ORANIM COLLEGE MAY 2013ORANIM COLLEGE MAY 2013

Alterity and Cosmopolitanism: Contemporary Alterity and Cosmopolitanism: Contemporary Minorities and Indigenous Languages issuesMinorities and Indigenous Languages issues

• multiculturalism and indigenous populations issue

• International English• Alterity• Social networks

potentials

Dr Daphné L. Romy-Masliah

Why such a topicWhy such a topic

• Probably because of Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles

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The English founding societies The English founding societies experience Experienceexperience Experience

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MY RESEARCH MY RESEARCH PARAMETERSPARAMETERS

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Linguistic alterityLinguistic alterity

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•Right for any linguistic Minority to get an official recognition of their language and language education rights. •What exists and what could be shared•I am here to share my little experience and to learn a lot from you!

The European Charter of Minority and Regional The European Charter of Minority and Regional languages (November 1992)languages (November 1992)

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The European Charter of Minority and Regional languages of November 1992 gave European Council Member States a precious instrument regarding language rights and enabled linguistic minorities to get an official recognition of their language and language education rights. …let’s prove it.

The European The European Charter of Minority and Regional Charter of Minority and Regional languages of November 1992languages of November 1992

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http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/html/148.htmgave European Council Member States a precious instrument regarding language rights ….” Considering that the protection of the historical regional or minority languages of Europe, some of which are in danger of eventual extinction, contributes to the maintenance and development of Europe's cultural wealth and traditions;Article 1 – DefinitionsFor the purposes of this Charter:"regional or minority languages" means languages that are:

traditionally used within a given territory of a State by nationals of that State who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the State's population; anddifferent from the official language(s) of that State;

it does not include either dialects of the official language(s) of the State or the languages of migrants;

European Charter’s ObjectivesEuropean Charter’s Objectives

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Article 7 – Objectives and principlesIn respect of regional or minority languages, within the territories in which such languages are used and according to the situation of each language, the Parties shall base their policies, legislation and practice on the following objectives and principles:

the recognition of the regional or minority languages as an expression of cultural wealth;the respect of the geographical area of each regional or minority language(…)the need for resolute action to promote regional or minority languages in order to safeguard them;the facilitation and/or encouragement of the use of regional or minority languages, in speech and writing, in public and private life;(…)

European Charter and European Charter and Education objectivesEducation objectives

With regard to education, the Parties undertake

• within the territory in which such languages are used, according to the situation of each of these languages, and without prejudice to the teaching of the official language(s) of the State: 

• pre-school /primary/secondary/technical and vocational/university and other higher  etc.. education in the relevant regional or minority languages or provide facilities for the study of these languages or encourage their study.

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to make available(…)

The CEFRThe CEFR

Facilitates the information exchanges between the Facilitates the information exchanges between the teachers and the learners so that the former can teachers and the learners so that the former can tell the latter what they expect from them in terms tell the latter what they expect from them in terms of learning and how they are going to try to help of learning and how they are going to try to help them. them. ..

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How?How?• First we need to ask some questions such as:• – Why learn this language?• – What are the learner’s real linguistic needs?• – What prompted the learner to take the course?• – Who’s the learner (Age, gender, social origin, level of instruction)? • – What are the knowledge, savoir-faire and experience of the

teacher?• – To what extent will the learner have access to student books,

grammar books, dictionaries, AV and• – How long can the learner, or does(s)he wish or is (s)he able to

devote to learning the language?

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Brief overview of levelsBrief overview of levelsBreakthrough A1 Waystage A2Breakthrough A1 Waystage A2..

Threshold B1 Vantage B2Threshold B1 Vantage B2

AutonomyAutonomy C1 C1 MasteringMastering C2 C2

AND Functions: AND Functions:

listening comprehension, listening comprehension,

visual reception(reading), visual reception(reading),

audio-visual reception, audio-visual reception,

spoken interaction, spoken interaction,

written interaction, written interaction,

sociolinguistic competencies.sociolinguistic competencies.

