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<h1>A lost language twin</h1>
<h2> An Irishwoman’s Diary about minority languages </h2>
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<img title="Young dancers perform at a fiesta in Hernani in the Basque Country. Photograph: Paddy Woodworth" alt="Young dancers perform at a fiesta in Hernani in the Basque Country. Photograph: Paddy Woodworth" class="" src="http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.1761898.1397495221%21/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg" height="330" width="620"> <p>
Young dancers perform at a fiesta in Hernani in the Basque Country. Photograph: Paddy Woodworth</p>
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<p class="">Kate Fennell</p>
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<ul><li><strong>Topics:</strong></li><li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/culture">Culture</a></li><li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?article=true&q=Heritage">Heritage</a></li><li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Basque%2BGovernment&article=true">Basque Government</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=University%2BOf%2BDeusto%2BIn%2BBilbao&article=true">University Of Deusto In Bilbao</a></li><li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news">Ireland</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=San%2BSebastian">San Sebastian</a></li><li><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Spain">Spain</a></li>
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<p><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/a-lost-language-twin-1.1761901#">Tue, Apr 15, 2014, 02:00</a></p>
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<p><strong>First published:</strong> Tue, Apr 15, 2014, 02:00</p>
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<p class="">Debate surrounding the Irish language has
recently been bubbling up again on this page. It is heartening, however,
to remember that we are not alone with our minority language challenge.
As part of my research into Basque/Spanish language policy with the
University of Deusto in Bilbao several years ago I discovered that the
tapestry of people who had passionate thoughts and feelings about Basque
was as rich and varied as that at home concerning Irish. </p>
<p class="">Living in an officially bilingual society
abroad felt like encountering a long lost twin with whom you discover
you have much in common. Yet, as you delve deeper, you realise there are
differences. </p>
<p class=""> Basque culture and language suffered
repression under Franco’s regime; the region experienced huge emigration
in the 19th century, losing at least three-quarters of its population
to America; the language came to be regarded as only fit for peasants;
Spanish became the language of sophistication and commerce; the cause
became political and violent and the language a symbol of identity and
freedom.
The sentiment behind the phrase tiocfaidh ár lá
is still cherished by many who want full independence from <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Spain&article=true">Spain</a>. </p>
<p class="">In contrast to the Gaeltachts, however, the
Basque Country is a wealthy, industrialised region; it already had a
wealthy merchant class in the 1500s. Its language has been supported
constitutionally by the autonomous Basque government since 1978 and is
required for a job in the civil service. The exams are not a pushover.
Most spend months and years preparing for them.</p>
<p class="">One other very big difference is that the equivalent of our gaelscoileanna –
<em>ikastolas</em>
– have been in existence since the 1980s and have proven such a success that in a private university in <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=San%20Sebastian&article=true">San Sebastian</a> half the degree courses are offered through Basque. </p>
<p class="">A strong government policy and a pride in
culture and language have obviously helped. Even the word to describe a
Basque person –
<em>Euskaldun</em>
– actually means “Basque-speaker”, so identity is
intrinsically linked with their language. Indeed, the Basque language is
visible and audible on a daily basis in all walks of life. The
conundrum, however, is that while the percentage of people who know
Basque has increased the percentage who use it with other Basque
speakers in everyday life has decreased. </p>
<p class="">What’s the point in saying that a language is a
way of expressing a nation if the majority of the people who know it
aren’t actively speaking it? And how do we peacefully merge the native
and non-native speakers without one accusing the other of being a
“language snob”? Surely, it’s using the knowledge of the language that
matters and not merely having it stored in the language compartment of
your brain? </p>
<p class="">What if we were trying to revive Irish
traditional music but it was confined to our classrooms? Why try to
sustain such a thing as a native language if it is not going to play an
intrinsic part in shaping the nation? And how possible is this if one
tries to simultaneously remain open to other nations and play a
progressive part in our globalised world?</p>
<p class="">Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam. If this is true,
and I feel it may be, then there is still much work to be done to solve
the riddle of how to strengthen any minority language effectively. The
Basques have some of the answers, but not all of them. Many people there
still feel obliged to learn the language and so are put off by the
sense of compulsion. It’s a difficult language for many Spanish speakers
to learn and speak. Part of the language movement is politically
motivated, which alienates still others. </p>
<p class="">One of the Basque teaching academies, Zenbat
Gara, believes in motivating students to learn the language through
enjoyment and concentrates on getting them to experience the culture
through activities while actively using and learning the language. Their
operation includes a thriving restaurant and the best live music venue
in Bilbao. The success rate is high. They may be closer to solving the
riddle than most. </p>
<p class="">We Irish, on the other hand, are in the Basque
people’s bad books. The official word on the street is that “the Irish
gained their territory and lost their language”, that “the Irish have no
pride”. (This from the diehards of the language who have not yet done
their research in <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Ireland&article=true">Ireland</a>
as I did there.) The only way I found to counter that was to give them a
good blast of the boggiest Connemara Irish I know, throw in a few
almighty mallachts and send them on their way. It’s at least one way of
keeping the sound of Irish alive.</p>
<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/a-lost-language-twin-1.1761901">http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/a-lost-language-twin-1.1761901</a><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>**************************************<br>
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