LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 17.OCT.1999 (04) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

 =========================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 17.OCT.1999 (04) * ISSN 1089-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =========================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =========================================================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =========================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: "Language politics"

> From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
> Subject: Language politics
>
> Which (though by no means "extreme") leads me to ask if any of
> the European
> (specifically Lowlands-based) sign languages are officially recognized as
> minority languages.

I believe that all the main sign languages of the EU have been recognised by
the European parliament for years now, though not necessarily by the
governments of their own countries. British Sign Language, for example, is
an official EU language, but is not recognised by the British goverment
(unless the situation has changed since I last heard about it).

Sandy
http://scotstext.org

----------

From: "Ian James Parsley" <parsleyij at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" [E]

All,

While on the subject of language politics, I would like to enlist a bit
of
help from our Frisian friends, for it is their language that to me
provides
the best example of successful promotion of an obsolescent language. I
think
our Scots, Appalachian and Low Saxon friends have a lot to learn from
what
they have managed in the past century.

Promotion of Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland (like Scots in Scotland,
I
suspect) has now ground to a halt. In June the NI Civil Service
promised
funding for the job of "Ulster-Scots Language Director", namely
somebody who
would be in charge of promoting the language - bizarrely, you see,
nobody on
the Ulster-Scots Language Society Committee actually speaks the
language
:-), let alone knows anything about language politics.

This post is absolutely essential. A lot of things written that are
passed
off as Ulster-Scots are not in fact Ulster-Scots at all, but rather
English
with some Scots words thrown in. Nobody in charge of developing
Ulster-Scots
"culture and heritage" knows anything about the language, yet obviously
the
language is the most important part of the movement.

However, since June the funding has not been available, and the NI
Civil
Service simply refuses to speak to the Ulster-Scots Heritage Council
about
the promised money.

In my view this is hardly surprising - the USHC seems to have no plan
for
language promotion and nobody lined up to make use of the money. There
are
no Ulster-Scots events being organised by the USHC (I am organising
language
classes personally in my spare time), no leaflets being printed and the
website has read only "Site under construction" for 18 months. It is
quite
clear that the USHC itself can no longer be responsible for promoting
the
language, because it is abjectly failing to do so.

The question is, what to do now? The language does need some kind of
"development officer". Promotion material needs to be published. "Teach
Yourself" books need to be written. But, at the minute, this has to be
done
by volunteers (because the full-time workers simply know nothing about
it!).

I would very much appreciate advice from list members on where to go
now. Is
getting into the education system a priority? If so, how? Is publishing
"Teach Yourself" books really necessary at this stage? How do you go
about
promoting the language generally? How do you set up an Ulster-Scots
Language
Academy (which I wanted the Language Director to do)? Where is the best
place to look for funding?

All these problems have been overcome by our Frisian friends and
others, so
all assistance is welcome!

Best,
-------------------------------
Ian James Parsley
http://www.gcty.com/parsleyij
"JOY - Jesus, Others, You"
REPLY NOT WORK? TRY:
parsleyij at hotmail.com

----------

From: Berend Klönne [beronnie at wxs.nl]
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 16.OCT.1999 (03) [E/LS]

Laaglaanders / Ron /Reinhard,

Mien schrieven  was bedoeld as 'n neisbrief angaonde de bedreigde taolen in
Europa,  en aandre werelddielen.  Vraog an Ron / Reinhard  of e de reakties
op mien schrieven  in disse  in 't vervolg , idem as e dot met 't Drents
naor
't Engels, van 't Engels naor 't Drents wil overzetten??

Leeglaanders,

Ie kriegt de groeten uut 'de olde lantschap Drenthe'
Goed gaon,
                      Berend Klönne
beronnie at wxs.nl
http://home.wxs.nl/~beronnie/

----------

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Language politics

Leve Berend,

Du hest baven schreven:

> Vraog an Ron / Reinhard  of e de reakties
> op mien schrieven  in disse  in 't vervolg , idem as e dot met 't Drents
> naor 't Engels, van 't Engels naor 't Drents wil overzetten??

Dat Drentsche kann ick nich, heff avers an't Lesen Vermaak un kann Dien Dialekt
to meerst good verstaan.  Ick kann Die de Reaktschonen in mien oosterschen
Dialekt vun us neddersassische Spraak verklaren, avers ick weet nich, of Die dat
'n Hölp is.

Sülven harr ick schreven, dat ick 't snaaksch find, dat de Silbo-Flöötspraak nu
offietschell gellen dait, wenn se nu maist uutstorven is.  Is dat so, wiel dat
de Minschen up dat Eiland düsse Spraak as 'n bedüden Deel vun jüm er
Kultuur-Aarv' ankiekt?

In disse Uutgaav' anter Sandy up mien Fraag' vun wegen Tekenspraken för dove
Minschen, of se as Spraken offietschell gellen doot, liek as de
Silbo-Flöötspraak nu up de Kanaarschen Eilannen gellen dait.  Sandy verklaar,
dat 't up elk een Tekenspraak un up elk een Land ankümmt.  To'n Biespill dait de
ingelsche Tekenspraak in de EU gellen, ofschoonst se in't Vereenigte Königsriek
nich offietschell gellen dait.

Ian fröög' us freesschen Liddmaten (in de Nedderlannen?) üm Raad.  De Kampanje
för dat Schottsche vun Ulster (Noord-Ierland) is nu up Grund lopen, un Ian wull
weten, wat 'n doon schull üm se wedder up de Been to hölpen.

Beste Gröten,

Reinhard/Ron

==================================END======================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =========================================================================