Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa ( Atanus nopo i Boros, nga atanus no i Bansa)

The four young "graduates" from Taska Bahasa Warisan Rungus with Jornah ( 4th from right), the teachers and officials.

Help preserve Rungus language, parents told

Published on: Sunday, December 15, 2013 - By Daily Express

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MATUNGGONG: President of the Rungus Cultural Association (RCA) Sabah, Jornah Mozihim, said it is incumbent upon parents to use the Rungus language when communicating with their children in the home. This is because parents are invariably the "first teachers" to their children. She was speaking at the 2013 Graduation Ceremony for the first batch of pupils from Taska Bahasa Warisan Rungus (Rungus Heritage Language Nursery) under the management of RCA Sabah at the KDCA Kg Bonduk Rumah Budaya, here. They comprised one pupil from Taska Bahasa Warisan RCA, Kg Gombizau and three others from Taska Bahasa Warisan RCA, Kg Bonduk.

"We look forward to parents' cooperation in making a success of our Rungus language preservation programme. They are encouraged to inculcate a love for their mother tongue in their children. "This is in line with the theme of Taska Bahasa Warisan Rungus - Love our Mother Tongue, I Boros, ino-no ikointutunan tokou - Atanus nopo o boros nga atanus no o bansa (meaning language indicates race, once the language is lost, race is lost too)," said Jornah, who is a former Matunggong Assemblywoman. She hoped the certificate award to the children would motivate them to continue learning their mother tongue. "This is where parents play an important role," she added.

Launched on August 13, 2012, Taska Bahasa Warisan Rungus for children aged between three and five years, is a joint initiative undertaken by RCA and SIL International (formerly the Summer Institute of Linguistics) a U.S.-based, worldwide, non-profit organisation.

The nursery teachers are trained by SIL International. The medium of instruction is 100pc Rungus.

Jornah expressed her gratitude to SIL International, Sabah Branch for their commitment in providing training to teachers of Taska Bahasa Warisan Rungus, and funding the services of two teachers as well as defraying the monthly allowance for two other teachers and a supervisor.

Also present were the Coordinator for Sabah's Taska-Taska Bahasa Warisan, Dr Mark Miller, SIL International staff member, Christine, and Coordinator for Taska-Taska Bahasa Warisan Tobilung.