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Do you think human beings choose
their own language or they are
always politically induced to one?

Do you think a common language

is a link big enough to create a
nation?

Some regions in Europe, as

Catalonia, Basque country or
Brittany, have their own language.
Do you think it is legitimate for
them to become an independent
country or not? Try to explain your
answer.
1. A common history
Towards  the  end  of  ice  age  in  Europe,   first   Celt   peoples   crystallize   in   east  
around   10.000   B.C.   the   rise   of   France,   south   Germany   and   extend  
temperatures   in   Europe   boosted   an   towards   the   north   of   Spain   and  
increase  of  population,  as  well  as  some   Great   Britain.   Around   the   year   2.500,  
forms  of  agriculture.  Language  theorists   another   group   on   Indo   European  
believe  that  for  several  millennia  lived   peoples  settle  in  south  Scandinavia  and  
in  Europe  some  peoples  like  Etruscan,   north   Germany,   creating   a   new   brand  
Iberian,   Tartessian   etc.   speaking   of   languages   known   as   Germanic.    
ƐŝŵŝůĂƌ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ ʹĂůů ŽĨ ƚŚĞŵ ǁŝƚŚ The   Baltic   region   is  
a   common   root   according   to   those   occupied   by   another  
theories.   However,   in   4.500   B.C.   Indo   European  
Europe   receives   a   migratory   flow,   branch,   closely  
from   an   area   situated   near   the   related   to   their  
Ural   Mountains.   These   peoples   p r o t o -­‐ S l a v i c  
maintained   their   languages   n e i g h b o u r s ,  
for   all   these   years,   and   those   evolving  several  
Uralic   languages   can   still   be   languages   that  
found   in   some   parts   of   Europe.   currently   exist   still  
Towards  the  year  3.500  B.C.  another   there.
dŚĞĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚͲĚĂLJĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ migratory  flow  arrives  to  Europe.  This   In   the   second  
of   the   Indo-­‐European   branches   within   time,   the   flow   comes   from   a   territory   Millennia   B.C.   some   peoples  
their  homelands  of  Europe  and  Asia: located  between  the  seas  Caspian  and   consolidate   in   a   region   bigger   than  
   Hellenic  (Greek) Black.   This   population   incorporated   a   the   actual   Greece,   with   a   common  
   Indo-­‐Iranian language   from   which   most   of  
   Italic  (Romance) actual   languages   derived:  
   ĞůƟĐ Indo  European.
   Germanic 500   years   later,   many  
   Armenian different   civilizations  
   ĂůƚŽͲ^ůĂǀŝĐ;ĂůƟĐͿ flourish  in  Europe,  
   Balto-­‐Slavic  (Slavic) as  a  result  
   Albanian of   the   lack  
   Non-­‐Indo-­‐European  languages of   contact  
with   each  
other,   so   that   Indo  
European   language  
starts  to  split  in  many  
different   idioms.   In  
the   year   3.000   the  
The  Uralic  Languages

52
language   as   a   mean   of   unity:   Greek.  
They  established  a  politic,  philosophic,  
commercial   and   war   supremacy,   as  
well   as   brought   to   Europe   the   first  
scripture  imported  from  Asia,  and  had  
an   enormous   impact   on   the   rest   of  
European   civilizations.   Nevertheless,  
in   200   B.C.   Rome   snatched   the   politic  
and  cultural  supremacy,  and  expanded  
Latin   through   western   Europa;   From  
Cadiz   to   London,   and   from   Belgium  
to   Greece,   including   south   Germany,  
enclosing   Celts   to   a   few   spots   next  
to   the   Atlantic   ocean.   One   of   the  
most   powerful   grounds   for   Latin   to  
overcome   difficulties   is   that   Catholic  
Church  chose  it  as  official  language.
The   last   incursion   with   linguistic  
consequences   occurred   in   Europe   in  
the  vicinity  of  the  9th  century.  A  group  
of  Uralic  speakers  occupied  the  region  
of   Hungary,   dividing   the   Slavic   peoples  
in   south   and   north,   division   that   is  
currently  in  use.  This  group,  brought  in  
a  language  -­‐Hungarian-­‐  from  the  Uralic  
family,  therefore  related  to  Finnish  and  
Estonian.

