Ed. 12 - January 2007 (fwd)

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Catalan Language News 12 - January 2007

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WHO ARE WE?
The Catalan Language Observatory was set up in 2004 by cultural organisations from
all the Catalan-speaking lands, with the purpose of monitoring the Catalan language
rigorously and objectively.

MEMBERSHIP
The following organisation s are members of the Observatory:
· Acció Cultural del País Valencià
· Associació de Juristes per la llengua
· Casal Jaume I de Fraga
· Casal Jaume I de Perpinyà
· Centre Internacional Escarré per a les Minories Ètniques i les Nacions (CIEMEN)
· Centre Unesco de Catalunya
· Comitè de Seguiment de la Declaració Universal de Drets Lingüístics
· Consell de Col·legis d'Advocats de Catalunya
· Culturalnord
· Fundació Congrés de Cultura Catalana
· Institut Linguapax
· Obra Cultural Balear
· Observatori de la Universitat d'Alacant
· Omnium Cultural
· Omnium Cultural de l'Alguer
· Organització pel Multilingüisme
· Plataforma per la llengua

With the support of:
· Institute of Catalan Studies
· Television of Catalonia
· IJLV - the Joan Lluís Vives Institute -, whose members are the following
universities:
- Abat Oliba CEU University
- Autonomous University of Barcelona
- International University of Catalonia
- Jaume I University
- Miguel Hernández University (Elx)
- Open University of Catalonia
- Pompeu Fabra University
- Ramon Llull University
- Rovira i Virgili University
- Technical University of Catalonia
- Technical University of Valencia
- University of Alacant
- University of Andorra
- University of the Balearic Islands
- University of Barcelona
- University of Girona
- University of Lleida
- University of Perpinyà
- University of Valencia
- University of Vic

With the support of:

GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA


LINKS TO SITES WITH GENERAL INFORMATION ON CATALAN
Generalitat de Catalunya Government of Catalonia
Govern de les Illes Balears Government of the Balearic Islands
Generalitat Valenciana Government of the Valencian Community
Parlament de Catalunya Parliament of Catalonia
IEC Institute of Catalan Studies
institut Ramon Llull


THE CATALAN LANGUAGE IN THE NORTHERN CATALONIA (FRANCE)

NORTHERN CATALONIA (FRANCE), THE ONLY CATALAN TERRITORY OF THE EU WITHOUT OFFICIAL
RECOGNITION OF THE LANGUAGE

Northern Catalonia is a small territory of some 4,110 square kilometres which
shares Catalan history, language and tradition, but which was annexed by France by
virtue of the treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.
Northern Catalonia is at the present time the only part of Catalan speaking
territories which, even though being a part of the European Union as part of
France, where the Catalan language has no official recognition. Situated on the
periphery and bordering the autonomous Community of Catalonia (Spain), the
territory finds itself in an almost diametrically opposed linguistic situation:
subject to an adverse legal and institutional framework, the hostility of the
administrative and political authorities, with teaching in the Catalan language
completely insufficient, and carrying almost no weight within the means of
communication, the language finds itself in an ever diminishing use in the social
context. However, there are some hopeful prospects for the language and the
reversal of this situation in the future, thanks to continuously high social
demand.
The last attempt made by some 40 Deputies to amend the Constitution to include a
mention of "respect for regional languages" to article 2 which since 1992 has
determined that "the language of the Republic is French", took place on the 13th of
December 2006 and, once again, was defeated (57 votes against and 44 in favour).
The situation then remains the same in Northern Catalonia as in other bilingual
areas of the French state, where the legislation determines the sole and exclusive
use of French in all areas of public and official life. Moreover, Catalan speaking
French citizens, or speakers of other regional languages, are unable to appeal to
any international jurisdiction regarding language, given that France has not
ratified any of those articles which guarantee linguistic rights in international
treaties, including: Article 27 of the International Agreement over the Civil and
Political Rights, Article 30 of the International Convention of Children´s Rights ,
and obviously, the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages.
The legal framework conditions the institutions at all levels and in good part this
explains the situation in which the Catalan language is to be found today; its
evolution, the almost fragmented transmission through to younger generations, the
constantly diminishing mastery and capacity of expression, and its almost marginal
and testimonial social use. Due to the unwillingness of the French Government to
carry out any linguistic census, the only figures which we dispose of in
understanding the sociolinguistic panorama are found in surveys. The Regional
Council carried out two surveys in 1992 and 1998 and a more recent one was carried
out by the Sociolinguistic Institute of the Generalitat of Catalonia in 2003. The
figures of the three surveys coincide in showing that between half and two thirds
of the population state that they understand Catalan and between 20% one thi rd
state that they are unable to speak it in any form. The survey of 2003 found that
only 0.7% of the population use Catalan outside the sphere of family or friends.
In the public media (local radio France Bleu Roussillon and local television
Channel France 3), Catalan is practically inexistent; a few songs on the radio,
some 10 hours of programming annually on television. A local radio association with
limited means, Ràdio Arrels, exists, and broadcasts 24 hours a day in Catalan (five
hours live per day). Radio and television from the Corporació Catalana de Ràdio i
Televisió in the autonomous Community of Catalonia reach Northern Catalonia, more
or less clearly, although not all of them. However these won´t be long in
disappearing from the map given that the technological changes from the hertz to
digital system will probably bring an end to television reception in Catalan in
Perpignan, as the local French television authorities -Conseil Supérieur de
l´Audiovisuel, CSA- have no plans to include the Catalan channels from the south in
their programming.
The plight of Catalan in schools is the same as in other institutions: Catalan as
an obligatory subject is forbidden within the education system, as are any
languages other than French. Catalan is not even considered to be equal to other
"foreign" languages taught in schools. As such, students at secondary level are
unable to even choose Catalan as their first optional language after French in
courses and examinations at baccalaureate level. On top of these difficult
conditions, the French Education Department's own regulations are ignored when it
comes to regional languages, and the education authorities will do nothing to
comply with the social demand (optional, though that may be), in terms of the
teaching of or in Catalan.
In 2006, even though 40% of families wished to have the bilingual education
(Catalan/French) the young people who are able to a take advantage of this
represent only 3% of the school population (some 2500 students from 3 to 18 years
of age) after ten years of this possibility existing. Bilingual education in public
schools account for 74%, while the other 26% corresponds to private or associative
schools using the immersion system, and nursery schools (seven centres) and one
secondary school, Comte Guifre. The small number of associative schools using
Catalan is explained by the difficult situations -amongst those financial
questions- facing the opening of new centres and also by the legal system, which
prohibits immersion systems of teaching (following a sentence by the Council of
State regarding the Diwan Breton schools in 2001). It´s worth pointing out that the
immersion system is prohibited for languages other than French, obviously, which is
used in the teaching of all foreign students attending French schools as well as in
French schools overseas. At the present moment, 11% of the schools in Northern
Catalonia give bilingual classes (Catalan) in 42 centres.
Slightly more students benefit from the teaching of Catalan as a language
(awareness or development, of some 1 to 3 hours per week), some 15% distributed
between 20% in infant and primary and 6% in secondary. Even so, most of this
teaching is organised by the APLEC (the Association of the teaching of Catalan) and
funded by the Generalitat of Catalonia and local bodies, either municipal or
Department. That being said, the number of students who are able to receive
teaching in Catalan reflects the high number of families, some 60% to 80%, who are
in favour of their children learning the language. The only positive aspect of this
situation is the high level of demand in society and at the same time, the growing
prestige of the language, which is clearly linked to the fact that Catalan is an
official language in the communities of Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic
Islands, and in particular, the strength and economic and cultural development in
the neighbouring autonomous Community of Catalonia. Growing European integration
and development in relations across the border, and between Catalan speaking
communities themselves, has contributed to a rebirth in Catalan, in terms of both
language and identity, amongst the population of northern Catalonia. The high-speed
rail connection between Perpignan and Barcelona (45 minutes), planned for 2010, and
the socio-economic difficulties present in northern Catalonia (15% unemployment)
have favoured further contact with Catalan speaking communities.
However, there are a number of factors which are clearly contrary to a turnaround
in the situation of the language in northern Catalonia: the scarcity of resources
and personnel, (and even more importantly the lack of interest), shown by French
authorities towards the teaching of Catalan and its use in the media, the internal
migratory dynamic within France itself (less than half the population of northern
Catalonia are natives of the area) and existing discriminatory and restrictive
legislation regarding the so-called "regional languages".



