Article published In: Promoting linguistic vitality through public policy: The role of rules, costs and incentives
Edited by Bengt-Arne Wickström, Noémi Nagy, Anneliese Rieger-Roschitz and Balázs Vizi
[Language Problems and Language Planning 47:2] 2023
► pp. 136–159
Is minority language use a right or a privilege?
European institutions’ contribution to the decline of linguistic diversity
Published online: 8 January 2024
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00103.nag
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00103.nag
Abstract
This paper demonstrates how European institutions bend to the idea of the mono-ethnic and monolingual
nation-state. Instead of encouraging the use of minority languages and accepting them as a value, minority languages are treated
as a tolerated but voluntarily assumed handicap. This is in stark contrast to the treatment of other types of protected
identities, such as religion, gender and sexual orientation. Against this background, there is a desperate need for clear
value-setting by the European institutions and for a clear message that language shaming is not a venial sin of the monolingual
nation-state but a no-go zone even for populists. For this, however, language chauvinism should not be condoned but condemned.
Kivonat
A tanulmány bemutatja, hogy az európai intézmények hogyan hajlanak meg az egyetnikumú és egynyelvű nemzetállam
eszméje előtt. A kisebbségi nyelvek használatának bátorítása és értékként történő elfogadása helyett a kisebbségi nyelveket egy
megtűrt, de önként vállalt hátrányként kezelik. Ez szöges ellentétben áll a többi védett identitás – úgymint vallás, nem és
szexuális irányultság – kapcsán tapasztalt hozzáállással. Ennek fényében égető szükség lenne arra, hogy az európai intézmények
világos értékrendet határozzanak meg és egyértelmű üzenetként rögzítsék, hogy a nyelvi megszégyenítés nem az egynyelvű nemzetállam
bocsánatos bűne, hanem még a populisták számára is tiltott zóna. Ehhez azonban a nyelvi sovinizmust nem elnézni, hanem elítélni
kellene.
Resumo
Ĉi tiu artikolo montras kiel eŭropaj institucioj sin alproksimigas al la ideo de la unu-etna kaj unulingva
nacioŝtato. Anstataŭ apogi la uzadon de malplimultaj lingvoj kaj akcepti ilin kiel valoron, minoritataj lingvoj estas traktataj
kiel tolerata sed memvole kreita persona handikapo. Tio forte kontrastas al kiel oni traktas aliajn tipojn de protektindaj
individuaj ecoj, kiel ekzemple religio, sekso kaj seksa orientiĝo. Kun tiu fono, neeviteblas la bezono de klara valorigo kaj
komunikado pere de la eŭropaj institucioj, ke hontigado de lingvaj malplimultoj ne nur estas morta peko de la unulingva naciŝtato
sed ankaŭ malpermesita kampo eĉ por popolistoj. Pro tio gravas ke lingvan ŝovinismon oni ne toleru sed kondamnu.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.The idea of the monolingual nation-state
- 3.Three methods of denying language rights
- 3.1Ostrich policy: “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent”
- 3.2Outspoken disregard of the law
- 3.3Cross-category benchmarking: Can antidiscrimination law be discriminatory?
- 4.Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
References
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