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<h1 class="gmail-section-theme-background-indicator gmail-publication-font">Belfast City Council to launch Language Strategy</h1><p>Irish and Ulster-Scots among the languages being built into the strategy to “promote, protect and enhance” them</p><div class="gmail-byline"><div class="gmail-sharebar"><ul><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-facebook" title="Facebook"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-twitter" title="Twitter"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-pinterest" title="Pinterest"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"></li><li class="gmail-count-shares"><span class="gmail-count-num">239</span><span class="gmail-count-text gmail-initial">Shares</span></li></ul></div><div></div><div class="gmail-article-information"><div class="gmail-author-information-container"><span class="gmail-author-label">By</span><div class="gmail-author"><a class="gmail-publication-theme" href="https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/authors/andrew-madden/">Andrew Madden</a></div></div><ul class="gmail-time-info"><li><time class="gmail-date-published" datetime="2018-05-11T11:32:15Z"></time>12:32, 11 MAY 2018</li><li><span>Updated</span><time class="gmail-date-updated" datetime="2018-05-11T11:33:55Z"></time>12:33, 11 MAY 2018</li></ul></div><div class="gmail-article-type gmail-publication-font"><a class="gmail-channel-name gmail-section-theme-highlight" href="https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/">News</a></div></div><div class="gmail-article-wrapper"><div class="gmail-content-column gmail-p402_hide"><figure class="gmail-in-article-image gmail-lead-article-image"><img src="https://i2-prod.belfastlive.co.uk/incoming/article14644703.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/GettyImages-922124410.jpg" alt=""></figure><div class="gmail-byline gmail-side-sharebar"><div class="gmail-sharebar"><ul><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-facebook" title="Facebook"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-twitter" title="Twitter"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"><a class="gmail-sharebar-icon gmail-icon gmail-pinterest" title="Pinterest"></a></li><li class="gmail-sharebar-provider"></li><li class="gmail-count-shares"><span class="gmail-count-num">239</span><span class="gmail-count-text gmail-initial">Shares</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="gmail-article-body"><div id="gmail-taboola-x-byline0" class="gmail-taboola gmail-taboola-x-byline gmail-tm-commercial-integrations-taboolax gmail-trc_related_container gmail-trc_spotlight_widget gmail-populated gmail-trc_tl gmail-trc_tl_responsive gmail-trc_tl_responsive_trc_6271"><div class="gmail-trc_rbox_container" style="display:block"><div><div id="gmail-trc_wrapper_6271" class="gmail-trc_rbox gmail-text-links-b gmail-trc-content-sponsored" style="overflow:hidden;display:block"><div id="gmail-trc_header_6271" class="gmail-trc_rbox_header gmail-trc_rbox_border_elm"><div class="gmail-trc_header_ext"><div class="gmail-logoDiv gmail-link-adc"><a class="gmail-trc_desktop_adc_link gmail-trc_attribution_position_top" rel="nofollow" href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=tmg-belfastlive&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text-links-b:byline text links:" target="_blank"><span class="gmail-trc_adc_wrapper"><span class="gmail-trc_adc_s_logo"></span> </span><span class="gmail-trc_logos_v_align"> </span></a></div><div class="gmail-logoDiv gmail-link-attribution"><a class="gmail-trc_desktop_attribution_link gmail-trc_attribution_position_top" rel="nofollow" href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=tmg-belfastlive&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text-links-b:byline text links:" target="_blank"><span>by Taboola</span><span class="gmail-trc_logos_v_align"> </span></a></div><div class="gmail-logoDiv gmail-link-disclosure gmail-attribution-disclosure-link-sponsored"><a class="gmail-trc_desktop_disclosure_link gmail-trc_attribution_position_top" rel="nofollow" href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=tmg-belfastlive&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text-links-b:byline text links:" target="_blank"><span>Sponsored Links</span><span class="gmail-trc_logos_v_align"> </span></a></div></div></div><div id="gmail-outer_6271" class="gmail-trc_rbox_outer" style="overflow:hidden"><div id="gmail-rbox-t2m" class="gmail-trc_rbox_div gmail-trc_rbox_border_elm" style="overflow:hidden"><div id="gmail-internal_trc_6271" style="width:auto"><div class="gmail-videoCube gmail-trc_spotlight_item gmail-origin-default gmail-thumbnail_none gmail-syndicatedItem gmail-videoCube_1_child gmail-trc-first-recommendation gmail-trc-spotlight-first-recommendation"><a title="Thinning Hair? 