New map showing signatories to European Charter on linguistic minorities

[Iolo Madoc Jones]

Hi Dr Fraser

 

It is true that longer established immigrant languages certainly do seem
to attract a greater degree of interest in most countries but, with
reference to the hierarchy of rights you suggest, would it not be the
case that whilst individuals may be thought of as deserving similar
language rights, languages should be afforded different rights according
to their status. Cornish is a language that is not spoken outside of
Cornwall  and is endangered. I am not sure Urdu would be considered an
endangered language. Cymraeg (Welsh) my own language  will soon be
overtaken by Panjabi or Bengali as the second most widely spoken
language in the UK- but I would still argue for particular rights to be
accorded to speakers of Cymraeg based on the argument the language is
endangered and not spoken by an appreciable number of people outside of
Wales. I am sure you know this argument so,  as a student rather than an
established academic in this area, I am making the point because I would
be  interested in your, or anyone else's response...

 

________________________________

From: owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Anthea
Fraser Gupta
Sent: 19 Mai 2007 16:29
To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Subject: RE: New map showing signatories to European Charter on
linguistic minorities

 

Let's not forget that this protects only 'indigenous' linguistic
minorities, and not 'immigrant' linguistic minorities. 

 

You can read about this policy at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/regmin_en.
html

 

and see the list of the languages identified as 'regional and minority
languages' at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/euromosaic
/index_en.html

 

I'm not against 'regional and minority languages', but I do think
speakers of widely spoken 'immigrant' languages (awful expression)
deserve rights too. I would certainly argue (indeed, have argued) that
in the UK, for example, the linguistic minority who speak Urdu have a
better case for protection than those who speak Cornish.

 

Anthea

*     *     *     *     * 
Anthea Fraser Gupta (Dr) 
School of English, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
<www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/afg> 
NB: Reply to a.f.gupta at leeds.ac.uk 
*     *     *     *     * 

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