53
 t la n g u a g e s in E u ro pe
2. The Curre n
>ĂŶŐƵĂŐĞĂŶĚƉŽůŝƟĐƐĂƌĞĐŽŶĐĞƉƚƐŚĂƌĚ (10   M)   and   Galician   (2.5   M)   have   also   -­‐     Slavic   languages’   distribution   is   very  
to   be   separated.     There   is   a   consensus   ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ ƐƚĂƚƵƐ͕ ƚŚŽƵŐŚ ĂƌĞ complex.   They   are   usually   divided   in  
though   to   determine   that   languages,   spoken  in  some  areas  of  Spain.         three   groups.   The   southern   group   is  
contrarily   to   dialects   have   a   grammar.   -­‐   In   north   Europe,   take   often   written   with   Latin  
Being   amazingly   high   the   number   of   precedence   languages   scripture.   Linguistic  
ĚŝĂůĞĐƚƐ ŝŶ ƵƌŽƉĞ͕ ƚŚŝƐ ƐĞĐƟŽŶ ǁŝůů ŽŶůLJ from   the   Germanic   and   religious  
ĨŽĐƵƐŽŶƚŚĞŽĸĐŝĂůůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐǁŝƚŚŝŶƚŚĞ family.   The   most   p a r t i c u l a r i t i e s  
ƵƌŽƉĞĂŶĐŽŶƟŶĞŶƚ͘ spoken   is   German   have   been   the  
>ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ŵŽƐƚŽĨƵƌŽƉĞĂŶĐŝƟnjĞŶƐƉĞĂŬƐ ;ϵϬ DͿ͕ ŽĸĐŝĂů subject   of   many  
an  Indo  European  language: in   Germany,   conflicts   in   this   area,  
Ͳ/ŶƐŽƵƚŚƵƌŽƉĞ͕ŵŽƐƚŽĨŽĸĐŝĂůůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ Austria,   Luxembourg   where   only   20   years   ago  
ĚĞƌŝǀĞĨƌŽŵ>ĂƟŶ͘tĞĞŶĐŽƵŶƚĞƌ&ƌĞŶĐŚ͕ and   Switzerland,   followed   almost   every   country   formed  
with   70   millions   of   speakers   in   France,   by   English   (60   M)   in   England,   Wales,   part   of   Yugoslavia.   The   most   spoken   is  
Belgium   and   Switzerland,   Italian   (60   M),   Scotland   and   Ireland,   Dutch   (22.5   M),   Serbian   (12   M),   then   Croatian   (7   M),  
Spanish   (45   M),   Romanian   (24   M)   and   Swedish  (9  M),  Danish  (6  M),  Norwegian   Bosnian   (4   M),   Slovenian   (2.2   M)   and  
WŽƌƚƵŐƵĞƐĞ;ϭϬDͿ͘ůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞůLJ͕ĂƚĂůĂŶ (5  M)  and  Icelandic  (260.000). Montenegrin   (600.000).   There   are   two  
languages   written   with   Cyrillic   script:  
Macedonian  (3  M)  and  Bulgarian  (15  M).    
The   western   group   is   always   written  
with   Latin   alphabet.   Polish   (40   M)   is   the  
most  spoken,  followed  by  Czech  (12  M)  
and  Slovak  (4  M).
The  eastern  branch  is  the  most  important  
in  terms  of  users,  and  is  always  written  
in   Cyrillic.   The   most   spoken   is   Russian  
(160   M),   followed   by   Ukrainian   (40   M),  
and  Belarusian  (8  M).
-­‐   Celt   languages   remainder   are   scarce  
and   isolated.   We   encounter   Welsh  
(600.000),   Gaelic   Irish   (500.000)   and  
Gaelic   from   Scotland   (60.000).   Breton  
(500.000)   has   also   official   status   in  
Brittany  -­‐France.
-­‐  The  Baltic  family  consists  of  Lithuanian  
(4   M)   and   Latvian   (1.5   M),   and   is  
remotely  related  to  the  Slavic  group.
Beyond  these  Indo  European  languages,  
there   exist   four   languages   in   Europe.  

