Our Publications

Accessibility for Regional or Minority Languages to EU programmes. A practical assessment

Authorship: Helga Kuipers-Zandberg and Anna Fardau Schukking, Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning. Project coordinators: Cor van der Meer, Mercator Research Centre, and Vicent Climent-Ferrando, Government of Catalonia

The Resolution of the European Parliament on a Community Charter of Regional Languages and Cultures and on a Charter of Rights of Ethnic Minorities (OJ C 287 9 November 1981) created a separate budget line to provide support to regional and minority languages (RMLs) (Gazzola, Grin, Häggman, & Moring, 2016). In 1998, however, this budget line for regional and minority languages was suspended as a result of a ruling delivered by the Court of Justice. This has had devastating effects for these languages, as the support for these languages is now provided through a broader framework (known as mainstreaming), along with other (non-language or non-regional/minority-language) related projects. RMLs had to face a new paradigm, that is, competing with more powerful languages for financial support as well as identifying new, unexplored possibilities for funding (as language is transversal and can be part of a larger objective when applying for funding), but lower chances of acceptance in competing with stronger and/or larger language communities.

This report represents a first attempt to investigate how funding opportunities for RMLs have been used and allocated over the period 2014-2020. It is the joint result between the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning, hosted by the Fryske Akademy, and the Directorate-General for Language Policy of the Government of Catalonia, with the financial support of the European Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity.

Analysing the EU agreements with Spain and the UK on the use of Regional or Minority Languages. A practical assessment

Authorship: Eva Pons Parera and Katharina Jiménez Weese, Universitat de Barcelona. Editor/coordinator: Vicent Climent-Ferrando, Government of Catalonia

The European Union (EU)’s language policy does not include Regional and Minority Languages (RMLs) as official EU languages. Some EU institutions, however, have reached an administrative agreement with the UK and the Spanish Governments on the use of certain RMLs (Basque, Catalan, Galician, Welsh and Scots Gaelic), respectively. In both cases, translations are provided by the government of the Member State concerned, only when requested and at its own expense. These language communities are often not aware of the use of these agreements.

The aim of this report is to evaluate these agreements to see how (in)effective these have been. The report also explores the possibilities of expanding these agreements to other RMLs in other Member States.

The present report has been developed by researchers from the University of Barcelona and coordinated by the Directorate-General for Language Policy of the Government of Catalonia, with the financial support of the European Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity.

High school reform and territorial language teaching in France

Authorship: Office Public de la Langue Bretonne (OPLB)

The controversial Law 2019-791 for a school of confidence, promoted by Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer and adopted by the National Assembly on 4 July 2019 at the end of a tortuous legislative process, represents the greatest threat to the fragile recovery of France’s historical languages.

This article analyses the principles and impact of the reform on territorial languages teaching in France and concludes with a set of reccomendations to contribute to the promotion and study of the territorial languages in the country.

La version en anglais de cet article est disponible ici.

Réforme du Lycée et enseignement des langues territoriales en France

Authorship: Office Public de la Langue Bretonne (OPLB)

La controversée loi 2019-791 pour une école de la confiance, promue par le ministre Jean-Michel Blanquer et adoptée par l’Assemblée Nationale le 4 juillet 2019 au terme d’un processus législatif tortueux, représente la plus grande menace pour la fragile reprise des langues historiques de France.

Cet article analyse les principes et incidences de la réforme sur l’enseignement des langues territoriales en France et conclut une série de recommandations pour contribuer à la promotion et à l’étude des langues territoriales en France.

The English version of this article is available here.

2019 NPLD-Coppieters Campus: Activating the social use of minority languages

Authorship: Directorate-General for Basque Promotion of the Government of the Basque Country, Directorate-General for Language Policy of the Catalan Government and the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Board.

Eighty language planners, politicians, university researchers and representatives of associations from regions all over Europe gathered in Donostia/San Sebastian (Spain) on 17-18 October 2019 to participate in the second edition of the NPLD-Coppieters Campus. The aim of the two-day meeting was to learn from each other’s best practices in the field of language planning to “activate the social use of minority languages” in different spheres of life.

The representatives of the Basque Country focused their presentations on the Euskaraldia project. Two projects to promote the Catalan language among large companies, (Emmarca’t) and among small businesses led by newcomers (Ofercat), were presented by the Government of Catalonia. Finally, the transmission of Welsh language within families was presented as the focus of the Welsh Language Board project. This report is a summary of the good practices presented during the Campus.

