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Language Research5. Costs: What does it cost in terms of money, time and government resources to police the country's language restrictions?Updated (August 2003) “LINGUISTIC COUPLE” METHOD AIMS TO BOOST LANGUAGE-LEARNING PROVISION Over eighty associations related to culture, immigration and the Catalan language promotion with the support of Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan government) signed an agreement at the end of July, in Barcelona in order to launch a program called “Voluntaris per la llengua” (Volunteers for the Language). The main objective of the program is to make the language learning process easier for recent immigrants. “Volunteers for the Language” is an initiative that encourages Catalan speakers to dedicate a minimum of ten hours of conversation in Catalan to non-Catalan speakers to develop their comprehension and speaking skills. Using the method of “linguistic couples,” where one native speaker helps one learner, the program is also aimed to reinforce oral communication in Catalan thus creating a firm base for the language. The program is based on the engagement of the volunteers. They will have to dedicate one hour per week for the period of ten weeks to this language exchange. The program is being promoted by the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística (a public body formed by the Catalan government and by several town councils and local entities). The Department of Culture, Welfare and the Presidency of the Generalitat signed it thus illustrating the determination of the Catalan government to support the initiatives towards promotion of the language among immigrants. The program will begin in September, when all the language courses offered by the Consorci start. Apart from the normal Catalan courses, immigrants will have the possibility to have an exchange program of conversation in Catalan for free. Source: Eurolang News, Brussels, July 22, 2003, by Alexia Bos Solé, http://217.136.252.147/webpub/eurolang/pajenn.asp?ID=4335
Updated (June 2004) MAKING IT EASY TO LIVE IN CATALAN Catalan is alive, spoken by 50.1 percent of the population. The statistics on the language use in Catalonia give positive results for the future. They indicate that the language transmission from parents to their children has increased in comparison with the previous generation and that almost 95 percent of the population in Catalonia understands Catalan. Concerning the negative figures, the use of Catalan has decreased among young people and in the metropolitan areas. The aim of language activists is to turn Catalan into a useful language, open to both the Catalan citizens and immigrants. To assure that the social use of Catalan will grow, an action plan for the promotion of the language will be introduced. It will be structured into five areas: the interpersonal use of Catalan; new immigrants; information technology and communication; the socio-economic domain and Catalan language use at state and European level. Regarding immigration, the aim is to develop the existing program of linguistic volunteers. A monitoring plan on linguistic services in bars and restaurants and a plan to create a Catalan Agency of Multilingualism, which would ensure the presence of Catalan in the information technology domain, will be introduced. The companies also have to understand that it is necessary to achieve the progress in the linguistic area in the coming years. Source: Eurolang News, Barcelona, May 25, 2004, by Alexia Bos Solé, an interview with Antoni Mir, a director of the Linguistic Policy Department, http://www.eurolang.net/news.asp?id=4587 Updated (December 2004) A NEW REPORT ON ASTURIAN The International Committee for Safeguarding of the Linguistic Rights in Asturies has issued a report with recommendations regarding the promotion of the use of Asturian. The report is a result of the meeting in Liège (Belgium) in September 2004. It describes the situation of the Asturian language as well as it presents a set of recommendations for the recognition and defense of the linguistic rights of Asturian citizens. The report presents the evolution of linguistic policy from setting up of the Regional Council of Asturias to the 1998 Law on Use and Promotion of Bable/Asturian, along with the development of subsequent regulations. The text also proposes some measures for the recognition of linguistic rights in Asturias, especially with reference to those for whom Asturian is their language. However, the report also provides some statistical data illustrating the decrease in the Asturian language use. According to the 2002 Report on the Repression and the Non-recognition of Linguistic Rights in Asturias, Asturian is spoken by more than 350,000 people1 and some 40,000 know Galego-Asturiano. Amongst other recommendations, the report mentions that the Asturian and Castilian languages must enjoy the same legal status. Moreover, it urges Asturian institutions to