Ai'ta! remove monolingual signs only in French

The Breton language movement Ai'ta Breizh ! yesterday removed French monolingual signs in Herbignac, Loire-Atlantique. The movement 44=Breizh also helped in the action calling for the September 29th demonstration for a reunified Brittany. Banners with the slogan 'E Brezhoneg, En Breton' calling to respect the Brittany's language were also collaged.

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Welsh medium school opens its doors for the first time in Pembrokeshire

A new £28.1m Welsh medium school has opened its doors for the first time in Pembrokeshire.

Ysgol Caer Elen is the county's second medium comprehensive outside the Welsh-speaking heartland of north Pembrokeshire.
The all-through facility in Haverfordwest will welcome students aged three to 16.
Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Cleddau closed on 31 August to make way for the new school.
Ysgol Caer Elen has capacity for 315 primary pupils and another 600 in the secondary part.
There are also 45 places at the school's nursery and another 24 in the Cylch Meithrin.

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Controversy over claims 70% of Irish people can't speak another language

Twitter users were quick to contradict a statistic that claimed 72% of Irish people had no foreign language skills.

Mapsome, a social media account that aims to "explain the world" by sharing random tidbits, found itself in hot water today.

The account shared figures that stated over 72% of those living in Ireland had no ability to speak a second language (perhaps a somewhat outdated statistic anyway, considering the graphic was from 2011!)

The chart contrasted Éire with countries like Luxembourg, a veritable cultural melting pot, where a mere 1% of the population have no additional languages. Ireland fared worst in the rankings.Not missing a beat, Irish followers fired back that "nearly 100%" of those living in Ireland did speak a foreign language - English!

Overall, the post received over 120 criticisms. "100% of Irish people speak a foreign language - English! The problem is that most Irish people cannot speak the native language of Ireland - an Ghaeilge. #fakenews from Mapsome," Gaeilgeoir and translator Seanán Ó Coistín retaliated.

Another stated, "This is rubbish, and insulting to the Irish people. I know others have said it but it needs to be said again - English is a foreign language in Ireland. Irish people who speak English
Mostra el blog speak a foreign language. People who speak Gaeilge na hÉireann and English are bilingual."

One Twitter user even went so far as to share a screenshot of the Irish Constitution, which clearly states that Irish is the first language of the country, with English as the official second language.

The moderator of the Mapsome account was forced to issue a clarification.

It states, "Update concerning this publication: there is a valid reason that Ireland is 1st. The majority of pupils in Ireland do learn a second language, Irish. In Irish-speaking schools, English is learned as a second language. That's why they are ranked 1st."

Source

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'Language Equality in the Digital Age'

'Language Equality in the Digital Age', conference on language technologies and digital equality in a multilingual Europe in the European Parliament on 27th September.
The conference follows on from Jill Evans’ (Plaid Cymru) Report on the topic which will be voted on at Plenary on September 11th after gathering wide cross-party support at the Committee stage.
Speakers include Delyth Prys from the Language Technology Unit at Bangor University, Dewi Bryn Jones from Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor, Maite Melero, University Pompeu Fabra, Elijus Civilis, the Lithuanian Vice-Minister responsible for the digital agenda, Maimu Berezkina, Norwegian Directorate of e-Health, and Montse Maritxalar, University of the Basque Country.
Davyth Hicks from European Language Equality Network will be discussing the Digital Language Diversity Project and its Road Map for digital development, with a focus on the “digital timebomb” facing lesser-used language speakers unless they receive adequate investment to enable adequate digital provision.
Registration here.

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£ 7,500 raised for Cornish Language TV

Ni a'n gwrug ! We did it! You did it! With just under nine hours to go we met the stretch target and raised £7500 for Cornish Language TV. A great result. A very big thank you to everyone that pledged. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/cornish-language-tv

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Irish Councils spend £8,000 repairing vandalised bilingual signs

Local councils in Northern Ireland have spent more than £8,000 in recent years repairing and replacing almost 60 vandalised bilingual signs. Both English and Irish are used on signage by several Irish villages and attacked by English supremacists. Bilingual signage is a central part of language revival. International best practice tells us increased visibility leads to increased normalisation & tolerance. Bilingual signage must be accompanied by awareness, historcial and local info campaign.