The ECCA project: kick-off meeting and tools

Authorship: Elija Lutze, Universitat Jaume I / Xarxa Vives d’Universitats (Vives Universities Network)

In this report, the author explores some of the tools that the European Charter Classroom Activities (ECCA) project intends to develop during the 2019-2020 academic year in order to contribute to the dissemination of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) and to raise awareness among young European citizens about the value of linguistic diversity through education. This includes developing activities and teaching units and competitions, creating a website and ECRML-related content for social networks, preparing modules for universities, organizing meetings, conferences and a school exchange.

Read the original article in Catalan here.

The ECCA project: contents and aims

Authorship: Elija Lutze, Universitat Jaume I / Xarxa Vives d’Universitats (Vives Universities Network)

The author briefly addresses the issue of linguistic diversity and then explores some of the characteristics of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the most important legal instrument for the protection and promotion of linguistic diversity in Europe. Finally, he explains the contents and objectives of the European Charter Classroom Activities (ECCA) project, which brings the principles of the Charter into the classroom.

The ECCA project is granted by NPLD and developed by the following partners: Comun General de Fascia (Province of Trento, Italy), as leading partner, Province of Friesland (Friesland, The Netherlands), ARLeF (Friuli, Italy), Afûk (Friesland, The Netherlands), University of Udine-CIRF (Friuli, Italy), Vives Universities Network (Valencia, Spain) and Partium Christian University (Oradea, Romania).

Read the original article in Catalan here.

Zornotzako Barnetegia. Dedicated to Basque language acquisition among adults for the last 25 years

Authorship: Mikel Etxebarria Etxeita, president. Aurten Bai Foundation

The main objective of the Basque Country government’s language policy following the Francoist dictatorship was the revitalisation and normalisation of the Basque language among the population (young and old). This article provides a comprehensive overview of how Zornotzako Barnetegia created a recipe for success in Basque language acquisition among adults with the implementation of a residential language programme in 1993.

Measuring the vitality of languages in Catalan society

Authorship: Directorate-General for Language Policy, Government of Catalonia

This report is based on the conclusions of the latest Survey on Language Use of the Population 2018 recently published by the Government of Catalonia, which primary goal is to measure the health and vitality of Catalan and Occitan in the Aran Valley (both official languages of Catalonia, along with Spanish) as well as the use of other languages by the population of Catalonia. These data are crucial as they act as a thermometer of the strength of Catalan and Occitan languages as well as the use of lingua francas, such as English or French, along with the presence of the languages brought to Catalonia by migration. It is, in sum, a useful tool needed to develop sound language policy and planning.

NPLD Position Paper & Action Plan 2019-2020

Authorship: Vicent Fenollar i Sastre is the Policy and Outreach Manager at the NPLD

In 2015 the NPLD published The European Roadmap for Linguistic Diversity, in order to substantiate and formalize the strategic aims of its policy and practical work for the benefit of the Constitutional, Regional or Smaller State (CRSS) languages, that are used within and among the members of the network. Due to changes in the conditions regulating and facilitating the promotion of these languages, both internationally and at national and regional levels, the NPLD now has renewed and developed a document, that for the closest future will function with similar, language policy aims as the Roadmap.

’21 Días co Galego e +’ (21 Days with Galician and More)

Authorship: Gregorio Ferreiro Fente is a Galician Language and Literature teacher in secondary education; he is currently working as technical teaching advisor at the General Secretariat of Language Policy of the Galician Government (Spain)

Under the title ’21 Días co Galego e +’ (21 Days with Galician and More). Establishing the habit of using the Galician language at all times and in all places, this report focuses on an intriguing project that aims to motivate school-age young people to use the Galician language in the multiple activities in which they interact socially every day.

Brexit and its consequences for the autochthonous regional or minority languages of the UK

Authorship: Professor Diarmait Mac Giolla Chríost, Cardiff University, Wales, UK, and Dr Matteo Bonotti, Monash University, Australia

The first issue of the series NPLD Focus Reports presents a brief overview of the potential implications of Brexit for the autochthonous regional or minority languages of the UK, noting that there are a range of issues in the areas of law and of public policy, as well as in terms of values.