Multilingualism and Language Policies across Europe Gabrielle Hogan-Brun University of Bristol g.hogan-brun@bristol.ac.uk 2019/2/1
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Approaches to multilingualism Elimination Tolerance Maintenance 2019/2/1
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities Adopted by the Council of Europe in 1994; came into force in 1998. *********** ‘The parties undertake to promote the conditions necessary for persons belonging to national minorities to maintain their culture and preserve […] their language’. 2019/2/1
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Changing ethnic composition in the Baltic States from 1923 to 2000 1923-34 1989 2000/1 Estonia Estonians Russians Others 92.4% 3.9% 3.7% 61.5% 30.3% 8.2% 67.9% 25.6% 6.5% Latvia Latvians Russians Others 73.4% 10.6% 16% 52% 34% 14% 57.7% 29.6% 12.7% Lithuania Lithuanians Russians Polish Others 84.2% 2.5% 3.2% 10.1% 79.6% 9.4% 7% 4% 83.45% 6.31% 6.74% 3.5% 2019/2/1
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Individual multilingualisms ‘As a child I spoke Ukrainian and Polish with my parents. We also used Yiddish. I went to a Russian-medium school. Now I use Lithuanian more often’. 2019/2/1
‘My parents speak Polish. I grew up in a Russian-medium school. Now I am studying in Lithuanian at University. I don’t know which is my first language’. 2019/2/1
Language policy aims across Baltic Encourage bilingualism secure socio-linguistic function of titular languages protect minority languages 2019/2/1
Competence of the titular languages amongst minority representatives 1989: 2000: Overall % of minority representatives Estonia 67 % 80 % 31 % Latvia 62 % 82 % 43 % Lithuania 85 % 94 % 18 % 2019/2/1
Models of education in the Baltic countries mainstream minority-medium bilingual (early and late) immersion 2019/2/1
Education Law (1998): Latvia Language of Acquisition of Education (Article 9) (3) …each educatee shall learn the official language and take examinations testing his or her knowledge of the official language… Amendment From 1 September 2004, acquisition of the study curriculum in the official language shall be effected according to the proportion of three fifths (=60%) of the total study load. 2019/2/1
Ethnic Composition of the Population of Latvia 2019/2/1
The educational reform as reflected in the media Russian-medium press ‘assimilating Latvianization’ moratorium on the reform (till 2007) defending secondary and higher education in Russian 2019/2/1
Anti-reform protest actions as reflected in the media RETURN TO AGGRESSIVE PROTEST ACTIONS AGAINST EDUCATIONAL REFORM ************** …to vindicate disregard of Russian-speakers’ rights & interests during last 13 years… (Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Schools) 2019/2/1
Russia’s comments on the reform Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov (visiting): ‘Everyone should be able to get education in the language given by God’. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister: ‘[The reform] contradicts human rights (& the Latvian Constitution). 2019/2/1
Russia’s comments… Deputy State Duma Chairman Vladimir Zhirinovsky …Latvia will be destroyed […] empty spaces will be there if [Latvians] touch Russians and Russian schools (Правда, 27 March 2004). 2019/2/1
Russian interests […] maltreatment of Russians in the ‘geopolitical space of the former Soviet Union’ could be construed as grounds for Russian military intervention. Russia’s 1993 military doctrine. 2019/2/1
Managing multilingualism […] determining a working language management plan will depend on an appreciation of: - the fruits of the developing sociolinguistic studies of the current linguistic ecology, - the attitudes and beliefs of the citizens, and on an honest appraisal of the major forces affecting the linguistic and socioeconomic environment. 2019/2/1