Language Indonesian National

Indonesia only has one national language or the language of the country, which is Indonesian. State intervention against the national language organized by Agency for Development and Language Development under the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Indonesia has more than 721 local languages. Among the hundreds of local languages, is the most widely spreading in Papua and Kalimantan, while the least was on the island of Java. According to the number of speakers, the language of the most widely used in Indonesia respectively are: Javanese (80 million speakers), Malay-Indonesian, Sundanese, Madurese, Batak, Minangkabau, Bugis, Aceh, Bali, Banjar.

English as an international language has been introduced by the Indonesian government to students starting primary education. However, for various reasons there is an attempt to remove the English lessons at primary school level.

For adherents of Islam who became the majority in Indonesia, the Arabic language is a foreign language that has a special position, because it must be practiced in certain daily worship, such as prayer. Nonetheless, Arabic became the lingua franca is not common since the early period of its existence in Indonesia.