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Cymraeg 2050: Welsh language strategy action plan: 'A million Welsh Speakers'

The Welsh Government action plan explains how we will implement the proposals set out in the Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers and Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers, Work programme 2017–21 during 2018–19.

Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers is our long-term strategy for increasing the number of Welsh speakers to a million and increasing use of the language by 2050.
The associated work programme explains the steps we will take during the initial period of the strategy, between 2017 and 2021.
This action plan explains what we will do to drive the strategy forward during the current financial year.
Link

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Campaign “Brezhonekaat da banell” by Ai'ta!

Breton language movement Ai 'ta! has restarted the operation "Brezhonekaat da banell - Bretonnise your panel". To buy militant material, visit their e-shop:
https://aita.bzh/fr/boutique/

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An Dream Dearg protest in Derry / Doire

A civil rights protest by Irish Gaelic Language movement An Dream Dearg took place yesterday in Derry / Doire, Northern Ireland. The language movement said that "Our need for civil rights are non-negotiable Arlene. Dúirt Arlene Foster inniu nach bhfuil an DUP sásta bogadh ar cearta sibhialta noó cearta teanga. Níl seo maith go leor. Arlene Foster has again told us that the DUP's stance on an Irish language act and equality are 'non-negotiable. This is not good enough. Bígí linn!" Activists meet at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin where aLanguage, Resistance and Revival will took place on August 10th.

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Pellwolok an Gernewegva : Crowdfunding campaign to fund on line Cornish language TV launched

No Cornish language TV station broadcasting on a regular basis exists as of today, and this is what the Cornish Language Fellowship, or Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek, is seeking to change. The group is launching a campaign to crowdfund an “on line, sustainable” TV with regular output, for which they are seeking to raise 6,000 sterling pounds.

The base for this television already exists: Pellwolok an Gernewegva, a voluntary service that has some programs available on YouTube. But they lack basic resources, such as a small study to produce regular programs and to train volunteers in audiovisual contents.

Campaign drivers believe having audiovisual content is essential to ensure the survival of that Celtic language, spoken in Cornwall by more than half a thousand people.

Pellwolok an Gernewegva – the Cornish Language Television service
Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek, the Cornish Language Fellowship, has created this Crowdfunding opportunity in support of the provision of a sustainable internet-based television service in Kernewek, the Cornish language.
Kernewek has been without its own bespoke service ever since the revival of the language began. The only opportunities for creating and dispersing programmes has been through BBC South West and ITV. Neither of these services are focused solely on Cornwall, and any Kernewek programming has been rare and as an occasional stand-alone production.
Pellwolok an Gernewegva has been established as a first step in addressing this lack of content and in providing speakers, learners and the wider cultural community with an online channel which produces regular output in Kernewek.
This service has been running over the past year and a half on a completely voluntary basis and now produces a series of walking shows, the first chat-show and a monthly news magazine. It is watched by Cornish speakers in Cornwall, of course, but also in other parts of the UK, Europe and around the world.
Our aim is to attract funding and thereby set up a small base studio which will allow us to include more volunteers in the project and offer them training in media skills. From this, we want to develop a Kernewek output which improves fluency and offers learners and children the essential programme material they need to grow them in the language.
This channel could become a content production house in the way that many developed in the 1980s and 90s in Wales. There is also the possibility that we could convert this content into shows for use in other minority languages and thus generate a revenue stream. This is now a real possibility because the internet allows such content to be dispersed more easily from Youtube and Facebook via Smart TV apps.
Kernewek, one of Britain’s indigenous languages, is recognised by UNESCO as being ‘critically endangered’. The number of speakers is, however, growing at a significant rate, and by supporting this project you can play your part in taking the language a further step away from the danger zone.
You will be helping to provide a public service and helping to underwrite Cornwall’s distinctiveness. Above all, this is about Cornish being a modern language with a secure future, spoken by a growing community of all ages.
Take your place in history and support us.

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