European parliament working paper
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- The use of the language in various fields
- References
- Finland
Informação OlivençaNet website: http://olivenca-net.cplp.net/.Tamazight (Berber)IntroductionMelilla (12·3 km2, pop. 66,263) is a Spanish enclave on the coast of Northern Africa. According to surveys carried out in 1997, 31-40% of its inhabitants is Berbers and can speak the language. The European population is about 55%, although the Spanish Institute of Statistics expects most inhabitants will be Berbers by 2010, given the higher birth rate. Moreover, most newcomers from Morocco speak Tamazight, and this strengthens the language’s position. The variety spoken in Melilla is tarifit; it is the language of the family and intracommunity networks. The language has yet to be codified, and has no academy. The Statute of Autonomy of Melilla (1995) empowers the city authorities to promote and stimulate the values of mutual understanding and respect for the cultural and linguistic diversity of the population’. Despite this, Spanish is the only official language of the city and this provokes a feeling of discrimination among some of the Berber population. The use of the language in various fieldsEducation: A 1992 study found that 39% of primary and secondary schoolchildren were bilingual, but there have been no attempts to teach or use Tamazight within the official education system. Since 1995 courses in Tamazight (beginners, intermediate and advanced) are offered at the Seminario Permanente de Estudios Amaziges. The language is not taught outside this structure; Tamazight is not taught in the school system, though some teachers try to refer to Berber at their own initiative. An educational book (Juegos Populares de la Cultura Bereber) about Amazigh children's games, has recently been published. The courts and public authorities and services: Tamazight has no legal status in the courts. We know of no measure taken by central or local authorities in respect of public services. There are no data on the possibility of making submissions, and being served, in Tamazight. Mass media and Information technology: There are no media in Tamazight. From 1994 to 1999 the local TV channel broadcast an information programme on Friday evenings. The arts: Since 1998 five books have been published in a Berber collection, Biblioteca amazige. They cover Amazigh language and culture (two are educational books). An Amazigh museum has recently been founded. The business world: Commerce (where Spanish and Arab are used) dominates the economic life of the town of Melilla. The economy influences the linguistic situation, for a command of Spanish and/or Arabic is absolutely essential for commercial activities, although Berber is useful for informal exchanges, especially in commercial contacts, not all legal, with Morocco. Family and social use of the language: It seems that the oral transmission of Tamazight is guaranteed: most parents use it with their children. The very high percentage of marriages between Berbers reinforces this state of affairs. Trans-national exchanges: We have found no information about exchanges in recent years with any other groups speaking the same language, mainly because of the lack of recognition of Berbers in neighbouring countries. ReferencesMesa Franco, Carmen; Sánchez Fernández, Sebastián, Educación y situaciones bilingües en contextos multiculturales. Estudio de un caso: Melilla. Laboratorio de estudios interculturales. Facultad de ciencias de la educación. Universidad de Granada, Granada, 1996. Mohamed Hamed, Jadilla; Raha Ahmed, Rachid, Tamazight y el Estatuto de Autonomía de Melilla. Dossier Amazigh, 7. Colectivo de documentación y estudios amazighs, Granada, 1995. http://www.verdeislam.com/vi_04/vi_412.htm. http://www.eurosur.org/ai/19/afr1901.htm (Situación actual de los pueblos bereberes) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9860/tamaz.html. FinlandIntroductionFinland (338,145 km²) was incorporated into the Swedish kingdom in the 11th century. The Swedes introduced western religious practice and cultural influences. The Reformation had a great impact. Finland was ceded to Russia in 1809, and became a semi-autonomous Grand-Duchy until independence (Republic in 1917). Language issues were crucial in the relations with the Russian Empire; citizens resisted Imperial attempts to strengthen Russian. In 1863 Finnish achieved the same official status as Swedish. Around 1900 the linguistic majority of the capital, Helsinki, became Finnish. Language and nationalist conflicts remained political issues until the late 1930s, when Finland had to defend itself against military threats. After two wars against the Soviet Union (1939-40 and 1941-44), Finland lost Karelian- and Finnish speaking regions in the east, and its direct access to the Polar Sea. After the War Skolt-Samis were deported from Petsamo to northern Finland. Strong restructuring in agriculture began in the 1950s, along with rapid urbanisation and mass migration southwards. Housing shortages and emigration to Sweden followed. Proportionally more Swedish-speakers migrated (especially from Ostrobothnia). Swedish-speakers have helped to strengthen Finland’s bonds with Scandinavia. There is a tradition of Nordism, co-operation and exchange at all civil and political levels between the Nordic countries, which grew after World War II with the free Nordic labour market and passport-free movement (1954). Finland joined the EU in 1995. The Swedish-speaking Åland Isles176 won a special status, regulated in an agreement, which allows them to continue selling tax-free goods177. Finland’s minorities have indirectly benefited from its internationalisation, through the ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. 65 of the Charter’s articles were ratified in Part III for Swedish and 59 for Sami. Other minorities are not defined in Part III, but it is stated that Part II also applies to e.g. the Roma. Finland has c. 5· 2 million inhabitants, of whom a million live, in the Helsinki region. About 10% are (bilingual) Swedish-speakers in this region. The population density is 205 per km² in the Helsinki area, but only 2 per km² in Lapland. Figures for Finland Swedes, Finns and Samis are based on reported mother tongue in censuses. For the Roma and other groups estimations are used, for Finnish law bans recording ethnicity. Finland is officially bilingual178. Municipalities where an official language is reported as the mother tongue of over 3,000 inhabitants (or 8%) in the census become bilingual. This entails Finnish-Swedish and, in the far north, Finnish-Sami. Language legislation is under review in 2001: the 1922 Language Act and the Sami Language Act. The Research Institute for the National Languages of Finland179 has sections for Finnish, Swedish, Sami and Romani (and sign language), and develops vocabularies, studies dialects, supports archives and performs language board functions (status and corpus planning, advice to the public). 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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