Students of the Dialectology class from the Master’s Program in Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada conducted a fieldwork program in Ngablak District, Magelang Regency, Central Java, as part of strengthening their linguistic research competencies. The activity focused on the study of Javanese dialect variations based on the geographical and social aspects of its speech communities.

Javanese is one of the regional languages with the largest number of speakers in Indonesia and is widely spoken across various parts of the archipelago. Through this fieldwork program, the students carried out dialectological research to observe the phonological, lexical, and semantic variations of Javanese used by communities in five villages in Ngablak District, namely Ngablak, Seloprojo, Genikan, Kanigoro, and Tejosari. These areas were selected due to their highland geographical characteristics, where vegetable farming serves as the primary economic activity of the local communities.

The social and geographical characteristics of the Ngablak community are considered to have a strong influence on the development of language variation. The communication patterns of agrarian communities, differences in altitude, and the geographical conditions of mountainous areas potentially contribute to the emergence of distinctive lexical variations, particularly those related to agricultural terminology and local wisdom.

The research was conducted through direct interviews with local residents using a 200-word Swadesh list as the research instrument. Conversations between the students and informants were recorded with the consent of the participants as part of the linguistic data documentation process. The recorded data were then transcribed phonetically to identify lexical variations found in each research location.

Furthermore, the collected linguistic data will be analyzed using dialectometric methods to map the levels of similarity and difference among dialects across villages. Through this activity, students not only gained direct experience in field-based linguistic research but also contributed to the documentation and mapping of regional language diversity in Indonesia.

This Dialectology fieldwork program reflects the commitment of the UGM Master’s Program in Linguistics to developing research-based learning while strengthening linguistic studies oriented toward the preservation of local languages and cultures.

The Master’s Program in Linguistics at Universitas Gadjah Mada organized a fieldwork program for students of the Anthropological Linguistics B class as part of its effort to strengthen research-based academic competencies. This activity was designed to provide students with direct experience in examining the relationship between language and the sociocultural life of communities, particularly within the context of agrarian society in Temanggung Regency, Central Java.

As an interdisciplinary field of study, anthropological linguistics does not merely focus on linguistic structures, but also investigates the interconnections between language and social practices, belief systems, local knowledge, and human interaction with the environment. Through this approach, language is understood as an integral part of culture that both records and shapes social reality. Therefore, anthropological linguistic inquiry plays a crucial role in efforts to understand and preserve sociocultural diversity, especially in Indonesia, a country characterized by its vast linguistic and cultural richness.

Temanggung Regency was selected as the fieldwork site due to its strong potential for anthropological linguistic research. Situated in a highland area flanked by Mount Sindoro and Mount Sumbing, the people of Temanggung are known for their close relationship with the natural environment. Agricultural practices passed down through generations not only produce leading commodities but also form local knowledge systems reflected in the community’s lexicon and discourse.

In the Kledung area, for instance, tobacco and coffee constitute primary commodities that are deeply embedded in daily life. The process of tobacco cultivation, from seedling to harvest, reflects rich agricultural cultural knowledge. Similarly, the processing of Kledung’s distinctive Arabica coffee, which has obtained Geographical Indication status, presents a unique set of lexicon that reflects local knowledge and community adaptation to the highland environment.

Meanwhile, in Manding, cassava plays a significant role in the local food industry. Community perspectives on cassava extend beyond its function as a food source, representing values of local food resilience transmitted across generations. In Gemawang, the tradition of sugar palm processing—particularly in the production of palm sugar—demonstrates a close relationship between language, economic practices, and local history. The lexicon associated with sap tapping, traditional tools, and derivative products constitutes an important component of linguistic documentation that deserves preservation.

Through this fieldwork program, students are expected to produce several research outputs, including: (1) the lexicon of coffee processing in Kledung, (2) ethnobotanical knowledge of tobacco among the Kledung community, (3) community perspectives on cassava in Manding, and (4) the lexicon of sugar palm agriculture in Gemawang. These research outcomes are expected to contribute significantly to the development of anthropological linguistics while also supporting efforts to preserve local languages and cultures amid ongoing modernization.

This activity reaffirms the commitment of the Master’s Program in Linguistics at Universitas Gadjah Mada to integrating theoretical learning with field-based practice, as well as encouraging students to actively engage in research that is relevant to societal dynamics.