I stumbled upon an interesting post about a language when I was using Facebook. It is the Rapa Nui language from Easter Island located in the Polynesia inside the territory of Chile. This language surprised me because it resembles one of my native languages, Indonesian. Although both countries where these two languages are spoken are separated extremely far away, I notice similarities that are interesting to share. Comparison between Rapa Nui and Indonesian languages Both Rapa Nui and Indonesian belong to the Austronesian language family. It is the fifth-largest language family by number of ..read more

Medan Hokkien is a vibrant and distinct dialect of the Hokkien language, primarily spoken by the Chinese Indonesian community in Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra, Indonesia. This dialect is a testament to the region's rich cultural tapestry, reflecting a history of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. History Medan Hokkien's roots can be traced back to the Hokkien-speaking areas of Southern Fujian province in China, particularly the Zhangzhou region. The dialect evolved significantly, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries when trade between the eastern coasts of Sumatra a ..read more

Choosing the perfect learning material, such as books, videos, programs, or classes, is confusing for most of us. This is because they are available everywhere and you can get it easily. You can go to any website to learn languages using gamification programs, like Duolingo, LingQ, or Memrise. You also can go to bookstores to get any language books that catch your attention because of their beautiful design, famous author, or discounted price.  Luckily we live in the internet era where using the internet is as important as eating 3 times a day. Everyone has phones that are connected to t ..read more

A group of islands lie in the seawater between Taiwan and the Philippines. This group of islands makes up the northernmost province of the Philippines: the Batanes province. Besides, it is also the smallest in population and land area. Less than 20,000 live in this province and speak the Ivatan language, whose standard is based on the Basco dialect from Basco the capital of this province located in the Batan island.  Although the Batanes province is closer to Taiwan than the main island of the Philippines, it is not one of the languages from Taiwan. On the contrary, the Yami language ..read more

I felt very happy to meet my Esperantist friends again! This time we gathered in Pingtung City in southern Taiwan to celebrate together at the New Year Esperanto Meetup 2024. I also presented something to contribute some of my knowledge of language to the public. I saw not only Esperantists but also new faces who came to get to know Esperanto and its world. People from 8 countries attended the meetup, they come from Iran, Taiwan, mainland China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, and Japan. A series of interesting lectures and presentations offered us a good atmosphere a ..read more

Indonesia has recently witnessed a surge of Rohingya refugees arriving by boat from Bangladesh, where they have been living in overcrowded and unsafe camps. The Rohingya are a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, who have faced violence, discrimination, and displacement for decades.  The refugees have been welcomed by the local authorities and communities in Aceh, who have provided them with food, shelter, medical care, and protection. The Acehnese people, who are predominantly Muslim, have shown solidarity and compassion for the Rohingya, who share their faith and culture. Howeve ..read more

In a globalized and interconnected world, knowing more than one language can open up many opportunities and advantages for children, both personally and professionally. This can prepare them for living and working in a multicultural and multilingual society. Different languages may have different benefits and challenges for children. However, some possible factors to consider are: Heritage language Learning a language that is spoken by the children's family, friends, neighbors, or community can help them develop a sense of identity and belonging, as well as foster social and emotional skil ..read more

Learning a new language can be fun and rewarding, but it can also be challenging and time-consuming. That's why I'm here to help you with some tips and resources that can make your language-learning journey easier and more enjoyable. First of all, you need to choose a language that you are interested in and motivated to learn. There are many languages in the world, each with its own history, culture, and beauty. You can use web search tools to find out more about different languages and their features, such as their alphabet, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and usage. For example, you ..read more

Learning a constructed language can have many benefits for personal and professional development. A constructed language is a language that has been deliberately created by a person or a group, such as a research institution, rather than evolving naturally over time. Some constructed language examples are Esperanto, Klingon, Toki Pona, Elefen, and Dothraki. One of the benefits of learning a constructed language is that it can enhance one's cognitive abilities and linguistic skills. Learning a new language can improve one's memory, creativity, problem-solving, and analytical thinking. It can ..read more

I spoke 4 languages: Hokkien, Indonesian, English, and Mandarin on my recent trip to Penang. There was no communication barrier since the Penangnites are mostly multilingual too, at least, they know a bit of each language. They are also familiar with the Indonesian language because of the many tourists from Indonesia, either for tourism or medical checkups. I had learnt Tamil before but it was not enough for me to have a conversation yet. I will learn Tamil more seriously from now on, so I can use it on my next trip to Penang.  The way I decide which language to use can be categorized ..read more