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Pour This On Your Head And Watch What Happens<span class="gmail-trc_inline_detail_spacer"> </span><span class="gmail-branding" style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle">(JuveTress)</span></span></span></a></div><div class="gmail-videoCube gmail-trc_spotlight_item gmail-origin-default gmail-thumbnail_none gmail-syndicatedItem gmail-textItem gmail-videoCube_2_child gmail-rightCol"><a title="Get Free Products like Compute, Storage and More" href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N572608.1006845TABOOLA.COM/B20911639.217959375;dc_trk_aid=416551861;dc_trk_cid=99623772;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="gmail-item-label-href"><span style="display:block" class="gmail-video-label-box"><span class="gmail-video-label gmail-video-title" style="display:inline">Get Free Products like Compute, Storage and More<span class="gmail-trc_inline_detail_spacer"> </span><span class="gmail-branding" style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle">(Microsoft Azure)</span></span></span></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-trc_clearer"></div></div></div></div></div><form class="gmail-skinny-signup gmail-skinny-signup-top gmail-publication-theme-border"><span class="gmail-skinny-header">Get <strong class="gmail-name">daily</strong> updates directly to your <strong>inbox</strong></span><div class="gmail-skinny-form"><input type="text"></div></form></div></div></div><form class="gmail-skinny-signup gmail-skinny-signup-top gmail-publication-theme-border"><div class="gmail-skinny-form"></div></form><p>Belfast City Council will next week launch its long-awaited Language Strategy for 2018-2023.</p> <p>The strategy will seek to “promote, protect and enhance” all languages found in the city, including Irish and Ulster-Scots.</p><div id="gmail-div-gpt-ad-vip-slot" class="gmail-gpt gmail-in-article" style="height:8px;max-height:8px"><div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/5293/belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news_2__container__" style="border:0pt none;margin:auto;text-align:center;width:8px"></div></div> <p>Sign
language, that of new communities coming to Belfast, and languages and
communications for disabled people will also be included.</p> <p> The Language Strategy is part of <a href="http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/all-about/belfast-city-council">the council</a> ’s long term plan for the city as set out in its Belfast Agenda. </p> <p>Such
a strategy will undoubtedly raise questions over one of main hurdles
preventing the return of a functioning Executive at Stormont: an Irish
Language Act.</p> <p>Similar to the draft deal that made headlines in
February, the council's strategy also has a similar "three-stranded
approach" to the issue, with a focus on Irish, Ulster-Scots and all
others languages.</p> <p>According to the strategy document, it will
“establish a transparent set of principles for promoting, protecting and
enhancing the linguistic diversity of the city” and increase the
profile of different languages, along with their associated traditions.</p> <p>It
will also seek to address staff training and capacity needs in relation
“to the role linguistic diversity has in the workplace and in the
delivery of services”.</p> <aside class="gmail-read-more-links">
<h5 class="gmail-publication-theme-icon gmail-publication-theme-border">Read More</h5>
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</aside> <p>Agreed by the council last year, the Language Strategy is
informed by a range of legislation, including the Good Friday Agreement,
the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the St Andrew’s Agreement.</p> <p>In
order to help deliver the strategy, the council agreed last year to
recruit two officers - one responsible for the “promotion, protection
and enhancement of Irish”, while the second officer will have
“responsibility for increasing access and inclusion for the other
languages”</p> <p>This week, BCC have advertised for the role of the
Irish language officer, after it was agreed by a majority of the council
last October.</p> <p>The second officer will also be recruited in the
coming weeks and the posts come with salaries of between £29,909 and
£32,333 per year.</p> <aside class="gmail-read-more-links">
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</aside> <p>Both officers are also expected to have "political sensitivity skills", according to the job descriptions.</p> <p>"The
ability to deal with sensitive issues, using political awareness and
sensitivity, when working with elected members, senior managers and
representatives of outside organisations," it reads.</p> <p>In October
2017, unionist councillors had proposed that one officer for all
languages be appointed, however the proposal was defeated in the
chamber.</p> <p> Lee Reynolds, <a href="http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/all-about/dup">DUP</a> group leader at BCC, said his party "haven't accepted the need for the two language officers". </p> <p>"There
was a political decision by the council and that is now being
implemented but, on the basis of what was identified as the needs of the
language groups in Belfast and how those would best be serviced, we
still believe that one officer would have been sufficient and could have
addressed the concerns of all the various language communities in
Belfast," he said.</p> <aside class="gmail-read-more-links">
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</aside> <p> Deirdre Hargey, <a href="http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/all-about/sinn-fein">Sinn Fein</a> council group leader, said it was "a good day for the council". </p> <p>"There's
a language framework that has now been agreed, which has Irish language
and Ulster Scots policies and also minority policy. It's within the
context of rolling out those frameworks that these posts have been
created," she said.</p>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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