Event: WikiTour Sandakan 2024
Introduction
Ethnic languages in various states of Malaysia are now facing extinction as a result of being poorly identified and exposed to the surrounding communities. Thus, the Kent Wiki Club (KWK) at the IPGM of the Kent Campus has taken the initiative to introduce the Wikamus platform to students as an effort to preserve the local language in the future. Wikikamus, a project under the non-profit organization Wikimedia, is a digital dictionary that has digitized many of the ethnic languages in Sabah, including Kadazandusun, Murut, and Bajau. Similar efforts are planned to help other ethnic languages across Malaysia.
Goals
The main objective of the workshop is to expose students to the digitization of their mother tongue so as not to be lost in the meltdown of time. Furthermore, through the implementation of this workshop, it is hoped that it will open the minds and awareness of the club members to the subsequent threats of ethnic languages fostering a love of ethnic Languages in Malaysia. At the same time, it is expected that the workshop will encourage the interest of club members to be more active in the activities of the club.
Rational
The mother tongue was the local language spoken by the people in Malaysia, until the emergence of standard languages that had diverted the public's view of the language. Despite having a widely used standard language, the local language in each state is worth re-introducing as it is both an identity and symbolic to the speakers of the language as well as being one of the distinctive features that make up the country's cultured Malays. If the language is lost, the nation is lost.
Objectives
- Introducing the Wiktionary platform to students of the Sandakan primary school.
- Helping to digitize the local ethnic languages into Wiktionary.
- Identifying the local ethnic languages at Sandakan High School through sharing during activities.
- Increased self-confidence and communication skills among the coaching teachers in Wiktionary workshops.
- Learn more about art techniques and creative processes in choreography and music selection at Elopura High School, Sandakan (School of Arts Malaysia).
Details
| Name | WikiTour Sandakan 2024 |
| Date | 16 Ogos 2024 |
| Venue | SMK Sandakan, Sabah |
| Dashboard |
Facilitators
Here is a list of facilitators for the program:
- Rruunnaa
- Enziee
- Anzellyssa
- Fify Joseph
- Meqqal
- Ultron90
- Eylse Paulus
- ChrismaLC
- Leona Joehaile
- Junnika
- Jecycc
- Lanns0
- Abbylaylena Sitibon
- Kairulnizamb
- Ellyfluffy
Activities
The activities that will take place in the programme are the following:
Focus of the activity: Wiktionary
- The tutorial to contributes words in from Kadazandusun language to the Malay Wikikamus by taking into the following things:
- Translation
- The wording
- Language code
- Example of a verse
Participants
Here is a list of participants in the program:
- Brainrot123!
- Bunswith1
- DanishSkitchers
- Deangerous
- Eyyna.pan
- Fiqahcutee8
- Hlmnn
- Mickeyyw
- MuazamShah17
- Pompuriiee
Outcomes
Increase in Awareness of Ethnic Languages: The students and program participants demonstrated an increased awareness of the importance of preserving ethnic languages. They gained a better understanding of how traditional languages can be endangered if steps are not taken to preserve them. For example, at the end of the workshop session, the students shared their thoughts and hopes regarding their involvement in WikiKamus.
Active Participation in the Use of the Wiktionary Platform: Participants successfully learn how to use the Wiktionary platform to digitize their ethnic languages. As a result, some entries in local ethnic languages such as Kadazandusun and Bajau have been successfully included in Wikikamus. At the end of the workshop, the top three editors were awarded prizes. The participants looked satisfied and their healthy competitive spirit was visible.
Improvement in Communication Skills: Through workshop sessions and training, the participants, especially the facilitators, have improved their communication skills. This includes the ability to convey information more effectively and interact with other participants.
Addition of Ethnic Language Data to Wiktionary: The program succeeded in contributing new data to Wiktionary, including basic vocabulary and phrases in the ethnic languages found in Sabah. This helps to enrich digital content in those languages. For example, Suluk, Bugis and Bajau.
Community and School Partnership Engagement: The programme has succeeded in attracting students from schools around Sandakan, while also expanding the influence and role of the Kent Wiki Club in supporting ethnic language digitization. These students have the potential to be ambassadors for further language preservation efforts in the future.
Video Documentation Production: The programme also produces video documentation featuring workshop trips, interviews with participants, and art explorations at SMK Sandakan. This video can be used as promotional material and reference material for future programs.
Leadership Building and Management Skills: Facilitators involved in program management show improvements in leadership and event management skills. They gain practical experience in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs, which can be applied to future activities in their respective schools or communities.
Kent Wiki Club (KWK) Role Assessment: The program reinforces the role of the Kent Wiki Club as a proactive organization in preserving ethnic languages and cultures through digital technology.
With these results, the "WikiTour Sandakan 2024" program not only achieved the set objectives but also made a positive impact on the participants and local communities in the efforts to preserve the language and ethnic culture in Malaysia.
Organizers
