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- The use of the language in various fields
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OccitanIntroductionThe Aran Valley is a small (620 km2, pop. 7,130 in 1996) Occitan-speaking enclave in Catalonia, on the northern side of the Pyrenees. The Aranese voted in 1312 to belong to the kingdom of Aragon and Catalonia. Aranese, a variant of Gascon or western Occitan, is mentioned in the 1979 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia as deserving special respect and protection. In 1990, the Law on the special structures of the Val d’Aran gave Aranese official status, re-established the traditional political institutions, Conselh Generau (General Council) and Síndic (Chief Councillor), and granted them full powers to promote and teach Aranese. Until the 1970s the Aran Valley was plagued by emigration, mainly to neighbouring France and Catalonia, leading, as in other Pyrenean valleys, to an aging population and abandoned hamlets. Since 1970 new jobs in tourism have attracted many in-migrants, chiefly Spanish-speakers. The valley’s tourist industry offers winter sports and summer holidays; about 70% work in the service sector, and seasonal workers grow in number every year. 4,530 people (65%) speak Aranese, though only 25% claim they can write it (1996). These figures are up on the 1991 data, though 2% fewer claimed to understand it, probably due to newcomers. Fluency is most frequent among the young and the elderly. Literacy is very high among schoolchildren. The place of birth is, of course, a significant variable: more of those born in the valley are fluent in Aranese than are in-comers. Socio-professional status is also relevant, far more liberal professionals than qualified or unqualified workers being fluent. Catalonia’s 1998 Language Policy Act enhanced the legal recognition of Aranese, underlining that the Act also applies to Aranese. The Conselh Generau has an Office for the Promotion and Teaching of Aranese, which promotes and implements activities relating to the council’s language policy, including counselling and standardisation. The use of the language in various fieldsEducation: The Aranese variant of Occitan is taught, by law, to all schoolchildren in the valley, and most receive part of their primary education in Aranese, in Catalan and in Spanish. This has been thanks to in-service language courses for teachers, and to the language requirement be applied to teachers applying for work in the valley. Subsidies are available to make teaching material available in Aranese. Over 200 adults took courses in 2000. The courts: There are no civil or criminal courts in the valley, and there is no information about any use of the language in documents before the Justice of the Peace. Public Authorities and services: The valley council, and also much local council, uses Aranese in many texts. Vielha town council has a language promotion plan. In the area of promotion of its social use, Aranese has advanced in various areas. The Conselh Generau’s Office for the Promotion and Teaching of Aranese has encouraged citizens to play an active role by founding a Conselh Sociau der Aranés (Social Council for Aranese). A General Plan for Language Promotion was drafted and submitted to the Conselh Generau late in 1999. Mass media and Information technology: Three episodes of the Les Tres Bessones cartoon series have been dubbed into Aranese (with Generalitat support) and broadcast in Catalan and Aranese throughout Catalonia on TV3 and Canal 33, as well as being put on sale. Educational films have also been dubbed by the Generalitat’s Department of Agriculture. The Arts: Book production is remarkably high, ranging from Vademecum aranense, an anthology of texts from the 12th century, to present-day output. Eth marc juridic der aranés (The Legal Framework of Aranese) stands out among the 100 Aranese books now circulating. The business world: The valley, being geared to tourism from Catalonia, France and the rest of Spain, pays little attention to the use of Aranese in commerce. Some shop signs are in Aranese, and some restaurants offer Aranese menus, alongside other languages. Family and social use of the language: Intergenerational transmission of the language is hampered in the numerous linguistically mixed families, while the number of in-migrants rapidly. The use of the language in the community is promoted by the Associacion Lengua Viua. Attitudes towards the Occitan movement have improved in recent years. Trans-national exchanges: The Conselh Generau d’Aran has cultural and political relations throughout Occitania, signing collaboration agreements, disseminating information about Aranese, and carrying out joint development projects and research. ReferencesGargallo, José Enrique ‘Unha encrucillada pirenaica: a variedade occitana do Val de Arán’. In: Francisco Fernández Rei; Antón Santamarina Fernández, eds. Estudios de Sociolingüística Románica. Linguas e variedades minorizadas. Publ. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 1999. PortugueseIntroductionIn Spain, Portuguese is spoken in and around the town of Olivenza (10,499 inhabitants, 1994) by the Portuguese border, south of the city of Badajoz, in the region of Extremadura. Olivenza has been losing inhabitants for about 20 years, because of mechanised farming, and a lack of job opportunities until quite recently. The Olivenza district was taken from the Moors in 1230, but it mostly stayed in Portuguese hands until a 1801 Treaty, when it was annexed to Spain, despite Portuguese claims and the terms of the Congress of Vienna (1815). After Olivenza’s incorporation into Spain, the Portuguese spoken locally became increasingly detached from its heartland. In the first half of the 19th century, vigorous cultural assimilation was pursued: teaching or speaking Portuguese, even in private, was banned. The use of the language in various fields3,645 (34% of the population) people normally speak Portuguese (1994 municipal data; down from just over 60% around 1960). All are bilingual, and most are over 50. Very little field research is available. The situation is affected by the perceived social superiority of Spanish over Portuguese. Most Olivenza residents regard Portuguese as merely a low-class vehicle of oral expression in the rural world, in contrast to Spanish, which is associated with economically and culturally prestigious classes. Portuguese is ignored by the national and regional authorities: the regional Statute of Autonomy ignores the Portuguese cultural heritage. Until recently the local authority did its best to encourage the presence of the language in primary education. What some regard as Portuguese intransigence over the border has led the Olivenza council to threaten to close Portuguese courses. However, the department of Portuguese of the Centro de Estudos Ibéricos Agostinho da Silva in Olivenza has run 8 Portuguese language and culture beginners’ courses. They are supported by the Instituto Camões. ReferencesLuna, Carlos Eduardo da Cruz (2001) O ensino do Português em Olivença. [Unpublished]. O Pelourinho. Boletín de relaciones transfronterizas, 9, abril 1999. Ayuntamiento de Badajoz. Directory: RegData -> etudes -> document travail document travail -> Working paper a single market in financial services RegData -> European commission brussels, XXX RegData -> The european commission RegData -> Provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations Download 1.21 Mb. Share with your friends:
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