1. An international perspective on the Promotion of Language and Cultures within communities Dr. Alex Riemersma 19 October, 2010 Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning www.mercator-research.eu

3. Unesco Language Atlas 2009 •Assessing Language Vitality on 9 criteria, including: •Community member’s attitudes towards their own language •Shift in domains of language use •Response to new domains and media

4. RML promotion campaigns •Intra-community campaigns: - aiming at one language community •Inter-community promotion activities: - aiming at the experience of diversity - based on various RMLs

5. Song Contest Liet International •New texts drafted in minority language •Original music composed

6. Song Contest Liet International •2002, 2003, 2004, 2009: Friesland •2006, Östersund (Sweden) •2008, Lulea (Sweden) •2010: 27 November, Lorient/ An Orient, Brittany (France)

7. Liet International 2009 Jury award: Somby (Sami rock band) Public award: Dr. Drer and CRC Posse (Sardegna) Photo’s Sandro Weltin/Council of Europe

8. Liet International 2010 •Pre-contest festivals: –Premiu al meyor cantar, Asturias –Sámi Grand Prix –Liet 2010, Fryslân –Suns, in Udine for Italy and the Alpine region (both jury and public price)

10. Voices of Europe Festival •Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) •Choir festival with traditional songs in minority languages

11. Voices of Europe Festival •2010: Pécs (Hungary) •2011: Friesland

12. Vo LANG teers

13. •The European VoLANGteers network connects international students with young people who have grown up in the town of region where they study. •There are presently VoLANGteers networks in Galicia (Spain) and Friesland. •VoLANGteers is supported by the European Union.

14. Intra-community activities •Health Care •Sport: traditional & modern; training and schooling •Culture: theatre & music •Reading Promotion

15. Health Care •Traditional domain of dominant language > ready for language shift towards language revitalisation. •The older we grow collectively, the more we need tailor-made care. •Multilingualism: from birth to death; from cradle to coffin

17. Euskatel cycling team

18. Frisian sport “keatsen” •“Keatsen” – ball sport only Frisian spoken •Popular sport in villages – two teams of three people.

19. Frisian sailing competitions

20. Foot ball Barcelona coach Josep Guadiola: “We are a country with our own language”

22. Traditional Costumes •Traditional costumes as an aspect of cultural heritage related to language & culture preservation.

23. Sorbian dancing group

24. Leisure: just walking •Walking along with language project Get Together which is promoting multi- lingualism in Switzerland by walking through all 4 language regions through Switzerland.

25. Theatre •10 Open air amateur theater plays •100 amateur theatre groups Photo’s Guus van de Sande & Ekko de Bakker

26. Reading Promotion •Connecting parents and the school •Connecting grandparents and their grand children through songs, rhymes and stories

28. Foto fan bern •Leafst bern boartsjend of yn kombinaasje mei heit en mem en / of plaatsje mei TOMKE

29. Top Model as Language Icon •L’Oreal model Doutzen Kroes

31. Eskerrik asko Mange Takk Diolch Tankewol Trugarez Grazia Graciis Dankscheen Mercé plan Kiitos Dz'akuju so Köszönöm Hvala À ringraziavvi Spassi Bawww.mercator-research.eu