T

he majority of Indonesian children living overseas are unable to speak good Indonesian because their parents are reluctant to teach them the language.

Miss Indonesia Kerenina Sunny Halim is the most recent example that springs to mind.

"It's been hard for me to speak Indonesian, because I use English every day," said the half-American celebrity on her crowning night.

"But I will learn. Indonesian is an easy language, as long as we're willing to learn."

According to Santi Dharmaputra, a mother of two who lives in Munich, parents who do not teach their children Indonesian do so because they believe it is better to raise their children using the language spoken in their host country.

"They think it will help the children interact with more people in their host country," she said.

Many parents also believe their children can easily pick up Indonesian when they become teenagers. Others belittle the importance of learning Indonesian as the language is scarcely used in foreign countries, said Santi.

Santi and eight other mothers living in different countries, who were concerned about their children not speaking Indonesian, shared their experiences about ways to teach children several languages, especially Indonesian, in a book titled Anak-Anak Multibahasa (Multilingual Children), which was launched on Aug. 9.

Arief Rachman, an education expert from the Jakarta State University, said parents failed to understand that learning several languages could help children understand their cultural background.

"If a boy, for example, learns Javanese, it will be easier for him to understand his Javanese heritage," Arief said.

"As he learns Indonesian, he learns about his heritage. When he learns English, he understands he is a citizen of the world".

Arief also said mastering several languages could help children understand differences in perspectives between community groups.

"That will help children interact with people from different backgrounds," he said.

Santi said it was possible for children to learn several languages at the same time. Her son Joseph is able to speak Indonesian, French, English and German.

"As an Indonesian, I want my children to be proud of Indonesia," said Santi. Co-author Rita Diana Najib, who lives in Bangkok, said she wanted her daughter Nadia to understand her traditional heritage.

"As an Acehnese, I feel it's my obligation to teach my language and tradition to Nadia. I don't want her to forget our roots," said Rita.

Jumiarti Agus, who lives in Tokyo, said she wanted her daughter Najmi to feel a sense of belonging to her Minang family roots.