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L O W L A N D S - L - 30 November 2010 - Volume 08<br>
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<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">From: <span class="gd"><span style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">Hellinckx Luc</span></span><span class="gi"> </span><span class="go"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Subject: <span class="gi">LL-L
"Language politics"</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Beste Marcus,</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">You wrote:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: navy;">So the "inferior" communities constantly loose their
elite to the "superior" communities. This brain-drain will continue
until the "inferior" language community collapses (Low Saxon has
reached this stadium, the African languages will last many more decades [if
they will reach this point at all, I hope they won't]).<br>
<br>
To stop the vicious circle you have to ignore their current lack of
"beskawing" and take measures to help them develop the same status as
the "superior" language community. Like a university for each
language community that brings together the elite of the language community and
educates them using their native language. Support programmes that stimulate
the creation of native language educational materials. Financial incentives to
use the native language in cultural production.<br>
<br>
As soon as it is financially interesting to produce native language content,
native language content will be produced. As soon as native language content
will be produced, native language content will be consumed. If you create the
right incentives you will thereby start a positive self-inducing current-loop
of cultural production and education.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">I doubt if even that would
be enough. Look at what happens to a "power-language" like French:</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/11/28/why-french-scholars-love-us-colleges" target="_blank">Why French Scholars Love U.S. Colleges - Room for Debate -
NYTimes.com</a></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">French scholars leaving France for the States, even though French is
still pretty dominant within France
(mildly speaking here ;=)). </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Sure, language itself is
(probably) not the main reason for this brain drain...but...you can't just
separate a language from the rest of the culture. Point is if the local
populace don't like their native culture, it will still go down the drain
anyway, including the language that is. On the other hand, local rolemodels can
play a significant role...but you do need many of those. They have to be
powerful, clever, sexy or rich...and preferably all of this at the same time
;=) A concerted, well-coordinated and long lasting effort, promoting local
culture, may then change attitudes...for a while.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Just fighting another
language/culture is of little use these days in my opinion, people are so much
more mobile for instance. Therefore, a seductive stance seems better...then
absorb and finally transform foreign influence...in other words: learn from
your "opponent", and use his force for your own benefit.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Kind greetings,</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">Luc Hellinckx,
Halle, Belgium</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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