional Languages through School Curriculum Development

Abstract

The shift of regional languages is one of the serious threats to the sustainability of cultural heritage in the era of globalization. This phenomenon occurs due to the dominance of Indonesian and foreign languages in various aspects of life, such as education, mass media, and social interaction. This article aims to determine the importance of preserving regional languages through the development of school curriculum. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach with a literature study method. Data sources are obtained from various literature such as scientific journals, online articles, and previous research results that are relevant to the theme. Data collection techniques are carried out by reading and recording. The results of the study show that language shift not only weakens the function of regional languages as a means of communication, but also has the potential to eliminate the cultural identity of the community. Therefore, preservation efforts involving various parties are so that regional languages remain alive and develop along with the progress of the times through the development of school curricula. The presence of regional language learning materials is very important and has a strategic role in preserving regional culture and languages. Regional language subjects are given to students from elementary school, junior high school, to high school. This shows that educators have introduced material on regional languages from an early age. So, this certainly has a positive impact on preserving regional languages so that they do not become extinct.