Latest news with #LanguagePolicy
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin inks new policy to fight Russian language discrimination
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new language policy doctrine aimed at supporting the use of the national language, both in Russia and abroad. The change was necessary as Moscow continues to fight 'attempts to restrict the use of the Russian language and 'cancel' the Russian culture… as well as discrimination against the Russian media,' according to the document. Attempts by foreign nations to restrict the use of the Russian language have been identified as one of the main threats Russia faces in the cultural sphere. It also addresses he 'unfounded' use of foreign words in public speech, especially when there are common Russian equivalents available. The new policy doctrine is aimed at preserving the Russian tongue, as well as the languages of various local ethnic groups, strengthening national unity, and promoting the use of the Russian language in the world. The list of measures outlined in the document includes increasing interest in Russian abroad and developing ties with Russian expats and foreigners speaking the language and sharing traditional Russian values. The Russian language should also be more prominent on the internet, the document says, and sets a goal of increasing the number of online resources allowing foreign nationals to study Russian and find out more about Russian culture. Last month, Putin also supported the idea of creating a centralized organization to promote and support the use of the country's language internationally. Moscow was already working on promoting the Russian language abroad 'through various channels,' but these activities would further benefit from the creation of 'a dedicated center,' the president said. A number of nations severely limited the use of Russian following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. In Ukraine, an unprecedented campaign was launched to purge anything linked to Russia. Earlier this week, Ukraine's education ombudsman advised schoolteachers to act as if they only understand Ukrainian when speaking with students. The law mandates the use of Ukrainian in most aspects of public life, despite a significant portion of the population speaking Russian as their native tongue. The Baltic States meanwhile, have ramped up enforcement actions against anyone suspected of Russian ties. Hundreds of people, primarily ethnic Russians, have reportedly been deported from Latvia for failing a Latvian language exam. A Latvian MP was also investigated for inciting hatred after he used Russian in a speech in parliament last month.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Trump's English-only order does irreparable harm to US and its people
One of the more innocuous-seeming edicts was one from March 1 making English the official language of the United States. This marks the first time the United States has designated an official language at the federal level since the country was founded. On the face of it, the order seems benign enough. After all, nearly 80 per cent of Americans over the age of five only speak English at home. Of those who speak another language, some 91 per cent also speak English very well. But as so often happens with Trump, there is more than meets the eye, particularly for Chinese people living in the US. Trump's actions are a dog whistle for his white, fiercely loyal and often rural base. As one of the largest, more recent migrant groups , the Chinese and broader Asian-American communities are the most language challenged and therefore the most vulnerable. A 2014 US Census Bureau report indicated that some 32 per cent of Asian-Americans had limited English proficiency , defined as speaking English 'less than very well'. That was compared to around 35 per cent for those of Latin American origin and 14 per cent for Pacific Islanders. The federal government's English primacy designation is likely to make interpretation and translation services optional. In practical terms, as budgets tighten, that effectively means many will be eliminated, reversing a mandate established by former president Bill Clinton that made translation of federal documents mandatory. Several, mostly Republican states had previously enacted this policy at the state level.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Historic' bill to boost Welsh learners passed in Senedd
A bill which aims to ensure all pupils in Wales finish school as "independent Welsh language users" has been passed in the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different also aims to make progress towards the 2050 target of a million Welsh speakers by strengthening the role of the language in Language Secretary Mark Drakeford described the bill as "historic" and said currently "we don't get enough from the investment we give to teaching Welsh in English-medium schools". The legislation sets out three language categories for maintained schools with a minimum amount of Welsh language education to be provided by schools in each three are "primarily Welsh language" (minimum 80%), "dual language" (50%), and "primarily English language, partly Welsh" (10%).Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday evening, Drakeford said the bill "will give every child the opportunity to become an independent, confident Welsh speaker by the time they finish compulsory education, a bill that will open doors for our pupils, a bill that provides new job opportunities, provides access to the rich culture of the Welsh language, and allows people to enjoy using the language in their everyday lives". 'Persuade more parents' Speaking on the Dros Ginio programme, on BBC Radio Cymru, Drakeford said "we don't get enough from the investment we give to teach Welsh in English-medium schools, we don't get enough for the child, for the teachers, or for Wales as a whole". "What we do in the bill is to change the whole system. "There will be a duty on the government to set targets, there will be a duty on local authorities to say how they are going to help schools ensure children can speak Welsh and there will be duties on schools as well, and through the institute [National Institute for Learning Welsh] we are going to give more help to schools and teachers to help children in our schools, after a decade of learning Welsh, to become Welsh speakers."Cymdeithas yr Iaith (the Welsh Language Society) have said "the aim should be Welsh-medium education for all and we are disappointed that politicians have not pursued this path."But Drakeford rejected that idea, telling the BBC "it is not up to the government to make decisions like that on behalf of parents"."I want to persuade more parents to use education through the medium of the Welsh language, but at the end of the day it is the choice of the parents and the child." Conservative Tom Giffard said his party have been in favour of the objectives of this bill because "If more people want access to Welsh-medium education, then it's important that there is provision available to ensure that they're able do that".Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell said his party "believes that every child should have the right to receive the precious gift of bilingualism through the education system and, as we all know, a complete education through the medium of Welsh is the most effective way to create confident and fluent Welsh speakers".The legislation also seeks to ensure that steps are taken to provide intensive Welsh language immersion education throughout Wales, helping learners of all ages develop their Secretary Lynne Neagle said "our approach to late language immersion is unique. This bill builds on the excellent work already happening in across Wales, ensuring all children can learn, use and benefit from Welsh".About 23% of pupils are educated in Welsh and the government's ambition is to increase that to 30% by 2030-31 and 40% by 2050. The former chief executive of the Welsh Language Board (abolished in 2012), Meirion Prys Jones, told the BBC that he welcomes the bill because it was "important, timely, and it ties in with the target of one million Welsh speakers"."It puts in place structures that we haven't had since the Senedd was established."But he warned "there has been a complete lack of progress for ten years in the percentage of children receiving education through the medium of Welsh", which is around 23%."So at the moment the systems to persuade parents to choose Welsh-medium education are not working."He warned "it is possible that not much will change. We need something that drives this forward. We need a clearer strategy".
