Regional Languages Research Articles

The Use of Indigenous Language to Promote Public Policy in Indonesia

This article aims at establishing hypothesis-based suggestions in promoting government public policy toward Indonesian using indigenous language. This research was conducted descriptively to describe the phenomena found. The data were also obtained from libraries and related sources. The results of the study indicate that the rapid development of the Bahasa Indonesia does not necessarily eliminate the role of regional languages. This is because regional languages still have a vital function. The existence of regional languages makes it easy for the government to convey their policies, especially for people who still use regional languages. Therefore, it is important to always preserve regional languages.

Faktor Dominan Bahasa Indonesia dan Peranan Orang Tua dalam Perkembangan Bahasa Banjar Anak Usia 4 Tahun

This study aims to identify the dominant factor of the use of Indonesian rather than their own regional language and the role of parents in the language development of 4-year-old children. The increasing use of gadgets among all ages has had many influences on children, one of the 4-year-old children who has been studied, named Mufidah, tends to use Indonesian rather than Banjarese, this is a factor in the use of gadgets given by her parents. This study uses a qualitative approach, a research method that focuses on in-depth observation to understand a phenomenon or social symptom. The techniques used in data collection are by analyzing various sources, recording, and interviews. The results of the study show that although the use of Indonesian is more dominant than Banjarese, the role of parents must be active in minimizing the use of gadgets for children by limiting time and also supervising the selection of videos watched. With the active role of parents, it will certainly have a positive impact on children in the use of gadgets and vice versa if parents do not supervise their children when they use gadgets, it will have a negative impact on children.

COMPARISON OF PRE-TRAINED BERT-BASED TRANSFORMER MODELS FOR REGIONAL LANGUAGE TEXT SENTIMENT ANALYSIS IN INDONESIA

This study compared the performance of eight pre-trained BERT-based models for sentiment analysis across ten regional languages in Indonesia. The objective was to identify the most effective model for analyzing sentiment in low-resource Indonesian languages, given the increasing need for automated sentiment analysis tools. The study utilized the NusaX dataset and evaluated the performance of IndoBERT (IndoNLU), IndoBERT (IndoLEM), Multilingual BERT, and NusaBERT, each in both base and large variants. Model performance was assessed using the F1-score metric. The results indicated that models pre-trained on Indonesian data, specifically IndoBERT (IndoNLU) and NusaBERT, generally outperformed the multilingual BERT and IndoBERT (IndoLEM) models. IndoBERT-large (IndoNLU) achieved the highest overall F1-score of 0.9353. Performance varied across the different regional languages. Javanese, Minangkabau, and Banjar consistently showed high F1 scores, while Batak Toba proved more challenging for all models. Notably, NusaBERT-base underperformed compared to IndoBERT-base (IndoNLU) across all languages, despite being retrained on Indonesian regional languages. This research provides valuable insights into the suitability of different pre-trained BERT models for sentiment analysis in Indonesian regional languages.

The Translation of Names for Unclean Birds in Kambera (Eastern Sumbanese)

Numbering no more than 200,000 speakers, Kambera, the language of the eastern region of the island of Sumba, is one of the few minority languages of Indonesia that has been provided with a translation of the Old Testament. The special interest of this paper concerns the translation of animal names in Kambera and more particularly the names of the unclean birds named in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Through a detailed review of the Kambera names selected and with reference to the available ethno-ornithological literature, an interpretation is offered of the strategies apparently followed by the translators, largely with reference to the general approaches known as “dynamic” and “formal” equivalence. Consideration is further given to the apparent influence of translations in Indonesian, Dutch, and other European languages and to apparent lacunae in their knowledge of local avifauna and bird nomenclature.