54
Three   of   them   belong   to   the   Uralic  
branch:   Finnish   (5   M),   Estonian   (1.1   M)  
and   Magyar   (15   M).   Magyar   is   quite  
different   to   the   rest   of   Uralic   languages,  
as  is  the  product  of  a  migration  occurred  
around   4.000   years   later.   Finally   the  
fourth   language   is   Basque   (700.000).  
It   is   believed   to   be   one   among   those  
previous   languages   existing   in   Europe,  
prior   to   the   Indo   European   migrations.  
Accordingly   has   no   similarities   with  
any   other   language   in   the   world,   and  
its  scripture  is  only  extended  since  XVII  
century.

Main  alphabets  used  in  Europe

Main  alphabets  used  in  Europe:
>ĂƟŶĂůƉŚĂďĞƚ
Cyrillic  script
Greek  alphabet
'ƌĞĞŬĂŶĚůĂƟŶƐĐƌŝƉƚ
The  indo  european  branches  of  the  language  tree ^ůĂǀŝĐĂŶĚůĂƟŶƐĐƌŝƉƚ

55
 o E c o n o m y a n d P oli tics
inguistic approach t
3. A L
a   national   language   formed   a   of   legal  diplomas  is   created;   diplomas  
nation.   However,   from   now   on   that   are   mandatory   to   practice   within  
it   is   only   the   language   the   territory.   Summarizing,   the  
what   matters.     That   is   government   promotes   that  
observed   in   Germany   language   creating   -­‐perhaps  
and   Italy,   where   involuntarily-­‐   a   marginal  
nations   are   formed   corner   for   the   rest   of  
based   only   upon   languages   with   non-­‐
linguistic  affinity. official  status.
Consequently,   it   is   When   a   language   is   official  
in   France   where   it   and   has   an   important  
first   starts   the   politic   number   of   speakers,   there   is  
imposition  of  a  language.   attached   to   it   a   great   industry  
It   was   a   slow   but   constant   of  products  such  as  books,  newspaper,  
mechanism,   accomplished   by   TV   programs,   cinema   and   radio.  
the  French  monarchy  previously   Nowadays   we   know   the   economic  
to   the   revolution.   There   were   viability   of   those   products   depends  
several  languages,  evolved  from  Latin,   obviously   in   their   quality,   but   even  
Posterior   to   the   French   revolution   in   although   Langue   d’Oc   in   south   France   more   on   the   number   of   speaker   or  
1789,   French   language   is   established   and  Langue  d’Oil  in  the  north  were  the   potential   customers.   For   this   reason,  
in   France   as   the   unique   official   most  extended.  At  the  beginning  of  the   and  for  to  protect  his  industry  from  the  
language,   and   hence   how   speaking   process,   the   government   establishes   huge   industries   in   U.S.A.   and   United  
French   becomes   necessary   for   every   a   language   as   a   vehicle   to   undertake   Kingdom,   some   countries  
citizen   to   participate   in   democracy,   any   legal   procedures;   so   it   as   France,   Spain  
and   ultimately   be   free.   This   fact   had   becomes   compulsory   or   Italy   applied  
an   enormous   impact   in   Europe   to   speak   fluently   a   a   protectionist  
during  the  following  hundred  years.   language   in   order   to   policy,   where  
For   instance,   halfway   through   buy  a  house,  inherit  any   films   are   subsidiary  
the   nineteenth   century,   we   goods,   begin   a   business,   of   founds   to   proselytises  
acknowledge   or   get   married.   Later   on,   appears   the   the   national   culture   and   language,  
the   change   prestige  speech.  This  means  philosophy,   and   to   keep   that   media   industry   from  
of   criteria   in   medical   speech,   literature,   economic   shrinking  and  ultimately  disappearing.
n a t i o n a l i s m .   and   politic   speeches   are   produced  
Prior   to   this   date,   in   that   language   and   it   appears   to   be  
culture,   traditions,   necessary   to   learn   it   so   that   we   can  
local   customs,   follow  and  participate  of  those  cultural  
i n t e l l e c t u a l   instruments.   At   last,   it   is   created   a  
production   and   system   of   education,   where   a   scheme  

