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Evelyn Hegemeier, Colin Glattfelder, Sandra Amstutz. Minority languages in international contexts I (Old and New World). http://www.breizh.net/identity/galleg/livre/soumission_distinction.htm. Table of contents. Framework Meanwhile , in green Brittany… Geography Linguistic context
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Evelyn Hegemeier, Colin Glattfelder, Sandra Amstutz Minority languages in international contexts I (Old and New World) http://www.breizh.net/identity/galleg/livre/soumission_distinction.htm
Table of contents • Framework • Meanwhile, in green Brittany… • Geography • Linguisticcontext • Discrepancies • Diwanschools • Food for thoughts • Future prospects
Framework ● ‘’…The Toublon Law of 1994 […] states: ‘’By virtue of the Constitution, French is the language of the Republic, and the French language is a fundamental element of the character and heritage of France.’’ …‘’(Spolsky 2004: 66) ● ‘’In 1972 President Pompidou said that ‘’there is no place for regional languages in a France which is destined to play a fundamental role in Europe.’’ (Spolski 2004: 66) ● ‘’In spite of this obvious diversity, the notion ‘’one state, one nation, one language’’ is, Judge believes, acceptable to the majority of the French people.’’ (Spolsky 2004: 68)
Framework ● ‘’…The Toublon Law of 1994 […] states: ‘’By virtue of the Constitution, French is the language of the Republic, and the French language is a fundamental element of the character and heritage of France.’’ …‘’(Spolsky 2004: 66) ● ‘’In 1972 President Pompidou said that ‘’there is no place for regional languages in a France which is destined to play a fundamental role in Europe.’’ (Spolski 2004: 66) ● ‘’In spite of th[e] obvious diversity [of other languages spoken in France], the notion ‘’one state, one nation, one language’’ is, Judge believes, acceptable to the majority of the French people.’’ (Spolsky 2004: 68)
Meanwhile, in green Brittany… ‘’Timm (1983)[…] described Breton surviving in islands in a widening sea of French speakers.’’ (Ó Hifearnáin 2011: 95)
Meanwhile, in green Brittany… Salient features of Breton: ● Brythonic languages ● More specifically, an insular Celtic language ● Closely related to Cornish and Welsh… ● … however not intercomprehensible nowadays
Meanwhile, in green Brittany… ● Breton coexists with Gallo, another regional language ● Four dialects ● Existence of a Lower and Upper Brittany
Geography http://www.lowlands-l.net/anniversary/brezhoneg-info.php
Linguistic context Historicaloverview– French Revolution & WW I as hard blows ↓ Official suppression- marginalisation ↓ Intergenerational transmission– almost non-existent ↓ Shift in attitude – fosters a reversal trend ↓ Traditional vs. Revivalist Breton – linguistic gap ↓ Increase in number of Breton speakers? (Ó Hifearnáin 2011: 93-100)
Breton language:A common profile • Married woman • Over 60 years old • No formal education • From a rural community http://www.cparama.com/forum/fumeuses-de-pipe-t9137.html
Discrepancies Bretonnants Location: Rural (Western) parts of Brittany. Number: Up to 500,000 but declining at an alarming rate. Age: Generally over 50. Literacy: Few can read or write Breton. Pronunciation: Little influence by French. Type of Breton: Dialectal. Vocabulary: Full of French words especially for modern concepts. Motivation: Speak Breton because it is their native language; sometimes ashamed of this. Néo-bretonnants All over Brittany. A few thousand. Relatively young. Can read and write Breton. Heavily influenced by French. Standard. Few French words, many new words formed from Cletic roots. Speak Breton because they want to, sometimes militant. (Hornsby 2005: 195)
Discrepancies ‘’[…] although both the obsolescent and reviving varieties are termed ‘Breton’, they are not, strictly speaking, the same language.’’ (Jones 1998a: 321)
Discrepancies ‘’Acceptance of néo-breton is by no means universal. It has been described ‘’as frequently unintelligible to many of the native Breton speakers from predominantly rural communities’’ (Jones, 1995: 428), who in turn feel stigmatized by their own varieties of Breton.’’ (Hornsby 2005: 195)
Diwan Schools http://www.diwanbreizh.org/sections.php4?op=viewarticle&artid=5
Food for thoughts http://www.anamzer.com/?p=3648
Future prospects → Breton as ‘’the pre-terminal phase of somedyinglanguage in a particular socio-politicalcontexts’’? (Jones, 1998a: 323) • http://udbjeunes.com/2013/02/14/manifestations-pour-une-television-bretonne/
Overview: • Whatisthe European Charter for regional orminoritylanguages? • Whatroledoesthe charter play in thelanguagepolicyof France? • Who hassignedthe charter? • Whichlanguagesareprotected?