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NATIONAL/OFFICIAL

PREVALENT LINGUISTIC SITUATION (indigenous PREVALENT LINGUISTIC SITUATION (indigenous populations)populations)

• MSL (Modern Standard language);

• Dialectal variety;• National, Official Language(s);• Non standardized varieties;• English/Foreign Languages;• Unilingual exceptions

confirming the rule (The Aurès, Cuzco, Bolivia…)

Indigenous L1/L2

FL

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CosmopolitanismCosmopolitanism

1560  De la République des Turcs; Guillaume Postel

explains the Turkish Culture to the French King in order to bring about convey the

idea that understanding the other will bring the universal

peace

18TH Century definition :

wandering Jew, Le Juif

Cosmopolite

ABORIGINAL

AMERINDIAN

LANGUAGES

BERBER LANGUAGES

Meaningful political gesture? …Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity

Flash in the pan?

Success? English is the international language but this fact actually helps

preserving regional or minority languages

(Maurais, 2003)

Failure? Changes in the contents or function of a

language can only be actualized by social

acceptance and not by decree… » Khubchandani,

1977:38)

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AlterityAlterity

Alterity/alter ego

Otherness and identity research

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Recognition vs Application Recognition vs Application of a Lawof a Law

In Algeria, The 1989 Constitution, article 3, stipulates that « l’arabe est la langue nationale et officielle ». However a major step is taken in the preamble where a mention is made of the « amazighity », i.e. the Berber Civilization :

Aboutissement d’une longue résistance aux agressions menées contre sa culture, ses valeurs et les composantes fondamentales de son identité que sont l’islam, l’arabité et l’amazighité, le 1er novembre aura solidement ancré les luttes présentes dans le passé glorieux de la Nation.

•Executive Decree nr. 03-470, appendix B on National Educational and Linguistic Centre for the Teaching of Tamazight »•In Peru the 23d of June RECOGNITION….•And even if a law were enacted and enforced…The Irish Case…

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International InstrumentsInternational Instruments

• The European Charter of Minority and Regional languages of November 1992

• UN Periodical reviews and their impact on Member-States :– the 74th Session of Feb.16th to March 6th,

2009 inviting Tunisia to amend. It’s people took care of the amendment in January 2011!

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Back to language and identityBack to language and identity

The simple fact that in amazigh speaking regions, thousands of young people less than 20 years old are unilingual (Kabyles, Touaregs, chleuhs...) However, it’s positive in the fact that it shakes the amazigh speaking population. And Internet helped reviving Esperanto and Yiddish…

We just have to…agree upon language ;-)

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BibliographyBibliography

Grin, F. (1994). Combining Immigrant and Autochthonous language rights. Linguistic Human Rights: Overcoming Linguistic Discrimination. T. Skuttnab-Kangas and R. Phillipson. Berlin-New York, Mouton de Gruyter. 1: 39:70.

Jenson, J. (1993). "Naming Nations: Making Nationalist Claims in Canadian Public Discourse." Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology(29): 385-396.

Koubi, G. (2000). Penser les Minorités en Droit. Le Droit et les Minorités: analyses et textes. A. Fenet, G. Koubi and I. Schulte-Tenckhoff. Bruxelles, Bruylant: 385-468.

Schulte-Tenckhoff, I. (2000). Le Droit et les Minorités. Le Droit et les Minorités: analyses et textes. A. Fenet, G. Koubi and I. Schulte-Tenckhoff. Bruxelles, Bruylant: 661.

UNESCO, Atlas des Langues en Danger, Mars 2009 version électronique.Varennes (de), F. (1999). Les droits de l'homme et la protection des minorités

linguistiques. Langues et Droit: Langues du droit, droit des langues. H. Guillorel and G. Kouby. Bruxelles, Bruylant: 129-141.

http://frankejbypoulsen.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/cosmopolite-cosmopolitain-cosmopolitisme-definitions-et-problemes/

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Final noteFinal note

• Sociolinguists on FB and Académie Sans Frontières on FB;

• Cosmopolitanism.wordpress.com (bibliography)• Droit et Culture on English and Cultures and

recent issue S’entendre sur la Langue with contributions of J. Fishman, G.Solis and M.Yatako, F.de Varennes and many more from all continents!

• daphneromy@gmail.com