NEED ANALYSIS FOR DESIGNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATERIALS TO REVITALIZE BATAK ANGKOLA LANGUAGE: STUDENTS’ INSIGHT

Abstract

Local language revitalization requires materials that speak to students' language skills, reading history, and social and cultural backgrounds. In the case of Batak Angkola which is one of the local languages in North Sumatera, Indonesia, the language is encouraged to be taught since elementary school through a local subject (Muatan Lokal). The aim of the study is to develop Batak Angkola teaching materials as a way to revitalize the language through school subject. Therefore, the study is supported by mother tongue-based multilingual education, developmental literacy, and a comprehensive common underlying proficiency. These ideas show that a student's first language is important for things like learning to read and write and understanding their culture all at the same time. The data were taken from 199 students in the fifth grade who attended twelve elementary schools in Padangsidimpuan City across six districts. The students who were tested and have requirements are able to speak Batak Angkola through reading and writing in their local language. Moreover, the students asked about their parental background. The findings revealed that most students mixed Batak Angkola and Indonesian when they spoke and interacted with each other. Most of them wanted to learn more about their local language and culture by reading stories about their cultures. However, most students tended to be proficient at reading and writing in Indonesian. In the future, Batak Angkola subject materials should highlight the necessity of communicative repertoire through language literacy to support local language transmission and ensure long-term linguistic vitality within multilingual educational contexts. Hopefully, the learning materials will be essential for enhancing students' linguistic and cultural competence while fostering the sustained preservation of the Batak Angkola language.