Application Of Dramatic Elements In Theatre Performances In The 2023 Sunda Language Drama Festival

The research entitled Application Of Dramatic Elements In Theatre Performances In The 2023 Sunda Language Drama Festival uses qualitative research methods: observation, interviews, documentation, and data analysis. This research discusses how Sunda plays a role in building the dramatic elements of theater performances. The issue of the diminishing existence of regional languages is one of the factors in the formation of the Sunda Language Drama Festival. The Sunda Language Drama Festival does not focus on the application of Sunda dialectics but on the form of performance, so that Sunda only becomes a language in communication. these conditions are certainly not effective if the purpose of the Sunda Language Drama Festival is an effort to maintain Sunda. The phenomenon of shifting language use and forms of regional language preservation is an urgency to study at this time, one example is the Sunda Language Drama Festival. This paper aims to analyze the effect of Sunda dialogue on the dramatic structure of the performance.

Differential neural representations of syntactic and semantic information across languages in Chinese-English bilinguals

Bilingual individuals manage multiple languages that align in conceptual meaning but differ in forms and structures. While prior research has established foundational insights into the neural mechanisms in bilingual processing, the extent to which the first (L1) and second language (L2) systems overlap or diverge across different linguistic components remains unclear. This study probed the neural underpinnings of syntactic and semantic processing for L1 and L2 in Chinese-English bilinguals (N = 44) who performed sentence comprehension tasks and an N-back working memory task during functional MRI scanning. We observed that the increased activation for L2 processing was within the verbal working memory network, suggesting a greater cognitive demand for processing L2. Crucially, we looked for brain regions showing adaptation to the repetition of semantic information and syntactic structure, and found more robust adaptation effects in L1 in the middle and superior temporal cortical areas. The differential adaptation effects between L1 and L2 were more pronounced for the semantic condition. Multivariate pattern analysis further revealed distinct neural sensitivities to syntactic and semantic representations between L1 and L2 across frontotemporal language regions. Our findings suggest that while L1 and L2 engage similar neural systems, finer representation analyses uncover distinct neural patterns for both semantic and syntactic aspects in the two languages. This study advances our understanding of neural representations involved in different language components in bilingual individuals.

Satisfaction With Home Care Services and Its Related Factors for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: A National Community Survey

In order to live independently at home, persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) often require professional home care. The role of the care coordinator remains unclear, as it can be fulfilled by the general practitioner or an SCI specialist, as well as by informal caregivers. We aimed to quantify satisfaction with professional home care among persons with SCI living in Switzerland and the association between first contact for care and having an informal caregiver with satisfaction with home care. Measurements were obtained from the national community survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between first contact for care, having an informal caregiver, and satisfaction with home care, adjusted for sociodemographic factors, SCI characteristics, and functional level. Overall satisfaction with professional home care was high, with 84% of participants reporting being either very satisfied or satisfied. Neither first contact for care nor availability of an informal caregiver was statistically significantly associated with satisfaction. The results showed that women (odds ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.31-1.00) were statistically significantly less satisfied with home care than men. There was also variation by language region. These findings highlight the importance of providing personalized and culturally sensitive home care that takes into account the diverse preferences and expectations of persons with SCI, especially regarding gender and language region.

Relasi Gramatikal Subjek Dalam Bahasa Karo

This research aims to look at the grammatical relations of subjects in the Karo language (BK) with a focus on testing subjects using the rules of raising, reflecting and anchoring. Through qualitative descriptive research methods, data was obtained from informants who are native BK speakers. The results of the analysis show that in BK intransitive clauses, the grammatical subject is located in the function of the only argument that follows the verb without an affix, whereas in transitive clauses, the grammatical subject is located in the agent argument. This research provides a deeper understanding of the nature of the subject's behavior in linguistic contexts, especially in regional languages such as BK, which can be an important contribution in enriching linguistic knowledge.

A low-activity cortical network selectively encodes syntax.

Syntax, the abstract structure of language, is a hallmark of human cognition. Despite its importance, its neural underpinnings remain obscured by inherent limitations of non-invasive brain measures and a near total focus on comprehension paradigms. Here, we address these limitations with high-resolution neurosurgical recordings (electrocorticography) and a controlled sentence production experiment. We uncover three syntactic networks that are broadly distributed across traditional language regions, but with focal concentrations in middle and inferior frontal gyri. In contrast to previous findings from comprehension studies, these networks process syntax mostly to the exclusion of words and meaning, supporting a cognitive architecture with a distinct syntactic system. Most strikingly, our data reveal an unexpected property of syntax: it is encoded independent of neural activity levels. We propose that this "low-activity coding" scheme represents a novel mechanism for encoding information, reserved for higher-order cognition more broadly.

