Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science

This study aims to analyze junior high school students' needs for the development of a Malay ecolinguistics-based discourse model in Indonesian language learning. The study focused on the level of Langkat Malay vocabulary mastery and students' perceptions of the importance of integrating cultural and environmental values ​​in learning. This study uses the Research and Development (R&D) research method by distributing a questionnaire consisting of 60 items to 30 students at State Junior High School 1 Stabat, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra Province. The research instrument covered six main aspects: Lembang Malay vocabulary mastery, socio-cultural change, the influence of the natural environment on language, language diversity and shift, ecolinguistics-based learning, and a lexical competency test. Data were analyzed by calculating the average score and percentage of respondents' response tendencies. The results showed that students' need for Malay ecolinguistics-based learning was high, with an overall average score of 3.97. Lembang Malay vocabulary mastery was still limited (score 3.8), particularly for vocabulary related to flora, fauna, and local cultural elements. Modernization, social change, and reduced interaction with nature have been shown to drive vocabulary shrinkage and language shift. Despite this, students demonstrated a very high level of interest in integrating culture and the environment into Indonesian language learning (a score of 4.3). This finding underscores the urgency of developing an Indonesian language learning model based on Malay ecolinguistics that is contextual, interactive, and oriented toward regional language preservation. This model is expected to enrich students' vocabulary, foster ecological awareness, and strengthen local cultural identity amidst globalization.