Many Tourists Staying in Bali Can Speak Balinese, While Young Balinese Cannot: Is Balinese Endangered?
Denpasar-kabarbalihits
Balinese is a member of Malayo-Polynesian language group. This language is spoken by 3.3 million people of Balinese living in Bali and Nusa Penida. It is also spoken by Balinese people living outside Bali like those living in Western Lombok, Eastern Java, and other Balinese people living in other islands in Indonesia. Balinese has different registers depending on the relationship and status of those speaking: low (basa ketah), middle (basa madia), and high (basa singgih).
It is surprising and amazing that nowadays many tourists who have been staying in Bali for more than one year can speak Balinese fluently. We can see that in YouTube channel they even made a competition of speaking Balinese. However, many of young Balinese, mostly kids and school students staying in urban areas cannot really speak their own language. This phenomenon makes us worried about the existence of Balinese language. It is worried that the speakers of Balinese language decrease.
In 2011, the Bali Cultural Agency estimated that only I million people still used the Balinese language in their daily lives. In urban areas their parents only introduce the Indonesian language or even English as a foreign language. Most Balinese people use the Balinese language only as a means of oral communication, and often mixing it with Indonesian in their daily speech. The written form of the Balinese language is increasingly unfamiliar.
Although the Minister of Education through the Bureau of Communication and Community Services (2017) has mapped that Balinese language is not endangered, there is an indication that the number of speakers of Balinese language is decreasing. To anticipate this condition, in 2018 The Bali Government has made various efforts to preserve the Balinese language by appearing The Governor of Bali Regulation Number 80 of 2018 Concerning the Conservation and Use of Balinese Language, Script and Literature, as well as the Implementation of Balinese Language Moth. This is inline with the 1945 Constitution, Chapter XV, Article 36 stating that regional languages that are still used as a means of communication by the local people must be fostered and maintained by the state because regional languages are parts of Indonesian culture. The effort of preserving the Balinese language was also done by The Denpasar City Government by requiring all employees within the Denpasar City Government to speak Balinese language and wear Balinese traditional clothes every Wednesday, Purnama (full moon) and Tilem (dark moon) day (Beritabali.com, 2016).
Is Balinese endangered? No, it is not. In fact, although in urban areas people speak less Balinese in their daily activities, in every village in Bali, people always use Balinese language when they have a meeting. They also use Balinese in their traditional ceremonies, like temple ceremonies, married ceremonies, Ngaben ceremonies and other ceremonies including traditional ceremonies in small families. At schools, from elementary up to senior high schools, Balinese language is offered as subject of local content. Besides, in the transmigration areas outside Bali Island, the Balinese language is extensively used and believed to play an important role in the survival of the language. Indeed, Balinese language is important to preserve since it is part of our beloved culture and it contains local genius. Through maintaining Balinese language Balinese people can gain the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, the harmonious relationship of person with God, surrounding and other people. This harmonious concept of life style is believed it can bring prosperity.(r)
