MAINTAINING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THE PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE

Abstract

Overseas Chinese, as the third biggest tribe in Indonesia, and one of the big minority groups in other South East Asia countries, speak in various dialects in their daily life. Those dialects are their indigenous languages, based on their ancestors’. Most of them speak in Fukien (Hokkian) or Hakka dialects. Some of them even can speak in the both dialects. They prefer speak in those dialects to speak in Mandarin. The Chinese cultural value and philosophy which are taught by the parents and learned by the children continuously in the family take part in maintaining the indigenous language. Overseas Chinese are still using the language among their family and peer group who have the same cultural backgrounds. This paper will discuss in detail how and what efforts have been done by Overseas Chinese ‘Fukien’ and ‘Hakka’ society in Medan, in order to maintain their dialects, which strongly related and influenced by the Chinese philosophy and culture.