Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used Languages, British-Irish Council

Ministerial Meeting, Galway 27 October 2006
 

Joint Communiqué


The British-Irish Council established under the Agreement reached in Belfast on Good Friday 1998 held a Ministerial meeting today in the Connemara Coast Hotel, Galway, Ireland. This is the first Ministerial meeting held by the Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used Languages group. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport, Welsh Assembly Government, Alun Pugh AM.

The Irish Government was represented by the Minister for Community, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív TD, who welcomed the delegates to the meeting. The Scottish Executive was represented by Minister for Education, Young People and Gaelic, Peter Peacock MSP. Guernsey was represented by Minister Peter Sirett, Culture and Leisure Department, Jersey by Senator Michael Vibert, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, and the Isle of Man by Manx Language Officer Rosemary Derbyshire.

The Welsh Assembly Government, represented by the Welsh Language Board, takes the lead within the BIC on Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used languages issues. As well as English, a range of different languages indigenous to the BIC area were spoken during the meeting.

The meeting considered and agreed 3 discussion papers:
- Language Transmission within the Family
- Adult Education Provision for the Teaching and Learning of the Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used Language
- Information and Communications Technology and Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used Languages

Language transmission in the family was recognised as a vital building block in the process of maintaining a language. The Ministers commended the organisation of a workshop for practitioners working in the field of language tranmission within the family in the BIC area. The workshop, which preceded the Ministerial meeting, offered an important opportunity for Administrations to further develop their own strategies in this important aspect of language planning, by learning from the experiences of other Administrations.

Ministers endorsed further work in this area in order to explore a number of areas: models of what works to support language transmission in the family; how models could be transferred to other language situations; and identify gaps in knowledge and how BIC Administrations could work together to fill those gaps.

Ministers noted the importance of recent developments in the field of Information and Communication Technology to facilitate the use of languages and raise their status. The Council agreed to establish a sub-group of experts to further advance work in this area. It was agreed that a seminar for experts working in ICT and lesser-used languages would be organised by the Council in 2007.

Adult education and minority and lesser-used language education provision were discussed by Ministers, and it was agreed that, whilst acknowledging that the approach adopted and the support for adult education provision will vary from one Administration to another, there are valuable opportunities to be gained in continuing to share and exchange experiences in this area. A practitioners workshop will be organised by the Council in 2007 to explore opportunities for cooperation between member Administrations.

The Ministers then considered and approved proposals for the future work programme of the Indigenous, Minority and Lesser Used Languages Group. The Group will continue to advance work in the areas of language transmission with the family, adult education and ICT. The Group will also turn focus on two new areas namely Planning and Linguistic Considerations – establishing a sub Group to facilitate that work – and Research, Data and Language Use Surveys.


British-Irish Council (Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-used Languages Sectoral Group)
27 October 2006


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Teangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana, Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann

Cruinniú Aireachta, Gaillimh 27 Deireadh Fómhair 2006


Ráiteas Comhpháirteach
 

Tháinig Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann (CBÉ), a bunaíodh faoi Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta i mBéal Feirste i 1998, le chéile inniu i gcomhair cruinnithe Aireachta a tionóladh in Óstán an Connemara Coast. Is é seo an chéad chruinniú Aireachta de chuid an Ghrúpa Teangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana seo. Tionóladh an cruinniú faoi chathaoirleacht Alan Pugh, Ball Comhthionóil agus Aire Cultúir, Breatnaise agus Spóirt Chomhthionóil Náisiúnta na Breataine Bige.

Ba é Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta a bhí i láthair thar ceann Rialtas na hÉireann agus chuir sé fáilte roimh na toscairí chuig an gcruinniú. Bhí Peter Peacock, an tAire Oideachais, Óige agus Gaidhlig i láthair thar ceann Feidhmeannas na hAlban. I measc toscairí rialtais eile a bhí i láthair bhí -Aire Cultúir agus Fóillíochta Gheansaí, Peter Sirett; an Seanadóir Michael Vibert, Aire Oideachais, Spóirt agus Cultúir Gheirsí; agus Rosemary Derbyshire, Oifigeach Manannais Oileán Mhanann.

