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Mercator
Newsletter - n.23, April 2006 |
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From January 2005 the Mercator Common Newsletter is a monthly newsletter. This way you will be kept informed with more recent and updated information. |
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EUROLANG / MERCATOR LEGISLATION |
| The European Commission DG Education and Culture hosted a well attended conference in Brussels on Thursday and Friday last week gathering many of Europe’s lesser used language experts. The theme focused on education in lesser used languages with the commissioner Ján Figel indicating that in 2007 the Commission may support a new network to promote regional and minority languages in Europe. Ján Figel explained that “the Commission is committed to maintaining linguistic diversity” and how the regional and minority languages of Europe are a great wealth. He outlined that specific aims would be to raise awareness and actual language learning and that NGOs and governmental organisations alike should “get ready to take advantage of the opportunities coming up”. Mr Figel praised the success of the network of language boards, EBLUL and the Mercator Centres, highlighting EBLUL’s successful expansion eastwards into the new member states. He indicated that these organisations could together become “an enlarged network at the EU level”. The conference continued on Friday with EBLUL President Neasa Ní Chinnéide discussing EBLUL’s expansion eastwards and the success of PfD and Eurolang, and with the Mercator Network informing on its activities and its work done by almost 20 years. The conference closed with Head of the Commission’s Multilingualism Unit Jacques Delmoly suggesting that “perhaps what we should do is give a particularly favourable look at RML projects” when they are applying for funding. Related links ... |
| News April 2006 (links to the Mercator websites) |
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The BBC Charter: Irish Language Body Make a Submission Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, the umbrella body for the Irish Language Voluntary Sector with member organisations based in Northern Ireland, has expressed concerns with regard to the BBC Charter, which they say directly affects representations and visibility of Irish speakers within the BBC's constituency. The recent government White Paper accompanying the BBC Charter emphasises the need to ensure that the new BBC Trust - which will replace the current board of governors - "engages in genuine dialogue with licence fee payers" and works hard to "capture the views of those with whom the BBC's relationship requires most development" (3.5.3). According to Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, the principles that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has imposed on the new BBC Trust have not been followed by DCMS itself in the White Paper. They say the DCMS has failed to engage with the Irish-speakers in Northern Ireland, a constituency of licence fee payers which has made its concerns known through the consultation process. Another document associated with the Charter, the Framework Agreement, emphasises that the new BBC Trust must ensure that the BBC: "reflects and strengthens cultural identities through local, regional and national level"; "promotes awareness of different cultures and alternative viewpoints through content that reflects the lives of different people and different communities in the UK", and has regard to "the importance of appropriate provision in minority languages". Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge is concerned that DCMS may have failed to take measures to ensure appropriate provision for Irish, and in so doing has failed to reflect and strengthen an important cultural identity within the UK, or provide appropriate content that reflects the lives of different communities in the UK. An Chomhdháil has written to the BBC expressing the above views at bccharterreview@culture.gsi.gov.uk and invites supporters to do the same or to write to the following address: The Secretary, Call for Articles for ‘Cyfrwng: Media Wales Journal 4' Contributions are invited for the fourth issue of Cyfrwng, published in April 2007 by the University of Wales Press. Contributions should be submitted by 31 May 2006. The key aim of Cyfrwng is to provide a forum for the presentation of research and scholarly discussion concerning the media in Wales, namely film, television, new media, radio, journalism, theatre and performance studies. Articles should not exceed 8,000 words including notes and references. Please submit a printed copy of the article along with a copy via email attachment or a formatted disk. Articles should be accompanied by an abstract of 100 to 150 words, five or six keywords and the author's contact details. Articles can be submitted in English or Welsh and should follow the guidelines found on the Cyfrwng website: http://www.cyfrwng.com If you require further information, please contact the editor Dr Gwenno Ffrancon: info@cyfrwng.com Reviews of relevant published work (print or electronic) or productions
