ELL: RE: Re: RE: Asturian Language at the University

[john clissa]

Quite right. There must be some legal and democratic channel to voice one's
grievance on such deontological issues. If this list can serve you as a
petition, you have my support. As I too have a "beef" with the arrogance and
unethical paractice of an established institution in regards to a similar
matter, this email is also intended to disassociate myself from the
"Macdonald silent majority."

Best of luck

John
  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
[mailto:owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au]On Behalf Of Julia
Sallabank
  Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 1:25 AM
  To: endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
  Subject: ELL: Re: RE: Asturian Language at the University


  Can't the university fight back legally, if the ban is unconstitutional?
Has Spain signed the European Charter for Regional/Minority Languages?

  Best of luck

  Julia
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Toni Waho
    To: endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
    Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 2:11 AM
    Subject: ELL: RE: Asturian Language at the University


    Xulio – the oppression continues.  The ban on teaching an endangered
language must surely be an invitation by the authorities to stir the spirit
of revolution.  As bad as the news is, thank you for informing us about the
situation facing Asturian.  Toni Waho, Aotearoa (New Zealand).



    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
[mailto:owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au]On Behalf Of Xulio
Viejo Fernández
    Sent: Monday, 13 May 2002 23:39
    To: endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
    Subject: ELL: Asturian Language at the University



    The Asturian language, a non official romance language spoken in NW
    Spain, is taught at the University of Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) from
    1984. These classes were the result of the statements on protection
    and teaching of the language included in Asturian autonomous laws, and
    have been continuously supported by the majority of the university
    community, as well as the students, who enrolled massively in spite of
    being optional, not compulsory courses.

    Last week, the Spanish Council of Universities notified the
    University of Oviedo the ban on offering these courses as part of its
    current studies, based on rather obscure political and administrative
    reasons. This ban (which contradicts the spirit of the Spanish
    Constitution and the Asturian autonomous law, as well as the
    democratically expressed will of the University itself and most of the
    teachers and students of the Faculty of Philology) is a harsh attack
    not only to the scientific study of the Asturian language, but a
    serious problem for the training of teachers of other educational
    levels. As a consequence, it seriously threatens the social survival
    of the language.

    Asturian is one of the world's endangered languages, according
    to the UNESCO Catalogue and the European Charter for Minority
    Languages, and is theoretically protected by both Asturian and Spanish
    laws.

    For more information, contact jviejo at correo.uniovi.es (Xulio Viejo
    Fernandez, Departament of Spanish Philology, University of
    Oviedo)



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