French Academy sees linguistic diversity endangering national identity

[Joseph Reisdoerfer]

21/06/08 06:17, « Dennis Baron » <debaron at illinois.edu> scripsit :

> There's another new post on the Web of Language
> <http://www.illinois.edu/goto/weboflanguage> :
> 
> French Academy sees linguistic diversity endangering national identity
> 
> Right after the French Academy strongly denounced a constitutional revision
> recognizing linguistic diversity as part of France¹s heritage, the French
> Senate voted 
> <http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2008/06/19/le-senat-refuse-d-inscrire
> -les-langues-regionales-dans-la-constitution_1060100_823448.html>  2-to-1 to
> kill the measure.
> 
> Article 1 of the French Constitution defines France as an indivisible,
> secular, democratic republic.  On May 22, the French National Assembly voted
> all-but-unanimously ­ there was one negative vote ­ to modify that formula by
> adding the nation¹s many local languages to the short list of
> constitutionally-protected civic virtues: ³[France¹s] regional languages
> belong to its patrimony.² ....
> 
> 
> I really would prefer to have on this list a more sensible and scientific
> approach to the complex problem of minority languages in France.
> Writing e. g. that ³speakers of Yiddish were simply deported² when speaking
> Yiddish instead of French is nonsense !
> 
> It is true that during the XIXth century, the French government and especially
> The ³ Education Nationale² set up a policy to promote standard French, seen as
> the language of progress and national identity and unity,  and to eradicate
> minority languages.
> 
> Nowadays however, some progress has been made on this question and minority
> languages are fully recognized as a part of French culture:
> ³Le français est le bien de tous, et, notons-le, pour la première fois dans
> l¹histoire de notre pays, il est parlé de tous; l¹Etat se reconnaît toutefois
> une responsabilité envers l¹ensemble de son patrimoine linguistique, qu¹il
> s¹agisse de la langue officielle, des langues régionales, ou des langues sans
> assise territoriale.² Cerquiglini, Bernard, Michel Alessio, and Jean Sibille.
> Les langues de France. Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 2003: p. 9
> 
> Finally, one must never forget that those who defend and promote minority
> languages have an hidden political agenda. In France separatism and the
> defense of minority languages are often linked. (on this question, cf. the
> interview given by senator Jean-Luc Mélenchon:
> http://www.lefigaro.fr/lefigaromagazine/2008/06/13/01006-20080613ARTWWW00422-l
> es-langues-regionales-dans-la-constitution-.php
> 
> JR
-- 
Dr Reisdoerfer Joseph, hdr
Affiliation: Professeur à l'Athénée grand-ducal; Professeur associé à
l¹Université du Luxembourg
Adresse: 60, rue de la Chapelle, L-9513 Wiltz Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Tél & Fax: 352 552004; 352 552001
Courriel: joseph.resisdoerfer at ci.rech.lu
Pagina domestica:  
http://web.mac.com/charleselie1/iWeb/JR%20/Pagina%20domestica.html

 
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