<![CDATA[Quality education (SDG 4) requires the internalization of cultural values as the foundation for character development among elementary school students. This study aims to analyze the relationship between students’ cognitive understanding of Sundanese language levels and their contextual written production. The research method used was a quantitative correlational study with a saturated sample of 20 fifth-grade students at SDN Gunungwangi, Majalengka Regency. Data were collected through an objective multiple-choice test for conceptual understanding and a structured written production test for language application, both validated through expert judgment. Descriptive results indicated a mean score of 78.00 for understanding and 76.00 for written production. Inferential analysis yielded a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.794 (p < 0.001) with a coefficient of determination of r2 = 0.630, falling into the strong category based on standard correlation criteria (Guilford), indicating a strong and significant positive relationship between the level of understanding and the written application of Sundanese speech levels. These findings are consistent with initiatives supporting cultural heritage preservation (SDG 11.4), although item-level analysis revealed a pronounced drop in complex honorific registers (55% accuracy). Constrained by a small sample size (N = 20), a single-school site, and written assessment measures, these results imply a critical pedagogical need to focus instruction on complex honorific vocabulary to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical competence.]]>