56
57
 n d it s li n g u is t ic p o licy
4. The Union a
There   was   a   remarkable   attempt   of   every   language   with   official   status   in   a  
linguistic   unity,   in   the   recent   history   EU  country  will  be  official  for  the  Union.  
of   Europe   that   deserves   to   be   noticed.   As  more  countries  join  the  Union,  more  
It   was   a   romantic   endeavour   official   languages   are  
it,   as   well   as   the   Comenius   to   promote  
accomplished   at   the   incorporated   to  
the   co-­‐operation   and   mobility   between  
beginning   of   the   the   bureaucratic  
primary  and  secondary  schools.
20th   century:   apparel,   and  
-­‐   Leonardo.   To   promote   mobility  
E s p e r a n t o ,   therefore   every  
among   professionals,   in   order   to   build  
a   language   d o c u m e n t  
up   working   experience,   and   exchange  
created   by   produced   in  
knowledge.
Zemenhof   for   all   the   Union   must   be  
In   addition,   teaching   languages   is  
the  peoples  in  the  world   published   in   each   of   the   23  
promoted   in   the   Union   through   the  
with   a   simple   grammar   and   politically   current   official   languages.   Besides,   the  
council   of   Europe,   with   the   aim   of  
neutral,  which  ended  up  having  success   UE  communicates  with  every  country  in  
improving  the  ability  of  those  citizens  to  
among  the  anti-­‐fascists,  and  so  became   their   official   language,   and   so   it   has   an  
communicate   abroad   of   he   EU,   so   that  
unpopular  after  the  war. enormous   demand   of   translators,   which  
they  can  interact,  work  and  move  freely  
After   all   those   failures   of   the   last   includes  a  high  economic  dependence.
across  Europe.
centuries,   the   initial   European   Nevertheless,   the   Union   is   a   pioneer  
There   is   also   a   ‘’European   Bureau   for  
agreement   was   only   based   on   the   multilingual  organism,  despite  the  huge  
lessen-­‐used   languages’’   located   in  
economic   integration,   rather   dependence   on   translations   it  
Dublin,   to   preserve   and   promote   the  
than   the   hypothetical   has,  and  the  static  bureaucratic  
use  of  those  languages  within  Europe.  It  
linguistic   homogeneity.   model   it   represents   as  
has  an  information  office  in  Brussels,  as  
Therefore   the   first   EU   a   consequence.   This  
well   as   a   delegation   in   most   of   the   EU  
agreement   in   1957   is   scenario  is  very  difficult  
countries.
based   upon   three   to   invert   now.   If   the  
linguistic  principles: EU   decided   to   reduce  
-­‐  No  discrimination. the   number   of   official  
-­‐   Free   movement   languages,   it   would  
of   people   and   goods,   provoke   so   many   conflicts  
requiring   an   important   of   interests,   that   nobody  
investment   in   education   would   actually   consider   it  
so   that   those   citizens   can   even  as  a  suggestion  anymore.
communicate  with  each  other.       In   order   to   promote   languages   in   the  
-­‐   Subsidies   to   the   media   industry,   in   Union,   two   main   programs   have   been  
order  to  protect  it. launched:
The   Union   inside   is   very   complex,   as   -­‐   Socrates.   Contains   the   Erasmus  
a   product   of   those   principles.   The   program,   to   provide   universities   with  
agreement   of   no   discrimination   implies   exchange  programs  and  funds  to  support  