are also welcomed. News and Information about the 6th International Conference & Exhibition on Language Transfer in Audiovisual Media Free Access - Priceless Rights? The global media landscape is not without tensions today. The contrasts between worldwide and local distribution, between large supply and illiteracy, between language requirements and different audiovisual translation modalities are challenging and will be discussed during the conference. The current focus - Free Access - Priceless Rights? - addresses vital topics such as national and international language policies in the media, media access and the handling of legal aspects, e. g. copyrights. High on the agenda are topics such as audiovisual localisation (dubbing, subtitling, voiceover, interpreting for the media), access to news, information and entertainment (subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, live subtitling, sign language interpretation, audio description), literacy and multimedia, new technologies and tools, content and distribution, video games and legal rights. You can submit suggestions for a presentation in one of the parallel sessions or a workshop. Deadline for submitting proposals is: May 30, 2006. You can send your proposal by e-mail, fax or post to the following address: Prior to July 1st 240 Euro (After July 1st 290 Euro) Students 180 Euro Exhibition & Sponsorship Opportunities: ICWE GmbH Mrs Astrid Mendoza Leibnizstr. 32 10625 Berlin info@languages-media.com Court ruling in favour of Euskalerria Irratia After several years in the courts, a Nafarroa (Navarre) court ruling has upheld a lawsuit filed by Euskalerria Irratia, the only radio station that broadcasts in Basque in Iruñea, Pamplona, which was denied a broadcasting licence by the Navarre government in what some have seen as highly dubious procedures. Following the ruling, the government of Nafarroa will now have to organise
a new competition for the distribution of licences, although some fear
that new reasons will be found to deny licences. Basque language hotline on line Behatokia, the Basque Observatory of Linguistic Rights, has announced
to the press the presentation of a new website at http://www.euskararentelefonoa.com, to make it easier for citizens to avail themselves of Behatokia's service of channelling complaints, congratulations or queries regarding their language rights. Special software will allow Behatokia to deal faster and more efficiently with citizens' reports. Since the Basque Language Hot Line was started in 2001, Behatokia has opened over 4,000 inquiries thanks to this service. New Gaelic sports programme goes on air Gaelic sports fans can now tune into a new live sports programme, with
all the commentary and analysis in their own language. Spòrs,
which started an eight-week run on BBC2 Scotland on 27 April, will feature
regular coverage of shinty matches, as well as football reports from
the Scottish Premier League, exclusive coverage of the Scottish women's
football team's World Cup qualifiers and other sports. Establishment of association to promote .bzh internet domain The association pointBZH is currently being established with the aim of achieving the creation and promotion of .bzh as an internet domain, for Brittany, its language and its culture. The association seeks to raise awareness of the value of for Brittany of having its own domain dedicated to its language and culture and to apply to ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) for its creation. This will require some 40,000 euros which the association aims to raise. Support will also be sought from Breton elected representatives to apply pressure on the relevant authorities. For further information, contact: bodlore@gmail.com |
| Projects |
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Mercator-Education is in search of more Experts. In December 2005 Mercator-Education started the “Database of Experts”. This database creates an easy and quick access to all expertise in the field of European minority languages and it facilitates contacts and co-operation amongst colleagues in this domain. In the mean time more than 100 experts in the field of European minority languages, bilingualism and multilingualism, education and language policy subscribed. We thank all experts who subscribed! But we are still looking for more contacts, especially experts from the new EU-member countries are invited to subscribe. We believe that all experts can play a significant role through the database. Perhaps you are an expert yourself in the mentioned fields above, or perhaps you have a friend, colleague or acquaintance with a lot of knowledge in one of those fields. Experts are requested to subscribe to our database by filling in the simple form on our website, in which we ask for names and e-mail addresses. If you have provided us with information about other experts, we will contact the recommended experts for additional information. To subscribe to our database, click on: http://www.mercator-education.org/infotype/webpage/view.asp?objectID=3960 If you require any further information regarding our Database of Experts, please contact Mr. Cor van der Meer (cvdmeer@fa.knaw.nl) or Mrs. Elly Albers (ealbers@fa.knaw.nl). You can find the Database of Experts on our website: http://www.mercator-education.org and click on Databases. |
| Miscellany |
| Welsh National Data Base of Terms launched - MM |
