While this reflects the country’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity, it also raises concerns about the gradual decline of academic literacy skills among university students.

Indonesian, as the national language, plays a crucial role in higher education. It serves as the primary medium for clear communication, comprehension of academic materials, and the effective expression of ideas in both spoken and written forms.

Without adequate proficiency in formal Indonesian, students may struggle with critical reading, academic writing, and active participation in scholarly discussions.

The Importance of Indonesian

The importance of Indonesian is closely linked to the development of student literacy. According to the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Indonesia recorded an average reading score of 359, which remains below the OECD average.

This data highlights that many Indonesian students still face challenges in understanding, analyzing, and interpreting written texts.

Strong language competence is therefore essential in supporting overall literacy development.

This issue is also evident in the academic environment of Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng.

Cultural Identity

In everyday interactions, many students tend to use the Manggarai language more frequently than Indonesian.

As a result, Indonesian is often limited to formal classroom settings. While the use of local languages is an important part of cultural identity, limited exposure to Indonesian in academic contexts may affect students’ ability to write formal assignments, comprehend scholarly texts, and apply standard Indonesian correctly.

To address this challenge, universities need to strengthen the consistent use of Indonesian in academic environments.

Lecturers can integrate academic writing tasks across various courses to encourage regular practice of formal language use.

In addition, campuses should provide supporting facilities such as language consultation services, updated library resources, and clear academic writing guidelines.

Indonesia’s Cultural Identity

Furthermore, lecturers and academic staff are expected to serve as role models by consistently using proper Indonesian in teaching, presentations, and official communication. Universities can also enhance students’ engagement through writing competitions, discussion forums, and language clubs designed to improve communication skills in a more interactive and practical way.

While preserving local languages remains essential as part of Indonesia’s cultural identity, strengthening the use of Indonesian in academic spaces is equally important.

A nation with strong literacy begins with students who are able to think critically, write effectively, and communicate clearly through their national language.

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