The European Charter for regional or minority languages • adoptedbythe Council of Europe in 1992 • Cameintoforce in 1998 • Part ofthe European Treaty Series • devidedinto 5 parts (withoutpreamble)
Purposeofthe charter • Promotion of regional andminoritylanguages • Protectionofhistorical regional orminoritylanguages • Encouragingtheuse in private andespeciallypubliclife (Oakes, 2011: p.68-69)
Greaterpurpose • Achieving a greaterunitybetweenmembersofthe European Council • Protectionof Human Rightsand Fundamental Freedoms • Building a Europe based on theprinciplesofdemocracyandculturaldiversity (Councliof Europe, 1992, Preamble: 2)
Definition • `regional orminoritylanguages` are: • i. traditionallyusedwithin a giventerritoryof a State bynationalsofthat State who form a groupnumericallysmallerthantherestoftheState‘spopulation • ii. different fromtheofficiallanguage(s) (Council of Europe, 1992, Article 1: p.2)
Objectivesandprinciples • The recognitionas an expressionofculturalwealth • the need for resolute action to promote regional or minority languages in order to safeguard them • the facilitation and/or encouragement of the use of regional or minority languages, in speech and writing, in public and private life Council of Europe, 1992, Article 7: p. 4
Measures • Education • Judicialauthorities • Administrative authoritiesandpublicservices • The media • Cultural activitiesandfacilities • Economicandsociallife • Transfrontier exchanges
The charter and France • France signedthe charter in 1999 • The charter nevercameintoforce http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=148&CM=8&DF=&CL=ENG
The charter and France • In 1996 thegovernmentdecidedthat „France was not in thepositiontosignandratifythe Charter“ (Oakes, 2011: p.70) • In 1998 Guy Carcassonneconcludedthatthereport was not contrarytotheconstitution: „since, on theonehand, theaimofthe Charter istoprotectlanguages, and not necessarilytograntimprescriptiblerightstotheirspeakers, and, on theotherhand, thattheselanguagesbelongtotheundividedculturalheritageof France“ (Oakes, 2011: p. 70)
The charter and France • France list 75 languages • 51 spoken in overseasdepartmentsandterritories
The charter and France • In 1999 the charter was signedby Lionel Jospin • The charter was not consideredincompatiblewiththeConstitutionasthe Council of Europe (2009) states: „in so farasitdoes not aimtorecogniseandprotectminorities, but to promote Europe‘slinguisticheritage“
Promoting regional languages • 2001: General Delegation forthe French languagechanges ist nameto General Delegation for French languageandthelanguagesof France • Bernard Cerquiglini (2002) said: „forthefirst time sincethestatebegantoconcernitselfwithlanguage, an agencyisattemptingtopursuesimultaneously a policy in favourofthe national languageand in favourofotherlanguages“
AmendingtheConstitution • SeveralattemptstoamendtheConstitution in favourofratifyingthe Charter • Ségolène Royal vs. Nicolas Sarkozy
Sarkozy (2007) states: „If I am elected, I will not be in favourofthe European Charter for regional languages. I do not want in thefuture a European judge, with a different historicalexperienceofthequestionofminoritiesfromourown, todecidethat a regional languageshouldbeconsideredas a languageoftheRepublic in the same wayas French.“
AmendingtheConstitution • Variousdebatesconcerningamendmentdid not succeed • in July 2008 the French Parliamentvoted in favourof an amendment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:European_Charter_for_Regional_or_Minority_Languages_membership.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:European_Charter_for_Regional_or_Minority_Languages_membership.svg
Languagesprotectedbythe Charter http://languagecharter.eokik.hu/byLanguage.htm
German (language) presence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_as_a_minority_language
German as a minority language Situation (1.historical/2.political-educational/3.social attitude) in: • France (Alsace-Lorraine) • Italy ( South Tyrol) • Belgium (Arlon/Eupen/St Vith) • Denmark (Schleswig) Focus DiscussionConclusion
France : Alsace-Lorraine https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG http://www.visit-alsace.com/librairie/index_de.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17396/Alsace/253108/History
France : Alsace-Lorraine https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG
France : Alsace-Lorraine https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/world/strasbourg-journal-too-german-for-france-too-french-for-germany.html
France : Alsace-Lorraine https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/world/strasbourg-journal-too-german-for-france-too-french-for-germany.html
France : Alsace-Lorraine https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/world/strasbourg-journal-too-german-for-france-too-french-for-germany.html
France : Alsace-Lorraine http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/world/strasbourg-journal-too-german-for-france-too-french-for-germany.html https://mrshealyhistoryclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Map_Alsace_2.PNG/276141018/Map_Alsace_2.PNG
Overview: Language use of German (Alsace-Lorraine) http://ec.europa.eu/languages/euromosaic/fr1_en.htm
Italy : South Tyrol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Tyrol http://www.travelplan.it/img/trentino.jpg
Italy : South Tyrol http://www.travelplan.it/img/trentino.jpg
Italy : South Tyrol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Tyrol#Languages http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechtliche_Stellung_der_deutschen_Sprache_in_S%C3%BCdtirol http://www.travelplan.it/img/trentino.jpg http://www.provinz.bz.it/astat/download/JB2012_K3.pdf
Italy : South Tyrol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Tyrol#Languages http://www.provinz.bz.it/astat/download/JB2012_K3.pdf http://www.travelplan.it/img/trentino.jpg
Italy : South Tyrol http://www.oru.se/PageFiles/56054/MELUZZI%20Two%20groups%20two%20worlds.pdf http://www.travelplan.it/img/trentino.jpg
Overview: Language use of German (South Tyrol) http://www.sdf.bz.it/ http://www.suedtirolerland.it/de/kalender/ http://www.stv.bz.it/ http://www.bls.info/film-location/filmfoerderung Ulrich Ammon: Die international Stellung der Deutschen Sprache P.73 (de Gruyter edition)
Belgium: Arlon – Eupen & St Vith http://indoorkartworldchampionship.com/assets/images/eupenmap.JPG http://www.geographicguide.net/europe/maps-europe/belgium.htm http://www.welt-atlas.de/karte_von_ardennen_1-508