recognize the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana as the highest scientific authority in the matters related to the Asturian language. Finally, it suggests the promotion of the social presence of the Asturian language in the spheres of political, administrative, educational, cultural and legislative activities. LEGAL BACKGROUND Regarding the legal framework and the linguistic policy of Asturies, the Asturian community by means of its Autonomous Statute passed in 1981, recognizes the existence of the Asturian language, which is called "Bable". Article 4, paragraph 1 states that Bable will enjoy protection. Its use and diffusion in the media shall be promoted as well as its teaching, taking into consideration local variants and the voluntary nature of studying the language at schools. In March 1998, when the Law of Use and Promotion of Bable/Asturiano was passed, the name of the Asturian language was changed to "Bable/Asturiano". Basically, this law recognized in Article 1 that Bable/Asturiano is the traditional language of Asturias. However, it also recognized the existence of Gallego-Asturiano and emphasized the need to establish regulating mechanisms in order to maintain it. Source: Eurolang News, by Alexia Bos Solé, Barcelona, December 15, 2004, http://www.eurolang.net/
1 in a population of just over 1,000,000 Updated (March 2005) BAI EUSKARARI CERTIFICATE REWARDS ORGANIZATIONS FOR BASQUE USAGE
For their commitment to extend the use of the Basque language, more than 800 corporations, shops and other organizations have been recently rewarded with the Bai Euskarari certificate1. This certificate is issued annually by Kontseilua, the Council of Social Organizations supporting the Basque language that is responsible for establishing the level of proficiency in Basque for each applying organization (three different categories).
Holders of these certificates, among them banks, sport clubs, labor unions, clinics, and shops, use Basque at the workplace, when hiring new staff or in internal documentation, in advertising and with customers.
A publicity campaign has been also launched about the certificate, encouraging people to support those organizations committed to the normalization of Basque.
Source: Eurolang News, Alexandre Giráldez, Cangas, March 5, 2005, www.eurolang.net (Kontseilua www.kontseilua.org, Bai Euskarari certificate www.baieuskarari.org)
Updated (July 2005) SOCIALIST AND NATIONALIST VICTORY GIVES NEW HOPE FOR GALICIAN LANGUAGE REGENERATION
An alliance between the Galician section (PSdG) of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Galician nationalist Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG) will rule Galiza for the next four years. During the last sixteen years of the Manuel Fraga's government (conservative Partido Popular) a sharp decline in the numbers of Galician speakers was experienced.
Elections were held on June 19, 2005; however, the final results were known only on June 28 because it was necessary to wait for 100,605 votes (6.3 percent of the total) from Galician emigrants, mainly from South America1.
To promote Galician, BNG demands that corporations and institutions receiving grants from the Galician government (A Xunta) should use the Galician language. They also propose that a 40 percent minimum quota of Galician should be established on TV and radio broadcasting. Since Portuguese and Galician were the same languages in the Middle Ages and have remained closely related it is also necessary to increase cultural contacts with the Portuguese-speaking countries.
PSdG plans to create the Galician Language Social Council and to reinforce the use of Galician in the media but so far they have not explained how they are going to do this.
The new government will have to work hard on Galician recuperation because according to the main Galician language NGO, A Mesa pola Normalización Lingüística, during those sixteen years Galicia suffered the most important loss of its speakers in history2. In 1989, 6.13 percent of the Galician population was not able to speak Galician at all. In 2001, this figure doubled to almost 12.7 percent.
During the PP government the public Galician TV and radio were supported and money was spent to promote Galician and increase its usage in public administration and education. However, the decline in the number of speakers did not manage to be stopped. The lack of will to implement legislation, above all the 1983 Law on the Galician language, is seen as the main culprit. For example, a language plan for the recovery of Galician, stipulated by the 1983 law, still has not been implemented.
Concerning education, although the law established a minimum 30 percent use of Galician in primary and secondary schools, the reality was different especially in private schools where this aim was never completely achieved, but no sanctions were ever enforced on the issue. Teachers and schools could infringe the law and the government did not take any action.
