![]() We moved effortlessly between the two, depending on the situation. I consider myself lucky to have been brought up in a bilingual environment, with Shetlandic a vibrant dialect and English as our official language. This is particularly problematic in areas with small language groups and/or where there is a sudden or relatively large influx of people speaking the dominant tongue.ĭiscussions of what constitutes “language” and “dialect” may be convoluted but, while they go on, those classified as languages generally get increased official support while those treated as dialects can tend to wither, lacking the status and funding associated with “language”. If, when a child starts formal education, that initial language resource (this human right) is ignored or – more damaging – treated as an inferior dialect, children quickly sense these value judgements. It also touches on the evolution and attrition of language. This short poem in Shetlandic (or Shetland dialect), Glims o origin (De Luca, 2005a), revels in mother tongue and the delight in teaching it to one’s child. I write as a poet, and in this commentary, I will use poetry “through any media and regardless of frontiers” (Article 19, United Nations, 1948), to argue for mother tongue as a universal human right. I was brought up in one such minority tongue area – Shetland, the most northerly island group in the United Kingdom. (United Nations, 2017, n.p.)Įarly exposure to mother tongue as well as the official language can be part of this development of empathy before formal educations begins. ![]() There are many problems in publishing in minority tongues for example, uneconomic print runs, language authenticity versus contemporaneity, standardisation of orthography and the trend to “exotic-ise” dialect in mainstream literature.Īll moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. Engaging in translation can also help raise the status of dialect and pinpoint the somewhat arbitrary distinction between dialect and language. It therefore falls to the writer to create resources for children, to help stem the tide. Even in a community like Shetland, where there is no class connotation associated with speaking Shetlandic, the proportion of fluent dialect speakers is now relatively small. Not all governments are vigilant with appropriate policies and funding. With few fluent readers and writers, and a consequent dearth of written resources, a vicious circle develops and linguistic and cultural heritage erodes. ![]() ![]() This resolution has particular relevance for minority language groups where mother tongue – so vital to self-expression – is primarily a spoken medium, often ascribed low status. UN Resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the right to freedom of opinion and expression. ![]()
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