1.0 INTRODUCTION;
Robins(2020) mentioned in his study that language is a system of conventional spoken, manual(signed) or written symbols by means which human beings as members of social group and participants in its culture to express themselves. Language plays an important role n communication, expression of identity and channelling emotions. In this world, language is an important medium for humans to communicate with each other. According to the recent graph by Ethnologue. there are 7,117 languages spoken today and there are more than 5.000 endangered languages in the world. Unfortunately, the numbers are not fixed as some of the languages is facing the risk of extinction. In Malaysia, there are a lot of native and indigenous languages that are facing the same situation. All of them are threatened, losing speakers and about to extinct. One of them is KADAZANDUSUN.
Subsequently, the status of a certain language is determined by EGIDS. As indicated by Ethnologue (2015), EGIDS is a multi-dimensional scale that focuses on different aspects of vitality at different levels. At EGIDS levels 6a(Vigorous), 6b(Threatened), 7(Shifting), 8a(Moribund), and 8b(Nearly extinct) the primary factor in focus is the state of daily face-to-face use and intergenerational transmission of the language. Each successively weaker level on the scale represents the loss of using certain language across the world.
2.0 KADAZANDUSUN STATUS IN SABAH;
To start off, Ethnologue(2010) mentioned that there were 264,000 speakers of Kadazandusun and its ethnic population is 556,000. There are 138 languages used in Sabah; where 54 of them are indigenous to Sabah as mentioned by Grimes(1996). Thirteen of the languages are classified under the Dusun language family. Speakes of Kadazandusun is found along the west coast of Sabah and also extending some distance inland. Kadazandusun is the term assigned to the unification of the two largest indigenous tribes in Sabah; Kadazan and Dusun which compromises about 1/3 of the population in Sabah. Although from a different tribe, Kadazan and Dusun share the same language but with slightly different dialects, syllables and pronunciation.
Lasimbang & Kinajil(2000) stipulated that Kadazandusun language is the dominant language in Sabah. However, with the formation of the Malaysia Federation which compromised the Malay Peninsula(Malaya), Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Brunei, the Malay language was declared the official language that serves to unite the multiracial communities. This transition period eventually caused the eventful phenomenon of language shift that threatens the Kadazandusun language in Sabah by giving it the status of a mother tongue and non-dominant language at the national level. Following the unification. a standard Kadazandusun language; Bunduliwan dialect, was formulated and incorporated into the national curriculum in 1989 and endorsed by the federal constitution.
2.1 LANGUAGE LOSS FACTOR
The language of Kadazandusun is in danger of being lost as the number of speakers decreases due to the displacement of more prominent languages from Kadazandusun to Malay or English. To explain, Kadazandusun parents no longer speak this language with their children but they choose to speak in Bahasa Melayu, English, or Chinese. As a result, our language might be lost in the next 20 to 30 years, as most young people do not speak it anymore. According to Borneo Today(2018), Kadazandusun language is abandoned by its own people for the purpose of self-development and survival. Malay and English are used as a lingua franca between different races in Malaysia to reaches better understanding and communication.
2.2.1 USAGE OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGE SHIFT
As stated by Herman(2006), this language is vanishing due to the usage of the national language among the Kadazandusun native. Even though Kadazandusun has thousands of speakers, this language is dying because the younger generation does not speak this language. More native speakers are shifting to the national language; Malay and other more prestigious languages such as English and Chinese. To add up, the other race does not speak nor understand this language. Hence in order to communicate better with the community, Kadazandusun parents start to use Malay and English more in their daily life. Unfortunately, this action results in the declining of Kadazandusun usage in their daily life. Kadazandusun natives ended up using other languages more frequently than their own mother tongue.
Even now in the churches, most of the mass and sermons are no longer in the Kadazandusun language - most of the priest prefers to use Malay and English. Kadazandusun used to be the church's bastion - the foreign foreigners' missionaries used to encourage Kadazandusun natives to use and speak their language. These missionaries were the first to create a dictionary for the Kadazandusun language. Now many local Kadazandusun born priest doesn't speak the language anymore.
2.2.2 MALAY & ENGLISH AS THE MAIN LANGUAGE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Malay and English are commonly used for educational and official purposes. Malaya is used in almost every subject of primary and secondary school in Malaysia. Even in private schools, English is used as a means of instruction in educational institutions. Though English is widely used as a means of education in universities and colleges. Lasimbang (2000) stipulated that Kadazan Dusun's parents used to speak Malay and English with their children because they believed that fluency in this language would allow their children to do well in school.