58
 European  Parliament

59
Actividades
tŚĂƚŚĂǀĞ/ůĞĂƌŶƚ͍
ĂŶ LJŽƵ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ĐŚƌŽŶŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ĂdžŝƐ ĞdžƉůĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŝŶ ĨĂĐƚƐ ŝŶ ƵƌŽƉĞĂŶ
ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐŝŶƟŵĞ͍ƌĂǁĂůŝŶĞĂŶĚƵƐĞƚŚĞLJĞĂƌϰ͘ϱϬϬ͘͘ĂƐĂƐƚĂƌƟŶŐƉŽŝŶƚ͕
ĂŶĚƚŚĞLJĞĂƌϮ͘ϬϭϯĂƐƚŚĞĞŶĚŽĨLJŽƵƌĂdžŝƐ͘

tŚĂƚĐĂŶ/ĚŽ͍
tŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƚŚĞ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞƐ ĂŶĚ
ĚŝƐĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞƐŽĨŚĂǀŝŶŐĂƐŝŶŐůĞůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ
ŝŶ ƵƌŽƉĞ͍ dƌLJ ƚŽ ĮŶĚ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ
ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͕ĂŶĚƚŚƌĞĞŶĞŐĂƟǀĞƉŽŝŶƚƐĨŽƌďŽƚŚ
ƐĐĞŶĂƌŝŽƐ͗ DĂŶLJ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ ŝŶ ƵƌŽƉĞ͕
ĂŶĚŽŶĞůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞĨŽƌĂůůŝŶƵƌŽƉĞ͘dŚĞŶ
ĞdžƉůĂŝŶLJŽƵƌŽƉŝŶŝŽŶŽƌĐŽŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ͘

,ŽǁĚŽĞƐƚŚĂƚĂīĞĐƚŵĞ͍
tŚĂƚĂƌĞƚŚĞďĂƐŝĐƉƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞƐĨŽƌĂŚƵŵĂŶŐƌŽƵƉƚŽďĞĐŽŵĞĂŶĂƟŽŶ͍
/ŶŐƌŽƵƉƐŽĨϰͲϱ͕ƚƌLJƚŽĮŶĚƚŚĞĨĞǁƉƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞƐŶĞĞĚĞĚĨŽƌĂŚƵŵĂŶŐƌŽƵƉƚŽ
ďĞĐŽŵĞĂŶĂƟŽŶǁŝƚŚůĞŐŝƟŵĂĐLJ͗ĂƐĞŶŵĂƌŬ͕ŶŐůĂŶĚŽƌZƵƐƐŝĂ͘dŚĞŶĞdžƉŽƐĞ
LJŽƵƌŝĚĞĂƐĂŶĚĚĞďĂƚĞǁŝƚŚƚŚĞƌĞƐƚŽĨƚŚĞŐƌŽƵƉƐŝŶƚŚĞĐůĂƐƐ͘

60
Extension
ƌŽǁƐĞƚŚŝƐƵƌŽƉĞĂŶǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͘tŚĂƚŝƐƚŚĞŽŵĞŶŝƵƐƉƌŽŐƌĂŵĨŽƌ͍,ŽǁĐĂŶƚŚĂƚƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŚĂǀĞĂŶŝŵƉĂĐƚŽŶƵƌŽƉĞĂŶƐŽĐŝĞƚLJ͍
ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬǁǁǁ͘ŽĂƉĞĞ͘ĞƐͬŽĂƉĞĞͬŝŶŝĐŝŽͬƉĂƉͬĐŽŵĞŶŝƵƐ͘Śƚŵů

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