Preserving Our Cultural Heritage

Thanks to the International Herald Tribune we had the chance to read an essay called "Losing the gift of tongues" by C.J. Moore about the importance of preserving and strenghtening our languages despite the increased pressure by our constant process of globalization which imposses the need to speak a few "practical" languages.

In this essay, Mr. Moore tells us what can lead to the demiss of a language:

Reasons for this linguistic decline range from natural disasters that severely reduce a population, to social neglect or downvaluing of a tongue or dialect. Attitudes play a role here, sometimes the simple fear of appearing unlettered.

Even well-meaning literacy and education programs can be significant factors in the disappearance of a tongue. Where children are removed from their ethnic background to study elsewhere, as happened with rural communities of Scotland and Wales, and with indigenous peoples in the United States, Canada and Russia, they may grow to perceive their mother tongue as "backward" and disadvantaged.

If parents, too, join in this shift of cultural perception, transmission from parent to child, the most vital factor of all in language survival, can be suspended or stopped forever.

For a long time Euskera (the Basque language) suffered from the perception that it could not measure up to Spanish and French, and so, mainly in the cities, Basque people renounced to communicate in their own language.

Gladly that changed, although those who support the creation of more spaces for Euskera have to fight against some policies by Madrid and mainly by Paris that constitute real roadblocks.

Thanks to a number of ikastolas and eukaltegis, more and more Basque descendants present in coutries all over the world, are today learning and speaking the language.

There is a lot to do, but seems like Euskera is on the right track.

* You can read the entire article at Artxiboak.

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