Sociolinguistics of regional languages: An analysis of Javanese and Madurese usage among elementary school children in Jember, Indonesia

This study analyses the patterns of Javanese and Madurese language use among primary school children in Jember, Indonesia, where the two ethnic cultures meet. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through observations, interviews and questionnaires on 50 primary school students, 6 teachers and 10 parents from three different schools. Results show a clear diglossia between Indonesian for education and the regional language (Javanese/Madurese) for informal interaction. Children code-switch between these languages flexibly depending on the social context. Families play an important role in the maintenance of regional languages, while schools and digital media such as YouTube tend to encourage the use of Indonesian. Although regional languages are still strong, national/global influences are increasingly driving the use of Indonesian, reflecting the tension between local identity and national/global demands that children face. This research provides insight into the sociolinguistic dynamics in a region with two dominant languages.

Cerebello-Cerebral Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Poststroke Aphasia.

Introduction: The influence of the cerebellum in poststroke aphasia recovery is poorly understood. Despite the right cerebellum being identified as a critical region involved in both language and cognitive functions, little is known about functional connections between the cerebellum and bilateral cortical hemispheres following stroke. This study investigated the relationship between chronic poststroke naming deficits and cerebello-cerebral resting-state functional connectivity (FC). Methods: Twenty-five cognitively normal participants and 42 participants with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants with aphasia also underwent language assessment. We conducted regions of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses to investigate the FC between the right cerebellar Crus I/II (seed ROI; Cereb1r/Cereb2r) and bilateral cortical language regions and compared these results to cognitively normal controls. Single-subject connectivity parameters were extracted and used as independent variables in a stepwise multiple linear regression model associating Boston Naming Test (BNT) score with FC measures. Results: FC analyses demonstrated correlations between the right cerebellar Crus I/II and both left and right cortical regions for both cognitively normal controls and stroke participants. Additionally, aphasia severity and lesion load had an effect on the cerebello-cerebral network connectivity in participants with aphasia. In a stepwise multiple linear regression, controlling for aphasia severity, time poststroke and lesion load, FC between the right Cereb2-left Cereb1 (standardized beta [std B]= -0.255, p < 0.004), right Cereb2-right anterior MTG (std B = 0.259, p < 0.004), and the right Cereb2-left anterior STG (std B = -0.208, p < 0.018) were significant predictors of BNT score. The overall model fit was R2 = 0.786 (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Functional connections between the right cerebellum and residual bilateral cerebral hemisphere regions may play a role in predicting naming ability in poststroke aphasia.

Processing demands modulate the activities and functional connectivity patterns of the posterior (VWFA-1) and anterior (VWFA-2) VWFA

Previous studies have shown that the visual word form area (VWFA) has structural and intrinsic functional connectivity with both language and attention networks. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how the functional connectivity pattern of the VWFA is regulated by processing demands induced by experimental tasks, and whether processing demands differentially regulate the posterior (VWFA-1) and anterior (VWFA-2) subregions of the VWFA. To address these questions, the present study adopted two tasks varying in processing demands (i.e., verbal and non-verbal tasks), and used generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) and dynamic causal modeling (DCM) analyses to explore the task-dependent functional connectivity patterns of the two subregions of the VWFA. Activation analysis revealed that the VWFA-2 showed higher activation for the verbal task than the non-verbal task, while there were no activation differences in the VWFA-1 after controlling for the stimulus driven effects. Functional and effective connectivity analyses revealed that, for both VWFA-1 and VWFA-2, the verbal task enhanced connections from VWFAs to the ventral language regions (e.g., the left orbital frontal cortex), while the non-verbal task enhanced connections from VWFAs to the dorsal visuospatial regions (e.g., the left intraparietal sulcus). Results of the present study indicate that processing demands induced by tasks modulate both the local activity and functional connectivity patterns of the VWFA, providing new insights for understanding its domain-general function.

