IO, Surabaya – Starting from a concern that a number of local languages in Indonesia are liable to go extinct, three students from the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Department of Informatics Engineering created the AkuNusa application, with the intent of inviting the public to help preserve local languages across Indonesia.
Currently, there are 709 recorded local languages In Indonesia. However, 139 of these are at risk of dying out, despite these languages being part of a cultural richness which should be preserved. “Proliferating globalization among Indonesia’s younger generation has started to fade local languages out of everyday life,” said Ivander William, who together with Cornelia Natasha and John Harison created the simple application which focuses on several local languages. For every language, there is learning material and tests to help master the structure.
Ivander added that the learning material was very relevant to the tests. “There are three learning levels: if the user is able to receive a score of at least 60, they can advance to the next level,” said the Medan born student.
The AkuNusa application also shows information surrounding local specialty cuisine and tourist destinations as a way to attract users. “The current younger generation likes more practical things that are to the point. This application makes it easier for them to learn a new language, together with acquiring the culture of a novel region,” said the third-year student.
Ivander hopes that the application can increase Indonesians interest in learning local languages. “It is also hoped that Indonesians can be more aware of Indonesian culture’, as that is their identity.”
The team plans on continuing to add to the application. “For instance, with the addition of audio, as every region has a different dialect,” added John. Other than that, the team hopes it can receive patent rights for the educational application.
Previously, the team won second place in the Multimedia and Game Event 4 (*MAGE 4) in the Application event in ITS for their app, mid-November. (ITS Public Relations)