LANGUAGE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ACEHNESE LANGUAGE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstrak

This study investigates language attitudes toward the Acehnese language among university students in Lhokseumawe, focusing on a small-scale qualitative inquiry conducted at Universitas Bumi Persada in June 2025. The research involved nine participants representing three academic disciplines: English Education (3 students), Economics (3 students), and Health Sciences (3 students). Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and short attitudinal questionnaires to explore cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of language attitudes. The findings reveal that while students demonstrate strong affective attachment to the Acehnese language as a marker of ethnic identity, its functional use is increasingly limited to family and informal domains. Indonesian dominates academic and formal communication, whereas English holds instrumental prestige for global mobility. Despite positive symbolic attitudes, the reduced frequency of active use among younger speakers suggests a gradual shift in linguistic practices. The study highlights the urgent need for strategic language maintenance efforts within higher education institutions to sustain the vitality of the Acehnese language.