Kadazan Dusun's parents felt under pressure from the Malay language requirement in education, as well as the government's heavy emphasis on English. They admitted that they had to promote the use of Malay and English at home so that their children could get a head start on learning the "School Language." Kadazandusun natives believe that studying is necessary for their growth. It is also not helpful to teach their native language to young people. Generally speaking, parents are of the view that English is the language of academia and prestige. This pattern plays a part in Sabah's language shift.
2.2.3 ECONOMY OPPORTUNITY
Like other parents, Kadazandusun sends their children to language classes to learn other languages, such as Mandarin, French, German, and Japanese. The goal is to send their children overseas for education and simply to ensure a better future. Most of the Kadazandusun want to get on with their lives, and the strategy to improve their careers is to speak a more prestigious language. Many Kadazandusun parents choose to speak to their children in a different language, as it is considered to be a potential economically relevant language. Even after graduation, the most basic prerequisite for a work application and further study is the ability to speak Malaya and English fluently. To the parents, there is no expectation for Kadazandusun – they do not see their children gaining better opportunities economically from it. Besides that, the fact that the 5 private sectors, especially the tourism industry in Sabah, require employees to be fluent in English enhances the view that English is more important than their native language. Parents perceive that their children have mastered other languages like Mandarin and English there are better opportunities, careers, and jobs for their children.
2.2.4 FORMATION OF MALAYSIA; POLITIC ASPECT
The decision was taken by Sabah to form a federation with Sarawak, Tanah Melayu, and Singapore to form Malaysia, then the state of Sabah must uphold the Constitution of the Lingua Franca country—specifically in the National Language Policy (Article 152) in which Malaya or Bahasa Melayu has been the only national language of the country since independence to ensure integration. Acquiring a national language in a specific country or state is important for ensuring peace, prosperity, and harmony. As a result, Kadazandusun families in Sabah started using the Malay language in their day-to-day contact to assimilate both Malaysian culture and social and economic development.
It was in the early 1980s that the Indigenous Sabah community—specifically the Kadazandusun community. Lasimbang and Kinajil (2000) started to see signs of language loss in the Kadazandusun culture as early as the 1980s—and early indications of the language shift. When Sabah joined the Government of the Federation in 1963, Malaya was used as a language of instruction in schools and as an official language in government offices. It became the language of contact between the multi-ethnic groups of Sabah. At the same time, parents often encouraged their children to use Malay or English at home so that their children could learn the language in order to secure jobs in government offices. This language change has led to a decline in the use of Kadazandusun.
2.3 SOLUTION TO PRESERVE KADAZANDUSUN
2.3.1 HUMINODUN FILM BY JO LUPING
Jo Luping, Siung Films, produced a film named "Huminodun" in the Kadazandusun language. The tale of Huminodun is the story of the roots of Kaamatan; the annual festival of Kadazandusun. Huminodun tells us the tale of the first daughter of Kinoingan and Umunsumundu who sacrificed themselves to save the people of Kadazandusun from starvation. This film is a one-hour historical TV drama set in the period when the gods walked the land of Sabah.
Using the Kadazan language and showcasing the unique culture of the Kadazan Dusun people in the film, Jo brings the culture of Borneo to the screen in a unique and fascinating way as her attempt to draw attention to the need for the language to be spoken and to inspire young people to see their language in a positive light. Jo Luping, through her film and the tale of the sacrifice of Huminodun, hopes that the language can be perpetuated in the same way.
2.3.2 PRIVATE ASSOCIATION
A private association is formed to preserve the culture and language of Kadazandusun, the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA). They were actively interested in the preservation of the Kadazandusun language and culture to be taught in society. KDCA encourages the use of language through cultural initiatives and events such as the Kadazandusun Harvest Festival. KDCA also contributes to the preservation, standardization, and growth of the multi-dialectical Kadazandusun language.
Another private organization, the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), fights to conserve, establish and encourage activities that respect Kadazandusun's cultural values. The KLF is a non-governmental organization that organizes workshops and courses for Kadazandusun teachers and undertakes studies to help revive, conserve, and enrich the language. The KLF helps promote language by assisting the University of Malaysia, Sabah, in the preparation of Kadazandusun language classes which are offered as an elective subject. KLF also holds writers' workshops to inspire and provide Kadazandusun writers with literary development skills. At the same time, KLF also helps to generate works by local artists, as well as to maintain oral traditions such as Hummus (traditional Kadazandusun singing) and Mananong (traditional Kadazandusun storytelling).
