ECMI Infochannel

2023-10-23

ECMI Minorities Blog. From Acquisition to Activation: How Language Planning Can Promote New Speakers’ Minority Language Use

Ruth Kircher & Mirjam Vellinga

New speakers (individuals acquiring minority languages outside the home, typically later on in life) can make important contributions to minority language revitalisation. However, this can only happen if they become active and frequent users of the minority languages they have learnt. In many contexts, this is not the case. Taking Frisian in Fryslân as a case study, this blog post examines new speakers’ activation (the process by which they become active and habitual minority language users) – focusing specifically on how this is affected by traditional minority language speakers’ behaviours. The findings highlight how the complex dynamics between traditional and new speakers can hinder the latter’s activation. The blog post discusses the implications of these findings, concluding that there is a need for prestige planning to ameliorate intergroup relations – and thereby foster new speakers’ activation and promote minority language revitalisation.

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2023-10-16

Politics & Civil Society Cluster Representatives Attend ELEN General Assembly in Cagliari

The European Centre for Minority Issues, through its Politics & Civil Society cluster, participated in the European Language Equality Network’s (ELEN) General Assembly held in Cagliari. ELEN, a network dedicated to promoting and safeguarding European lesser-used languages, hosted the assembly in the presence of esteemed international organizations, calling for Italy to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML).

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2023-10-13

ECMI Researcher Andreea Cârstocea Addresses OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference

ECMI Senior Researcher Andreea Cârstocea delivered a presentation at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on October 11, 2023. The conference, organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), focused on critical human rights and minority issues.

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2023-09-27

Von der Forschung zur Sprachplanung: ECMI Forscherin Ruth Kircher stellt politischen Vertreterinnen & Vertretern der Provinz Fryslân ihre Forschungsergebnisse vor und spricht Empfehlungen aus

Erst kürzlich haben wir von Ruths Forschung im Bereich intergenerationaler Sprachweitergabe innerhalb der Familie berichtet. Ihr Forschungsspektrum bezieht sich jedoch nicht nur auf die Weitergabe von Minderheitensprachen durch Muttersprachler*innen an ihre Kinder, sondern (unter anderem) auch auf das Phänomen der new speakers und ihren Einfluss auf Minderheitensprachen. Zusammen mit Mirjam Vellinga von der Allgemeinen Friesischen Bildungskommission (Afûk), hat die Wissenschaftlerin einen Bericht über diese Forschung für die Regierung der Provinz Fryslân verfasst. Dieser spricht auch forschungsbasierte Empfehlungen für zukünftige Sprachplanung aus und wurde kürzlich besprochen.

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