Ott Tammik, ERR News
A conference on the survival of languages rare, endangered and extinct is being held at the National Library on Friday and Saturday.
The main topic of the conference will be survival strategies of languages of small ethnic groups and the balance, or lack thereof, between the fear of losing the native language on the one hand and various modern cultural trends ot the other.
“The problems that today concern small nations, may in a few decades become topical for much larger nations and their respective languages,” a press release said.
Arnaq Grove from Denmark will discuss the future of the Greenlandic language, and Delyth Prys from Wales will speak about her experience with language revival in her homeland. Other topics include the challenges facing Friulan as well as Finno-Ugric languages.
On Saturday evening, the Drama Theater will present a play inspired by an Estonian researcher who traveled to Siberia to learn Kamassian, now an extinct Samoyedic language, from its last native speaker, who died in 1989.
The event will be attended by the Estonian president, as well as visitors from France, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Finland, Russia and elsewhere.
Conference Explores Threat of Linguicide (3)
Eestlased Eestis | 15 Mar 2012 | EWR
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You exaggerate with respect to Tartu College. There is an (ever-shrinking) group who love the Estonian language and learn it, simply because it's beautiful and we love to bask in that mystery.
Residents of the English-speaking world have little incentive to acquire proficiency in a second language. That's even true for the progeny of immigrants (after Grandma has died). There's nothing mysterious about this.
What's mysterious is the nature of personal identity among those who claim to be fierce Estonian nationalists, yet, have little interest in the language.
Residents of the English-speaking world have little incentive to acquire proficiency in a second language. That's even true for the progeny of immigrants (after Grandma has died). There's nothing mysterious about this.
What's mysterious is the nature of personal identity among those who claim to be fierce Estonian nationalists, yet, have little interest in the language.
While granting your point about strength under pressure w regard to Russification, how then do you explain the disappearance of Estonian use in the free world, meaning among the second and third generations abroad? Most visible in the declining numbers of participants at esto events - even at that hotbed of education, Tartu College,where they seem now to only organize English language lectures...
Languages aren't as fragile as some might fear.
Researchers should look for lessons in the survival of Estonian (among others) in the face of the Soviets' policy of aggressive Russification.
Researchers should look for lessons in the survival of Estonian (among others) in the face of the Soviets' policy of aggressive Russification.
Eestlased Eestis
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