For years the Xunta spent millions of euros to get the press to publish 5 percent of their material in Galician. This aim was never achieved either; however, every year journals kept receiving money for it.
Source: Eurolang News, Cangas, June 29, 2005, by Alexandre Giráldez, http://www.eurolang.net/news.asp?id=5078
Updated (October 2005) CATALAN GOVERNMENT ISSUES A NEW LANGUAGE POLICY PLAN
In the summer of 2005, the first Minister of the Catalan government, Josep Bargalló, and the Secretary of the Language Policy, Miquel Pueyo, submitted the Language Policy Plan for 2005/2006 and analyzed the results of the last year's Plan.
Concerning the 2004/2005 Plan, both representatives considered its outcomes to be highly positive and pointed out that the program, funded with Euros 3 million, was successfully implemented.
The 2005/2006 Plan aims at promoting the adoption of administrative and legal measures to guarantee the everyday use of the Catalan language as well as at fostering its social use amongst youth people. It also reinforces the resources to offer Catalan language classes to adult newcomers and improves the quality of language advice services. Moreover, in collaboration with the Ramon Llull Institute1, it plans to offer a Catalan course on-line.
The Language Policy Plan also establishes that the government will develop a program in order to encourage new information technologies and communication in Catalan and will support cinema, either originally in Catalan, dubbed or with Catalan subtitles. Additionally, it intends to promote the availability of products and services in the language and endorse the use of Catalan in private companies' websites. The cooperation with other Catalan-speaking territories, especially Alghero in Sardinia and Northern Catalonia in France should be strengthened.
Several organizations, which are in favor of Catalan, such as Plataforma per la Llengua, regard these aims and principles as very opportune, in particular those relating to youth and leisure, fields where usage of the Catalan language is weaker. The fact that the Department of Trade, Tourism and Consumer Affairs has started to fine companies violating the 1998 Linguistic Policy Act is also viewed positively since the former government did not dare to take action even though the law provides for it.
As regards the language integration of newcomers, Plataforma per la Llengua finds the increasing number of language courses offered appropriate; however, it suggests that agreements between government and private companies should be signed to allow students attend these courses during working hours.
The organization also proposes to extend the project "Volunteers for Language2" to non-students because out of more than 150,000 newcomers who settle in Catalonia each year not all attend the language courses.
On the other hand, Plataforma per la Llengua pointed out to several disadvantages of the Plan, particularly when it comes to applying provisions that foresee a quota on cinema and a fairer distribution and exhibition of films in Catalan, a field where Catalan shows low permeability. In Plataforma per la Llengua's opinion, the measures are too vague.
Source: Mercator News, September 2005, http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm
Updated (July 2006) THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF NAVARRE FINALLY LEGALIZES THE BASQUE-MEDIUM SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN NAVARRE
The Navarrese Government and representatives of Basque-medium school (Ikastolas) have signed a protocol that establishes a general framework to support this kind of schools in non-Basque speaking areas of Navarre. The agreement allocates 1,718,253 million Euros for the year 2006; 1,798,724 for 2007; and 1,758,489 for the three following years.
According to the 1986 Basque Language Act, the Basque language is not co-official in southern areas of Navarre. Therefore, parents who wish their children to be educated in Basque must take them to Ikastolas. As the schools have not been officially recognized in the region, the government's financial support effectively brings official recognition and legalization to Ikastolas, which could opt now for public funding programmes, grants for students and training schemes for teachers.
Source: Mercator News, July 2006 http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm Updated (October 2006) A NEW BASQUE GOVERNMENT SERVICE LAUNCHED TO DEFEND LINGUISTIC RIGHTS
Elebide, a new service, that aims to defend Basque linguistic rights, was launched on 17 October 2006 by the Vice-Ministry of Linguistic Policy in the Basque Government’s Department of Culture.
Its task is to achieve a real balance between the two official languages - Basque and Spanish - in the Basque Autonomous Community. It should act to inform institutions found lacking in the Basque language provision and advice them on changes to be implemented in order to achieve better language usage. Elebide service will also gather proposals and suggestions on the protection of linguistic rights and for the improvement of the service itself.
