Exploring Teenager’s Language Attitudes towards Javanese Language

Vol. 25 No. 1, April 2025, pp. 263 – 273 DOI: 10.24071/joll.v25i1.10539 Available at https://e-journal.usd.ac.id/index.php/JOLL/index This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Exploring Teenager’s Language Attitudes towards Javanese Language Anna Fitriati, Diksita Galuh Nirwinastu & Haniel Arbert Tantio English Letters Department, Universitas Sanata Dharma, INDONESIA Abstract Language attitudes significantly influence language vitality and revitalization, shaping users' language choices. In Indonesia, indigenous languages, including Javanese, are declining in use, particularly among younger generations who prefer Indonesian for daily communication. Family language policies, where parents prioritize Indonesian over indigenous languages, contribute to this trend. This study investigates teenagers’ language attitudes towards Javanese, aiming to inform strategies for preserving the language. Using a mixed-method sociolinguistic approach, the researchers collected data through surveys and interviews, examining factors like cultural identity, social dynamics, educational experiences, and media exposure. The study involves Junior High School students, with 127 survey responses and 42 respondents joining the interviews. The findings reveal that 44.1% of respondents learned Javanese as their mother tongue, while 55.1% acquired Indonesian. Proficiency in Javanese varies: 41.7% can fluently use Javanese Ngoko, but only 4.7% are fluent in Krama. Javanese Ngoko is mainly used within families and local communities, whereas Indonesian dominates in schools and public spaces, influenced by its perceived utility and globalization. Despite challenges, including limited learning resources and fear of misuse, respondents view Javanese positively, driven by cultural pride and ethnic identity. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to empower teenagers to preserve and revitalize Javanese. Addressing language attitudes and increasing exposure to Javanese could help reverse its decline. Article information Received: 29 November 2024 Revised: 17 February 2025 Accepted: 6 March 2025 Keywords: Javanese; language attitude; language policy; perceptions; teenagers Introduction A language will be in danger when its speakers stop using it, use the language in a severely limited number of communicative domains, and hesitantly pass it on from one 263 generation to the next (Languages, 2003). The statistical data published in Ethnologue shows that Javanese is spoken by more or less 1M to 1B speakers (Ethnologue, 2024). But there is a tendency for the number of speakers to get less and less. The use of Javanese is also decreasing Journal of Language and Literature ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online) Anna Fitriati et al. (Udasmoro, et al., 2023). This situation might put the Javanese language in danger. Unfortunately, the availability of Javanese learning materials is not as many as the one in Indonesian. There are some factors influencing this situation. Indonesia is considered an endoglossic nation that implements one language as its national and official language in any affairs (Ulfa, 2019). The government language policy that places Indonesian as the official language and main language of communication has put Indonesian as the most dominant language spoken by Indonesian society. The increased use of Indonesian influences the current trends and shifts in the use of Javanese by younger speakers because Indonesian takes over more domains of communication (Cohn & Ravindranath, 2014). The above condition stimulates the researcher to investigate the language attitudes of teenagers towards the Javanese language and to identify the factors that influence their attitudes. This study also aims to identify whether or not there is a correlation between teenagers’ language proficiency and their language attitudes towards Javanese. Analyzing language attitude is significant considering its important role in language learning, maintenance, planning, and policy. (Li & Wei, 2022). Why teenagers? The teenage years are a period of growth and development. Teenage development might be influenced by parental and cultural influences. Teenagers also go through hormonal and physical changes. These changes might also contribute to forming their personality and identity. The development of identity is a result of cultural, educational, and technological influences. It can be said that teenagers are in a critical period that shapes their personality and identity. In terms of language transfer, teenagers play a crucial role in the intergenerational transfer of language. Therefore, it is important to apprehend how teenagers view, value, and use their indigenous language to develop effective strategies that support linguistic continuity and cultural resilience. Globalization also popularizes the use of more foreign languages, especially among young generations. Globalization impacts local languages becoming threatened and affects youths’ perception of local languages because of the significant use of international or national language (Ramli, Setyawan, & Rampeng, 2019). Furthermore, Shakiyya and Martin-Anatias (2023) stated that multilingualism in Indonesia is at risk due to the dominance of English as an international language. Furthermore, the family language policy also contributes to the decline of Javanese language usage. Family language policy is a crucial factor that leads to child language outcomes. In multilingual families, the decisions about the linguistic upbringings of their children potentially influence the children and the family (Hollebeke, Struys, & Agirdag, 2020; King & Fogle, 2013). The parental language use and ideologies may influence the decision-making and strategies related the language choice. It can be observed that nowadays Javanese multilingual parents tend not to introduce Javanese as the main language in their family (Fitriati, 2023). They tend to choose Indonesian as the main language to facilitate communication among family members. The decrease of the Javanese language use is even worsened by the limited access to resources in Javanese. Nowadays, more digital resources in Javanese are available online. Many studies have focused on language attitudes. Nur studied the language attitudes of Betawi adolescents towards their mother tongue (Nur, 2021). He employed a descriptive quantitative design with a sociolinguistic approach. He found that Betawi adolescents showed a negative language attitude towards their mother tongue, which was mainly influenced by the existence of the Indonesian language. 264 Nur et.al investigated the language attitude of Betawi teenagers toward their mother tongue (Nur, Lukman, Kaharuddin, & Dafirah, 2021). The teenagers also showed a negative language attitude. This attitude is shaped by the language habits of the respondents outside the home environment. Journal of Langu (...truncated)