PERSPECTIVES FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE LANGUAGE

                                          [PPCC]

Conditions do exist in northern Catalonia, however, for the possibility in coming
years of a phase of development in bilingualism, and as such, the recovery of the
Catalan language: given the high demand and the economic and professional benefits
that knowledge of Catalan may represent, tertiary education in Catalan in
Perpignan, the recruitment of bilingual teachers in the public teaching system, the
possibility of employing Catalan speaking teachers from across the border and the
growing recognition of the importance of conserving the Catalan language shown by
local institutions (Consell General of the Department Corporation and
administration in Nort hern Catalonia, and even more so in the Regional Council, an
administrative body formed by five Departments, four of which are not Catalan).
The Department of Catalan studies (Franco-Catalan cross-border Institute) at the
University of Perpignan, which since 1982 has annually educated dozens of students
and contributed year after year to the standardisation of Catalan teaching, turning
out around forty secondary teachers over the past twenty years, (the CAPES,
qualifying exams for Catalan teachers, have existed since 1992), must give priority
from now onwards to the preparation of new certification for bilingual teachers.
The lack of Catalan speaking teachers could also be compensated for quite easily by
means of collaboration (still in its early days), with the Generalitat of
Catalonia.
The French education system is quite capable, if it so desired, of extending a
bilingual education model to a large number of students. Certain regions, thanks to
greater identitory pressures, have been able to advance more in developing
bilingual education. Alsace has some 7% of its students in bilingual classes,
Corsica,13%, and the Northern Basque country, 30% (including private schools in
motion centres.) Obviously we are not speaking of an inaccessible utopia when
putting forward the possibility of Northern Catalonia entering into a phase of
development of bilingual education; a decisive step in the future of the language.
To sum up, the steps, timid as they may be, towards a growing decentralisation,
have influenced the growth in consciousness which is becoming more and more obvious
on behalf of local administration of the role that this is able to play in
safeguarding the language. As such, the General Council of Northern Catalonia is
consolidating its support for bodies which promote the teaching of Catalan and have
as an objective that all students in the territory have at least some knowledge of
the Catalan language and culture throughout their school careers. These bodies, and
more importantly the elected representatives, are probably those best placed to
force the educational administration -extremely centralised and strictly dependent
on Paris- to regalement the area of regional languages and to convince them to
generalise bilingualism.


OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST



Brief submitted to France by EBLUL in the United Nations (2005)

91 nordcatalanes municipalities are positioned in favor of catalan

Draft Bill completing the Toubon Law (2004) which completes the 1994 Toubon Law on
the use of French: le dispositif prévu par la loi relative à l´emploi de la langue
française (dite loi Toubon) of 1994.

Decree of creation of an academic council of the regional languages (2001)

Decree on bilingual teaching (2002)

Casa de la Generalitat a Perpinyà

University of Perpinya

Catnord

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