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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="center">=====================================================<br>
<b>L O W L A N D S - L - 04 August 2010 - Volume 02</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="center"><a href="mailto:lowlands.list@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="" lang="FR">lowlands.list@gmail.com</span></a> - <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/" target="_blank"><span style="" lang="FR">http://lowlands-l.net/</span></a><br>
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<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">From: <span class="gd"><span style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">DAVID COWLEY</span></span><span class="gi"> </span><span class="go"><<a href="mailto:DavidCowley@anglesey.gov.uk">DavidCowley@anglesey.gov.uk</a>></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Subject: <span class="gi">LL-L
"Language politics" 2010.08.03 (02) [AF-EN]</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">A future for Low Saxon? Look
at the history of Welsh from the 1960s, when Welsh had a far lower official
standing, but over 500 000 speakers.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Some of the key areas of
action since then have been:</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">- Widespread official use of
Welsh in signs and documents - Safeguarding of availability of services through
Welsh, particularly where the language is strongest; this means many
Welsh-essential jobs in many government depts, local authorities, and other
agencies - Safeguarding of Welsh-medium primary education in traditionally Welsh-speaking
areas, extension of high school education Welsh education in these areas -
Govt-supported/ funded Welsh TV and radio - Support for Welsh schools in
English-speaking areas (in which there are now many schools) - support for
Welsh publishing</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">The policy was to make Welsh
used in as many areas of modern life as possible - that one has the option to
use Welsh as much as they'd like to. Note the point about Welsh-essential jobs:
the message to the young is that its worth doing well in Welsh, and for parents
the message is that sending your children to a bilingual school will mean
better job prospects. Particularly in areas where Welsh has been strong, this combination
of support (as listed above) has I think done much to stabalise the situation
and many people are proud to use their Welsh. In the more English-speaking
areas, the numbers of young Welsh speakers are rising, and whilst many may not
use it much outside school, the value of bilingualism in terms of better school
results seems also to play a part in keeping the demand rising. Not perfect,
and there are cases where there are still problems, but by and large, Welsh is
quite well shielded from erosion.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">If Low Saxon (and North
Friesian also) are going to be saved, I'd suggest they'd need these kinds of
background support. In Wales, there was enough organisation and support to make
that happen, and (maybe crucially) numbers of people - often well educated and
respected - willing to break the law as last resorts, and go to prison, to get
these things. I think the potential for any European language to do well and survive
is very much in the hands of its speakers - are there enough of them who can be
bothered to make the effort to push the case for change?</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">(btw I don't know much about
Afrikaans, and whilst it is I think it has become more widely known that the
British were (sadly) very cruel to Boer families in 1899-1902, I think its true
to say that earlier the Boers had cruelly hunted out the native San (bushmen)
and others from the land themselves. Then lately, having ruled S Africa along racial lines 'with an iron fist' for
several decades, it isn't so surprising that Afrikaans finds itself much lower
down the pecking-order now)</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">David Cowley</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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