Source: Eurolang News, October 18, 2006 by Davyth Hicks http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2740&Itemid=1&lang=en Updated (April 2007) THE THREE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS AGREED TO COLLABORATE ON LANGUAGE POLICY
The Basque, Catalan (Generalitat) and Galician (Xunta) governments have recently signed a collaboration agreement committing them to working together towards the revitalization of their respective languages. The three governments demonstrate through this protocol the reality that almost 40 percent of Spain's population lives in communities where a language other than Castilian Spanish is spoken. According to the protocol, the Spanish state is therefore a plurilingual state: it should be recognized as such and should aim to respect and promote the use of all its national languages.
The agreement plans a series of collaboration measures including the promotion of languages in the state Administration or in dealings with the European Union. In addition, the three governments will work towards adopting regulatory, executive and budgetary measures and actions to achieve these objectives.
The protocol also plans lines of collaboration with respect to the use of all three languages in the Spanish Parliament's Congress (Lower Chamber) and Senate (Upper Chamber), in the judicial system, in addition to public services such as the Post Office or RENFE (state-owned rail operator). Initiatives are being planned in education, as well as the social use and international promotion of Catalan, Galician and Basque.
Finally, a follow-up committee will be set up to ensure that the protocol is properly developed and evaluated. The commitments resulting from the agreement will remain in effect until 31December 2009, and will be extended annually until a new protocol comes into effect.
Source: Linguamón, News, March 21, 2007 www10.gencat.net/pres_casa_llengues/AppJava/frontend/noticies_detall.jsp?id=83&idioma=5
Updated (June 2007) THE BASQUE GOVERNMENT WILL FUND THE PROMOTION OF THE LANGUAGE AT THE WORKPLACE
The Vice-Councilor for Linguistic Policy of the Basque provincial government, Mr. Patxi Bastarrika, has announced that the Government will assign 2.3 million Euro to promote the use of the Basque language in private companies. The budget is 26 percent higher than last year.
The Executive has already contacted 1,800 companies to carry out a free diagnosis of the Basque language at the workplace. He has also presented the "LanHitz" Project, with which they aim to promote the use of the Basque language in the economic and business fields.
Bastarrika noted that introducing Basque in the company is "easy and cheap" because companies can access "important subsidies" and get different help. Furthermore, town councils that promote the use of Basque will receive monetary help.
Source: Eurolang News, May 31, 2007 by Davyth Hicks http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2890&Itemid=1&lang=en Updated (July 2007) OFFICIAL LANGUAGE COUNCIL HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT The Royal Decree, recently passed by the Spanish Government, approved the establishment of the Official Language Council and the Bureau for Official Languages. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that citizens of Spain who speak one of the languages that share official status with Spanish in certain parts of the country are able to exercise their right to use their respective language in dealings with the State. Speakers of Galician, Basque and Catalan will now be able to use these languages to communicate with the Spanish Government.
The Official Language Council has been created within the Government and is formed by representatives of all the government's ministerial departments. It is intended to be a body in which autonomous communities can participate, along with experts and representatives of the Instituto Cervantes (an institution that promotes and teaches Spanish and spreads the culture of Spain and Spanish–speaking countries). The Council's main task will be to stimulate and coordinate the activities of all the Government's ministries and bodies in relation to the use of Galician, Basque and Catalan languages. It will also be charged with proposing action plans to the Government through the Civil Service Ministry.