2.3.3 INTRODUCTION OF KADAZANDUSUN LANGUAGE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL
The Government has introduced alternatives to language preservation by incorporating Kadazandusun language in high schools, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). In 1994, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Bernard G. Dompok, a prominent Kadazandusun chief, proposed to the Federal Government that Kadazandusun be taught in the schools of Sabah, and this was made possible by the Education Act of 1996, which states that "...indigenous languages shall be made available if they are reasonable and practical..."
That exact same year the Curriculum Development Center initiated the preparation and development of the Kadazandusun language syllabus for primary school by discussing with the State Department of Education, Kadazandusun teachers, non-governmental organizations such as KLF and KDCA, and Kadazandusun culture and language experts their ideas and opinions on the suitable Kadazandusun language syllabus. The syllabus is consistent with the specifications of the National Education Curriculum, which seeks to preserve and retain the heritage of Kadazandusun. The syllabus was then developed on a trial basis in 15 primary schools in 1997. From then on, the teaching and learning of the Kadazandusun language in schools continued to improve. In 1998, the Kadazandusun subject was given the status of an additional subject.
2.3.4 STANDARD BOOK OF KADAZANDUSUN LANGUAGE
In order to maintain this language, various supporting materials are developed by the Ministry of Education. For example, the Curriculum Development Center has created a Kadazandusun language reference book called "Puralan Boros Kadazandusun Id Sikul." This book is the first reference book on the Kadazandusun language system which includes syllables, definitions, quantifiers, and idioms. However, this reference book is intended not only for teachers and students but also for those interested in the dissemination of the Kadazandusun language. It is hoped that the book would be the starting point for the development of more Kadazandusun language systems by other interested parties.
Activity books for primary schools have been developed and distributed to schools by the Curriculum Development Centre, in order to help enhance students' skills in Kadazandusun. The Textbook Division of the Ministry of Education is responsible for the development of Kadazandusun language textbooks. With the support of Kadazandusun language experts and teachers, syllabic-based textbooks for primary and secondary schools have been developed and distributed. However other teachings and learning materials such as the "Off-Air" listening kit, the Kadazandusun children's storybooks, and the Kadazandusun image dictionary are developed by the Sabah Education Technology Division. Non-governmental organizations such as the KLF are funding the development of a Kadazandusun Language Dictionary and a CD-ROM Language Learning Kit for students in schools.
3.0 CONCLUSION
“Atagak O’ Boos, Atagak O’ Kointutunan”. The Kadazandusun phrase is translated as “If a language disappears, so will its identity.” It is important for us to keep the heritage of our ancestors as it is the symbol of our identity. It is okay to learn new languages since it is very important in order to survive in this modern era but while doing so we also should never forget our original identity. We are after all the descendants of our own unique ethnic. No language should be allowed to vanish because it is a great loss not only to the particular ethnic group but also to the human race in general. With it, all knowledge concerning the ethnic group will be lost forever. The native language speakers, for their part, must help to preserve the language because to lose their language is to lose their culture and identity. The disappearance of native and indigenous language in Malaysia is mainly because of the loss of cultural identity.
4.0 REFERENCES
B.F Grimes. (ed.) (1996) Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Texas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Borneo Today Reporters. (2018, February 3). Kadazandusun community in danger of losing mother tongue – Tangau.
Borneo Today
Ethnologue. (2015, October)Language Status
F.Richard, J.D. Jayes (2020, July 3). Atagak O' Boos, Atagak O' Kointutunan. Komuhakan Movement.
How Soo Ying, Chan Swee Heng, Ain Nadzimah Abdullah. (2015). Language Vitality of Malaysian Language and its Relation to Identity. Journal of Language Studies, 15(2);119-135.
M.C. Christinus, M.G. Albert, S.Ali. (20202, Jun 20). The Kadazandusun Language. Komuhakan Movement.
R. Lasimbang, T.Kinajil(2000). Changing the language ecology of Kadazandusun; the role of the Kadazandusun language foundation. Current issues in language planning, 1(3); 415-423.
R.Lasimbang, T.Kinajil.(2004) Bilding terminology in the Kadazandusun Language. Current issues in language planning, 5(2); 131-141
5.0 APPENDIX;
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