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The Welsh Language Board have launched a Welsh National Database of Terms. The database is a free linguistic tool that will help people to use Welsh in all walks of life. The main aim of the database, which is on the Welsh Language Board’s website at http://www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk/, is to provide terms for people to use in different fields, especially when they are unsure about which Welsh term to use. Meri Huws, Chair of the Welsh Language Board told the press that, “The database is a significant development for Welsh users. We hope that it will give people confidence to use Welsh in different aspects of their work. This, eventually, will lead the way towards normalising the use of Welsh.” The database includes terms from the worlds of IT, retail, finance and education. Each and every term has been standardised by the Welsh Language Board Official Standardising Terms Team. Simplicity is the database’s key strength. It’s easy to search for a single terms or a combination of terms. In contrast to all other data bases, you can download terms to use in translating software memory. This will be a big help to translators in their work. Meri Huws said, “This is a ground breaking database and is internationally unique as you can download terms to your computer.” Mr Alun Pugh, Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language of the Welsh Assembly Government, said, “New words and terms can cause uncertainty but the database offers ready assistance. Since the launch of TermCymru, the Government’s translation service data base, we have seen how useful a database of terms can be as have translators and bilingual workers. The database is yet another important tool in expanding the services and resources available for Welsh speakers and learners and it realises one of the objectives of Iaith Pawb, the national action plan for a blingual Wales”. The Welsh Language Board is keen for other organisations to include their standardised terms in the National Database in order to develop the resource further. (Source: Eurolang) |
| Seminar to be held in Helsinki on best practices in bilingual environments and Bilingual Solutions in Public Service – MM |
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A seminar is to be held by The Swedish Assembly of Finland, the The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland on how the authorities can meet the demands of providing bilingual services. The seminar focuses on best practices of bilingual solutions in public service from a Finnish and European perspective. The seminar is to be held the 23rd of May 2006 in the Parliament House (main building) in Helsinki. The working languages are Swedish and English, interpretation is available. For registration, please contact The Swedish Assembly of Finland, by email folktinget@folktinget.fi or by phone +358 9 6844 250, no later than May 15th. For further information it is also possible to contact Veronica Hertzberg, veronica.hertzberg@kulturfonden.fi + 358 - 50 5819924. |
| New titles Library - ME |
| General: · Adult Learning Documentation and Information Network : Directory of Members 2005/2006 / [comp. by] Lisa Krolak. – Hamburg : UNESCO, 2005. – 160 p. – isbn 92-820-1148-8 · De Taalunie in 2004 en 2005: een tussenbalans / Nederlandse Taalunie. – Den Haag : Nederlandse Taalunie, 2005. – 32 p. · De omgang met meertaligheid / Guus Extra (Stúdzjemiddei Taalsintrum Frysk – GCO Fryslân, 22 april 2004). – Ljouwert : Taalsintrum Frysk – GCO Fryslân, 2004. – 16 p. · Sociolinguistic Studies on the Albanian language / [issue ed.] Eda Derhemi and Pandeli Pani – In: International Journal of the Sociology of Language – No. 178 (2006); special issue – issn 0165-2516 · International Obligations and National Debates: Minorities around the Baltic Sea / [ed. in chief] Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark; [co.ed.] Leena Huss, Stefan oeter and Alastair Walker. – Mariehamm, Finland, Åland : Åladn Islands Peace Institute, 2006. – isbn 9525265188 – 602 p. · Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at School in Europe / Eurydice. – Brussels : Eurydice, 2006. – isbn 9279005804 – 78 p. · Creating outsiders : Endangered Languages, Migration and Marginalisation, Foundation for Endangered Languages: Proceedings of the Ninth Conference, Stellenbosch, 18-20 November 2005 / [ed. by] Nigel Crawhall and Nicholas Ostler . - Bath : The Foundation for Endangered Languages, 2005. – isbn 095382487X – 184 p. · Language planning and policy in Europe, Vol. 1 : Hungary, Finland and Sweden / [ed. by] Robert B. Kaplan and Richard B. Baldauf Jr. – Clevedon [etc.] : Multilingual Matters, 2005. – isbn 1853598119 – 332 p. · Language planning and policy in Europe, Vol. 2 : The Czech Republic, The European Union and Northern Ireland / [ed. by] Richard B.Baldauf and Robert B. Kaplan. – Clevedon [etc.] : Multilingual Matters, 2005. – isbn1853598135 – 312 p. · Beyond Sovereignty: From Status Law to Transnationak Citizenship? / [ed. in chief] Osamu Ieda. – Sapporo : Hokkaido University; Slavic Research Center, 2006. – 412 p. Breton: · Keleier Ofis ar Brezhoneg : Actualités de la Langue Bretonne. – Niv. 65 (2006). – Roazhon / Rennes : Ofis ar Brezhoneg / Office de la Langue Bretonne. Catalan: · Catalan: The Catalan language in education in France / Daniel
Sanchez ; [ed. by] Tsjerk Bottema. – Ljouwert / Leeuwarden : Mercator-Education,
2005 – Regional Dossiers Series – issn 1570-1239 (also available
as PDF-document on http://www.mercator-education.org
· Naar school in Wûnseradiel : onderzoek naar schoolprestaties
in de gemeente Wûnseradiel / Bernadet de jager, Marjan Klunder
en Jehannes Ytsma. – Ljouwert / Leeuwarden : Fryske Akademy, 2002.
– 26 p. · Lithuanian : The Lithuanian language in education in Poland / Tomasz Wicherkiewicz ; [ed. by] Sytske de Jong. – Ljouwert / Leeuwarden : Mercator-Education, 2005 – Regional Dossiers Series – issn 1570-1239 – 36 p. Romani and Beash: · Romani and Beash : The Romani and Beash languages in education
in Hungary / Kinga Mandel ; [ed. by Sytske de Jong]. – Ljouwert/
Leeuwarden : Mercator-Education, 2005. – issn 1570-1239 -58 p.
· Slovene: The Slovene language in education in Austria / Eithne
McLaughlin ; [ed. by Tsjerk Bottema] –2nd. ed. - Ljouwert / Leeuwarden
: Mercator-Education, 2005. – Regional Dossiers Series –
isbn 1570-1239 (also available as PDF-document on http://www.mercator-education.org) |
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