Source: Linguamón, News, July 10, 2007 http://www10.gencat.net/pres_casa_llengues/AppJava/frontend/noticies_detall.jsp?id=133&idioma=5
Updated (September 2007) AN INSTITUTE FOR THE BASQUE LANGUAGE WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN NAVARRE A new Navarrese government aims to take the Basque language “out of political arena” by establishing the Institute of Euskara, which will, among other tasks, examine the fulfillment of the EU legislation on lesser–used languages in the province. This move has been generally welcome but the Basque language organizations have warned that it will be of little use since the law that divides the Navarre province into three language zones limits its effectiveness. Xabier Mendiguren, President of Kontseilua (the umbrella council of social groups working for the advancement of Euskara), said that the creation of the Institute might weaken the anti-Basque language policy, which is good. However, he has referred to the policy of the Government issued over the last eight years by which bilingual road signs had been substituted by monolingual Spanish ones, radio stations broadcasting in Basque had been denied permits, and the partition of the region into three language zones with decreasing rights for Basque speakers had been further embedded. A new Education Secretary, Carlos Perez Nievas, made it clear that the law dividing Navarre into language zones and limiting the official character of Basque in certain areas will not be changed and that Basque education models will continue to be forbidden in public education in the southern half of the territory. The Institute of Euskara will be launched next spring. It is meant to evaluate the language policy of the administration, give advice and promote Basque in media. It will, nevertheless, have only a consultative character and will, therefore, have no power over the administration. Source: Eurolang News, September 14, 2007 by Edu Lartzanguren http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2950&Itemid=1&lang=en
Updated (October 2007) GALICIA WILL SUPPORT GALICIAN–SPEAKING MINORITY OUTSIDE ITS TERRITORY
The Galician government has approved a proposal by the Galician Nationalist Party to support and promote the Galician language also in the Galician–speaking territories of Spain that lie outside the Autonomous Community of Galicia (the western territories of the Leonese region and Asturias). Now the governments of the Autonomous Communities to which these territories belong will receive the support from Galicia in order to carry out a linguistic policy aimed to be more respectful for the linguistic rights of their Galician–speaking minority. Galician speakers outside the borders of the Galician Autonomous Community suffer serious linguistic discrimination. Especially in Leonese region – it is still not possible to have any sign, document or place name in any other language but Spanish. Furthermore, almost no step has been taken to apply the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by Spain in these terrritories. Source: Mercator Legislation, Newsletter No. 34, October 2007 http://www1.fa.knaw.nl/newsletter2007/MERCATORnewsletter34.htm#ml4 NEW OFFICE TO PROMOTE OCCITAN LANGUAGE IS TO BE ESTABLISHED The Catalan government has approved a resolution creating the “Occitan en Catalonha” Office to promote the Occitan language, coordinate projects and to popularize measures for this language. This new office will guarantee the appropriate deployment of its status as official language that the current Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia concedes to Occitan (language spoken in the Valh d'Aran region where its speakers call it Aranese). Other aims of the Office are:
The Office will be ascribed to the Catalan Government's Department of Linguistic Policy and should start working in three years time. Source: Mercator Legislation, Newsletter No. 34, October 2007 http://www1.fa.knaw.nl/newsletter2007/MERCATORnewsletter34.htm#ml4
Updated (February 2008) THE PARIS DECLARATION FOR LINGUISTIC PLURALISM WAS SIGNED BY THE BASQUE COUNTRY, GALICIA AND CATALONIA
Representatives of the Basque Country, Galicia and Catalonia1 signed the Paris Declaration for Linguistic Plurality on February 8th 2008. According to Bernat Joan, signing the Declaration is an important step as it expresses the intention of the three governments to cooperate in achieving linguistic plurality not only in Spain but also in the European context. He said that their aim was also to extend the agreement to the Balearic Islands, where Catalan is a co-official language alongside Spanish. One of the goals of the Paris Declaration is for the European Union to recognize real linguistic plurality in Europe. Another goal is for Galician, Basque and Catalan to obtain their rightful status within the Union. Bernat Joan has also publicly stated that the group is seeking to set up a language policy forum in which the governments of Scotland, Wales and Flanders will participate. The Paris Declaration for Linguistic Plurality was signed at the Expolangues Fair in Paris, against the backdrop of the International Year of Languages and the collaboration protocol signed by the Basque, Galician and Catalan language communities in relation to language policy. Source: Eurolang News, February 18, 2008 by Vicent Climent Ferrando http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3027&Itemid=1&lang=en
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