Balikpapan, 6 September 2023 — The KKLP Team of Cultivation and Language-Legal of the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province, namely Ali Kusno, Nur Bety, and Pandu Pratama Putra, conducted an Evaluation of the Implementation of Institutional Cultivation in Prioritizing of State Language Year 2022-2024 in Balikpapan City on 4-6 September 2023. This is a second-year series of cultivation institution stages of the state language. Since 2022, it has provided the guidance for 50 institutions in East and North Kalimantan Province related to the improvement of language use at public space and institutional documents.
In 2023, it was conducted for 12 institutions in Balikpapan City, namely the Secretariat of Balikpapan City; the Agency of Education and Culture of Balikpapan City; the Agency of Cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprise (UMKM), and Industry of Balikpapan City; the Agency of Tourism, Youth, and Sports of Balikpapan City; the Agency of Communication and Information of Balikpapan City; SMAN 2 Balikpapan; SMAN 4 Balikpapan; SMKN 1 Balikpapan; SMPN 1 Balikpapan; SMP Patra Dharma 1 Balikpapan; Balikpapan Botanical Garden; and Swiss-Belinn Hotel Balikpapan. The evaluation was conducted by collecting data on how the language use at those public spaces and institution documents are improved.
The team concluded with several findings. First, some institutions have not improved the use of public space language for budgeting reason. The team suggested fixing the objects which do not require too much budget. In addition, it is suggested if the intitution wanted to fix it, they can consult the draft to the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province.
Second, in the institutional documents, the schools and government agencies in Balikpapan City still use unapropriate language rules. The language in in the use of correspondence application has not been adjusted to the prevailing Indonesian language rules.
Third, lack of language rule knowledge. To overcome this, the team suggested to the institution in order to carry out the improvement of Indonesian language competence for staff.
The institution welcomed the various suggestions and input provided. Each institution committed to improve it immediately. The team hoped that at the end of 2024 those 12 institutions prioritized the state language by using the language properly and correctly at their public spaces and institutional documents. Those institutions will become a role model for other institutions in Balikpapan City. (ak)
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma