Mother Tongue Seen as Key to Shaping Children’s Character and National Identity

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The use of regional language is considered to play an important role in shaping children’s character, emotions, and cultural identity from an early age. The issue was highlighted during the 2026 National Mother Tongue Festival (FTBIN) in Jakarta on Monday, May 25, 2026, organized by the Language Development and Fostering Agency under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Deputy Chair II of Committee III of DPD RI, Jelita Donal, said that mother tongues are the first languages that shape a child’s psychology and emotions. According to him, the disappearance of regional language use within families could cause younger generations to lose their connection to their cultural roots.

“One of the urgencies of mother tongues is that they are the first languages to touch a child’s psychology. They are the first languages that build emotional bonds and nurture artistic expression,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vice Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Atip Latipulhayat, stressed that the preservation of regional languages should not stop at annual ceremonies or become merely historical symbols. He warned that the disappearance of regional languages would also mean the loss of Indonesia’s national identity.

“When the existence of regional languages disappears, in reality, the existence of our nation also disappears,” he said in his remarks at the event.

According to him, the use of regional languages must be strengthened through teaching and learning activities in schools, rather than being limited to school subjects or cultural documentation. He said regional languages need to be used as mediums of instruction from primary education onward in order to remain alive among younger generations.

“If regional languages are only preserved in books or literary works, but are not used as languages of instruction in our educational institutions, then over time those languages will exist only as memories,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to support the preservation of regional languages. According to him, the development of large language models (LLMs) for regional languages needs to be strengthened so that Indonesia’s local languages remain present in the evolution of digital technology.

“I received information that since 2022, efforts have been underway to use large language models in artificial intelligence technology. By incorporating regional languages from across Indonesia into LLM models, AI users will later receive outputs related to those regional languages,” he said.

The vice minister viewed the strengthening of regional languages through education and technology as an important step in maintaining Indonesia’s diversity. He expressed hope that the National Mother Tongue Festival would continue raising public awareness that regional languages are not merely cultural heritage, but also foundations of national identity.