Lateralization of memory function in temporal lobe epilepsy using scene memory fMRI.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers an alternative to the traditional Wada test for presurgical language and memory lateralization that carries almost no risk. However, fMRI lateralization of episodic memory remains challenging because the hippocampus, which is fundamental to episodic memory, is smaller, more prone to susceptibility artifact, and harder to functionally modulate than language regions. We previously showed that a complex scene memory task can lateralize memory function in the mesial temporal lobe. Using data acquired from N = 45 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy acquired with an improved stimulus paradigm and high-resolution fMRI, we now demonstrate that memory activation can be successfully lateralized within hippocampus proper. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Epilepsy surgery can improve seizure control in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) that cannot be controlled with medications also, but ablation or removal of temporal lobe brain tissue can also cause cognitive deficits. Functional MRI (fMRI) can noninvasively map brain activation and perform well in lateralizing and localizing language function, but localizing and lateralizing memory function is more challenging. Building upon prior work using complex scene encoding to map memory function, we demonstrate that the use of high-resolution fMRI along with an optimized task paradigm allows memory activation to be detected within the hippocampus. Because the hippocampus is both a common site of TLE and a key region underlying memory, this approach is expected to contribute to presurgical evaluation of TLE.

Literacy (development) in regional collateral languages of Europe – introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

ABSTRACT This introduction provides the theoretical context of the Special Issue on Literacy Development in Regional Collateral Languages of Europe and an overview of the papers in the collection. For this end, it first discusses contemporary perceptions of the terms ‘literacy’ and ‘literacies’. These go far beyond traditional understandings, even though expressing one's thoughts through writing texts and meaning-making through reading are still at the core of literacies. Then, readers are introduced to the concept and the ideological contexts of ‘regional collateral languages’: These are varieties which are, on the one hand, structurally and ideologically closely related, or ‘collateral’, to major languages, often the main languages of nation states. On the other hand, they are deeply rooted in their regions; the paper therefore argues that they deserve specific attention along the lines of other efforts to maintain and develop autochthonous varieties. Finally, the introduction summarises the papers which focus on Scots in Scotland, Low German in Germany, Csángo in Romania, Silesian, Masurian, and Kashubian in Poland, Võro in Estonian, and Latgalian in Latvia, before identifying common denominators of the case studies and possible topics for future research.

The right to education in the mother tongue for Ukrainian refugees in Romania according to international and national law

Since the outbreak of the Russian invasion in February 2022, millions of Ukrainian citizens have sought refuge in Romania, with a significant number of people still remaining in the country as of the latest reports. Romanian government data indicate that by April 2024, approximately 154,617 Ukrainian refugees, including 50,000 school-aged children, were residing in the country. Before this crisis, Romania had established robust educational language rights for its Ukrainian minority of around 40,000 citizens. This study rigorously examines these pre-existing language rights within Romania’s legal framework, focusing on public education provisions. Central to the inquiry is whether the comprehensive language rights afforded to Romania’s Ukrainian minority could be extended to the Ukrainian-speaking refugees. The study begins with an introduction contextualizing the refugee crisis and outlining the existing legal framework for minority language rights in Romania. The legal analysis covers constitutional and sub-constitutional provisions, alongside with an examination of international agreements such as the bilateral treaty between Romania and Ukraine, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Special emphasis is placed on education provisions, including curriculum design, textbooks, language of instruction, and decision-making. By addressing these pivotal questions, this study contributes to the theoretical discourse around the personal scope of minority language rights in Europe and offers a nuanced insight into Romania’s legal framework on minority language education. It also seeks to elucidate how Romania’s legal commitments accommodate both established minority communities and newly arrived refugees with similar linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Further sociological research is needed to explore the implementation of Ukrainian-language education to the benefit of the Ukrainian refugees, which was beyond the scope of this study. Nevertheless, Romania possesses all the necessary legal elements to serve as a truly best practice model in Europe for organizing and ensuring good quality education in the mother tongue for Ukrainian refugees.

Commentary on: MNREAD acuity charts in regional languages.

Commentary on: MNREAD acuity charts in regional languages.

