Language Research

3. Language issues: Where does one observe language to be a problem in the country?

Russians had been the privileged group under the communist system. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union they found it difficult to adjust to being the ethnic minority within a new state. Uzbeks themselves do not consider the situation of Russian-speakers in Uzbekistan as miserable or their policies adopted as discriminating.

Russian-speakers in Uzbekistan called the Language Law “a law on emigration”. Such an attitude towards the law might be motivated by the fact that the new citizenship law considers those who did not adopt Uzbek nationality by July 1, 1993 as “foreigners”, and such non-citizens are refused the access to health care and education.

Such discriminatory language and the citizenship policy, i.e. limitation of political rights and representation, as well as the restriction of the social rights of the Russian-speaking population, together with grass-roots nationalism, have contributed to the fact that many Russian-speakers have left Uzbekistan. Another reason for this may have been the difficulty of Russian-speakers to adapt to the loss of their formerly privileged status. The discrimination towards Russian-speakers at the state level, however, has been mainly indirect and confined, due to continuing economic dependence of the country on Russia. Because of the concern expressed by Russia, some steps have recently been taken to improve the situation of the ethnic Russians. 

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Updated (August 2007)

CROSSROADS OF THE ALPHABET SWITCH

A planned switch from a version of the Cyrillic script to Latin alphabet is designated to be completed in Uzbekistan within a few years, but many people fear it will happen.

Uzbekistan passed a law replacing the Cyrillic alphabet with a Latin script modified for Uzbek in 1993, and the transition should have been completed by 2000. The main reason for the switch was explained as a need to communicate with the outside world using a more universally understood alphabet. At the same time, the move signaled country's desire to break away from its dependence on Russia and to shift to the West. Some prominent Uzbeks even expressed the hope that English, study of which became common in the early 1990s, would replace Russian as the language of international communication in Uzbekistan.

But the full switch has been postponed twice, to 2005 and then to 2010. People, however, say the deadline may be postponed yet again or the switch may be dropped as the country does not have the resources to complete such transition, and political, business and intellectual leaders are not ready for it.

The Latin alphabet began to be used in schools in 1996 and since then an estimated 5 million students have learned it. But the government has not had the money to furnish them with all the necessary textbooks and materials in the Latin script; the essential textbooks are in the Latin alphabet whilst the remaining learning materials (reference books or manuals) are available in Cyrillic only.

In addition to schools, the Latin alphabet is used on street signs and a few other places. Business correspondence, media, and government documents must be issued in the Latin script by the 2010 deadline, but most of them are still written in Cyrillic, as are most types of literature.

The Negative Impact of the Alphabet Switch

Experts believe the introduction of the Latin alphabet resulted in a general reduction in the quality of the country's scientific and cultural works and even its literacy rate.

Kuldashev, a prominent Uzbek poet and journalist, believes that every switch from one alphabet to another throws the country 15 to 20 years back because of the huge disruption to education and to the country's intellectual life. Uzbekistan has suffered such switches four times in the last century – from the Arabic script to the Latin alphabet in the 1920s, to Cyrillic a decade later, to a new version of the Latin alphabet in the early 1990s, and finally to the current version of the Latin script in 1995.

The recent transition has resulted in a conflict between adults who use Cyrillic and young people who have learned to read and write in the Latin alphabet. Children usually have difficulties reading books in Cyrillic while for adults it is hard to read Uzbek in the Latin script.

The continuation of the forced transition to the Latin alphabet will cost the country its scientific and intellectual potential, but Uzbekistan's possible return to Cyrillic raises another issue: what to do with all those schoolchildren taught in the Latin script?