Tá liosta iomlán de na toscairí istigh leis seo.

Is é Bord na Breatnaise, thar ceann Chomhthionól Náisiúnta na Breataine Bige, a thógann ceannasaíocht laistigh de CBÉ ar cheisteanna a bhaineann le Teangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana. I dteannta an Bhéarla, úsáideadh réimse teangacha eile, a labhraítear i limistéar CBÉ, le linn an chruinnithe.

Rinneadh staidéar ar 3 phlécháipéis le linn an chruinnithe agus aontaíodh iad:
- Tíolacadh Teanga sa Teaghlach
- Soláthar Aosoideachas chun Teanga Dhúchasach, Mhionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathan a Theagasc agus a Fhoghlaim
- Teicneolaíocht na Faisnéise agus na Cumarsáide agus Teangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana

Tá glactha leis go bhfuil tíolacadh teanga sa teaghlach ar an mbunchloch is tábhachtaí i bpróiseas caomhnaithe teanga. Mhol na hAirí an ceardlann a eagraíodh do na daoine sin atá ag obair i réimse an tíolactha teanga sa teaghlach i limistéar CBÉ. Cuireadh críoch leis an gceardlann sular thosaigh an cruinniú Aireachta agus thug sé deis thábhachtach do na hÚdaráis éagsúla a gcuid straitéis féin sa réimse tábhachtach pleanála teanga seo a fhorbairt, trí bheith ag foghlaim ón taithí atá ag na hÚdaráis éagsúla eile. Cheadaigh na hAirí breis oibre sa réimse seo chun féidearthachtaí maidir le roinnt gnéithe eile a fhiosrú: samplaí de céard is fearr a oibríonn chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do thíoclacadh teanga sa teaghlach; conas a bhféadfaí na samplaí seo a úsáid chun tacú le réimsí eile de chur chun cinn na teanga; bearnaí eolais a aimsiú agus conas ar féidir le hÚdaráis CBÉ comhoibriú lena chéile chun na bearnaí sin a líonadh.

Thug na hAirí suntas don tábhacht a bhaineann leis an dul chun cinn atá déanta le déanaí i réimse na Teicneolaíochta Faisnéise agus Cumarsáide (TFC) maidir le húsáid na dteangacha a éascú agus le stádas na dteangacha a ardú. D’aontaigh an Chomhairle gur cheart foghrúpa saineolaithe a bhunú chun breis forbartha a dhéanamh sa réimse seo. Cinneadh go n-eagródh an Chomhairle comhdháil in 2007 do shaineolaithe atá ag obair i réimse na TFC agus i réimse na dteangacha neamhfhorleathana.

Phlé na hAirí ceist an aosoideachais agus an tsoláthair oideachais i dteangacha neamhfhorleathana agus, cé gur glacadh leis go mbeadh cur chuige éagsúil ag na hÚdaráis éagsúla i soláthar an aosoideachais, bhí na hAirí ar aon tuairim gur chun leasa na nÚdarás éagsúil a bheadh sé a gcuid taithí a roinnt sa réimse áirithe seo. Eagróidh an Chomhairle ceardlann in 2007 do chleachtóirí i réimse an aosoideachais chun deiseanna comhoibrithe idir na hÚdaráis éagsúla a fhiosrú.

Rinne na hAirí staidéar ansin ar mholtaí maidir leis an gclár oibre atá amach roimh an nGrúpa Teangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana agus ceadaíodh na moltaí sin. Leanfaidh an Grúpa ar aghaidh le cur chun cinn na hoibre i réimsí an tíolacadh teanga sa teaghlach, aosoideachas agus TFC. Beidh an Grúpa freisin ag díriú isteach ar dhá réimse nua – Dálaí Pleanála agus Teangeolaíocha (aontaíodh foghrúpa a bhunú chun dul i ngleic leis an obair seo) agus Taighde, Sonraí agus Suirbhéanna Úsáide Teanga.

Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann (Grúpa Rannach na dTeangacha Dúchasacha, Mionlaigh agus Neamhfhorleathana)
27 Deireadh Fómhair 2006

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