The Limola Language and Its Syntax: Unveiling the Functions, Structure, and Categories

Investigating the linguistic system of a regional language offers significant advantages from both the linguistic and cultural conservation perspectives. By examining a language's linguistic system, researchers can identify specific patterns employing subjects, verbs, objects, and other sentence elements while also documenting and preserving the language. Analyzing the syntax of the Limola language can provide new insights into general syntactic theory. The purpose of this study was to describe the syntactic functions, categories, and roles of Limola using a syntactic typology approach, clearly illustrating its syntactic functions, categories, and roles. The data for this study comprised phrases, clauses, and sentences in the Limola language, collected through instruments completed by sources and informants from two villages: Sassa and Makumpa. Data collection methods involved observation (survey), elicitation, and documentation. In drawing conclusions and discussions, triangulation presents the findings based on relevant theories. The results indicate that the syntactic categories in Limola are divided into five main categories: verbs, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and numerals, as well as two categories of function words, namely prepositions/conjunctions and pronouns. Each category plays a vital role in shaping Limola’s meaning and sentence structure.

A left-lateralized white matter tract associated with communication in domestic dogs

The ability to communicate with conspecifics is an adaptive behavior important for survival and reproduction, particularly in lineages that evolved enlarged brains and complex social behavior. In humans, language is supported by a robust, left-lateralized white matter fiber tract called the arcuate fasciculus, which links Broca's and Wernicke's areas, the core neocortical language regions located in the frontal and temporal lobes, respectively1. This tract is also present in chimpanzees, less substantial than in humans and either weakly leftwardly-asymmetric or not asymmetric2. Other mammalian lineages have evolved large brains, complex behavior and social communication in parallel with primates, notably including carnivores. In dogs (Canis familiaris), domestication has almost certainly involved additional selective pressures and environmental factors that have shaped the evolution and development of neural circuits for communication. We report that the dog brain possesses a large, left-lateralized white matter tract that links cortical centers for productive and receptive communication, and that this tract is positively associated with individual variation in receptive vocabulary size.

Interest of Youth of the Batak Karo Protestant Church (GBKP) Cikarang in Using Regional Language Communication

This study examines the interest of the youth of the Batak Karo Protestant Church (GBKP) Cikarang in the use of regional language communication. There is a phenomenon of the lack of interest of GBKP youth in using regional languages ??in communicating. Regional languages ??play an important role in describing cultural identity. Along with the shifting developments in the era of globalization, the interest in using regional languages ??will gradually be replaced by contemporary languages ??that change the way of communication between fellow GBKP Cikarang youth. The purpose of this study was to determine the interest of GBKP youth in using Karo language in the era of globalization. The research method used Qualitative research. The location of the research was at the GBKP Cikarang Church, West Java. Data collection techniques used interviews, observation, and documentation. This study used the Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory to determine the factors influencing the use of regional languages. The results of the study showed that: (1) the interest of GBKP youth in using Karo language in Cikarang experienced a real decline, this finding also revealed that interest was not completely lost, because GBKP youth were more pressured by an irregular or changing environment. (2) factors that influence the use of Karo language in communicating the role of family, environment and the era of globalization and the demands of the times. The use of Karo language among GBKP youth in Cikarang, West Java, has experienced a significant decline. Although there are variations in the understanding and use of Karo language depending on family background, place of residence and social interaction, in general the interest of GBKP youth in using their mother tongue has declined.

A Brief Review: C. Rotundus of Phytochemical and Pharmacological Study

This article's goal is to investigate and confirm the therapeutic benefits and safety margins of traditional medicines use by the tribal community to treat a range of illnesses as detailed in our nation's ancient literature. For thousands of years, herbs have significantly improved the quality of human life. The old and most popular of medicine in the world today is herbal medicine. Flavors, cosmetics, colors, and medications. Natural-source drugs are pharmacologically effective and have little side effects, making them ideal for preventative medicine. Cyprus rotundus L. Is also known as moth or in regional languages. It is available across the country. Natural-source drugs are pharmacologically effective and have little side effects, making them ideal for preventative medicine. Cyprus rotundus L. Is also known as moth or in regional languages. It is available across the country.