Source: Transitions Online, Features, July 27, 2007 by Marina Kozlova http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=227&NrSection=3&NrArticle=18858&ST1=ad&ST_T1=job&ST_AS1=0&ST_LS1=-1&ST2=body&ST_T2=letter&ST_AS2=0&ST_LS2=-1&ST3=text&ST_T3=aatol&ST_PS3=1&ST_AS3=0&ST_LS3=0&ST_max=3 

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Updated (October 2008)

WELSH-ONLY SIGNAGE ON POLICE'S CARS WOULD BREACH THE LAW

The Welsh Language Board says that a proposal made by the Chief Constable of the North Wales Police to remove the English word “Police” from the back of their vehicles would be in breach of the Welsh Language Act, which stipulates that both languages – English and Welsh – must be given equal weight by public sector bodies in Wales.

Speaking at a reconciliation conference at Bangor University on Friday, Chief Constable Brunstrom is reported to have said: “I would like to remove the word ‘Police’ from the back of police cars. I think it should be ‘Heddlu’ on the back as well.”

A spokesperson of the Welsh Language Board however stressed that “the 1993 Language Act places a requirement on public bodies to prepare Welsh language schemes in order to set out how they will provide services through the medium of Welsh”. He also added that the North Wales Police scheme in 2006 stated that “the corporate identity of North Wales Police, which includes vehicle signage, will be fully bilingual”. According to the Board, the comments made on October 11 are the personal views of the Chief Constable as opposed to North Wales Police’s policy on this matter. Over the years, the Welsh Police implemented the scheme that has resulted in increased bilingual service provision.

Asked whether the force would find itself in breach of the Act or should they press ahead with such a plan, the spokesperson added: “Yes, on the basis of equality for both languages.”

Tory MP for Clwyd West David Jones has written to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith protesting at the chief’s idea. He said Mr Brunstrom’s description of the force as an “English-speaking army of occupation” – terms the chief has used before – caused great offence to former serving officers.

In his letter he writes: “To remove the word ‘police’ from patrol vehicles would send out the signal that North Wales Police regard the English language as of lower status than Welsh.”

A spokesperson for North Wales Police said there are currently no proposals to change the language on force vehicles and any such scheme would be subject to consultation.

Source: Wales Online, News, October 14, 2008 by Daren Devine http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/14/police-chief-warned-not-to-breach-language-act-91466-22026521/

A RALLY CALLS FOR IRISH TO GAIN STATUS OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

No more than five hundred people gathered in the city of Belfast to call for official status to be given to the Irish language. The rally had been again organized by the POBAL group, which calls for “a wide range of public services (to be) offered through the medium of Irish”. POBAL’s Chief Executive Janet Muller said they wanted Irish to be used in the courts, within public institutions, education, broadcasting, and social and economic life as well.

Irish language groups again stressed that a commitment was given in the St Andrews' Agreement to introduce legislation. Réamonn Ó Ciaráin from the Irish language organization Gael Linn, said: “An Irish Language Act based on the rights of the people who speak it is needed in the north, exactly as it was promised two years ago at St Andrews. This kind of legislation already exists in Scotland, Wales and the south of Ireland, and the Irish speaking community here should have the same rights.”

Source: BBC News, October 11, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7665343.stm

LANGUAGE RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

The radical pressure group The Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) have sent what they call a 'Final Warning' to the Welsh Government, demanding that they keep to their promise to introduce new legislation giving specific rights to use Welsh when dealing with private companies.

Six members of the Cymdeithas were arrested for painting the slogan ‘Mesur Iaith Cyflawn’ (A Comprehensive Language Law) on the walls of a government building in Aberystwyth.

Another fifty members showed their support for the action by signing their names on the wall. This led to the arrest of another four people.

Two years ago, the society presented a 10,000-name petition and there was general agreement from all main political parties for a change in the law. The Welsh Government, however, appears to be nervous to take further steps in the face of considerable opposition from private companies who believe that further legislation will result in increased costs.

Non-violent, law-breaking protests have succeeded in winning several changes in the law over the past 30 years. The status of Welsh has risen, from being a language with no recognition to being prominent on road signs and with government departments and public bodies providing bilingual services. Nevertheless, many are unhappy that there is no requirement for shops and private businesses to have bilingual signs and services.

Source: Eurolang News, October 27, 2008 by Huw Jones http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3109&Itemid=1&lang=en

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