Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

Kampung Cibago is located on top of Mount Canggahand is difficult to access, as well as being far away frompublic education facilities. Sundanese is the languageof everyday communication. Among the native Cibagopeople, only two have attended schooling aboveGrade 6 of elementary school. The KFBI programme inKampung Cibago was begun in June of 2004.Bilingualism in IndonesiaResearch on literacy levels indicate that fluency inreading, writing and arithmetic in the first language(L1) or mother tongue of the learner provides a strongfoundation to bridge into learning a second language(L2). In Indonesia, this second language would bethe national language, Indonesian. Being fluentlybilingual in both Indonesian and one’s local languageencourages lifelong learning and enhances thelearner’s own language and cultural heritage whilestrengthening nationhood. Dr. Jim Cummins 2 writesthat:“When children are learning through aminority language (e.g. their home language),they are not only learning this language ina narrow sense. They are learning conceptsand intellectual skills that are equally relevantto their ability to function in the majoritylanguage.“ (See also Sudjarwo, 2006: hal 7)An observer watches as learners andfacilitators design together media foruse in the KFBI programme© BP-PLSPDr. Sudjarwo, Director of Community Education,Directorate General of Non-formal Education, Ministryof National Education, writes in his book KeaksaraanMelalui Bahasa Ibu 3 (Literacy Through the MotherTongue) about the importance of using the mothertongue to improve literacy rates, especially in remoteareas where people are not yet literate and do notfully compehend the national language. Cibago learners study topics of interestin Sundanese, their mother tongue© BP-PLSP2 Cummin, Jim. 2000. “Bilingual Children’s Mother Tongue: Why is it important for education?” found at:www.iteachilearn.com/cummins3 Keaksaraan Melalui Bahasa Ibu. 2006. Dr. Sudjarwo and Dr. Hurip Danu Ismadi, editors. Department of NationalEducation, Jakarta.[ 111 ]