Wednesday 29 April 2009

Detranĉo por Kimralingva Televido?


…de la Western Mail:

Welsh-language channel S4C could see its funding cut next year, following a fall in the rate of inflation.
The Cardiff-based channel received £96m this year from the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), although it also generates revenue from other sources, including commercial activity.

The Chancellor’s Budget report last week, showed that the DCMS had identified £3m savings from its funding to S4C next year.

This is based on a forecast that the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation, which includes mortgage repayments, will remain unchanged year-on-year when it makes its assessment for S4C funding in 2010 in November...

Laborpostenaj Aplikoj por Irlandalingva Televido


de la Irish Film & Television Network:

The Irish Language Broadcast Fund, supported by Northern Ireland Screen, is seeking applications from fluent Irish speakers for its training scheme in television production.

Deadline for application to the scheme is 5.00pm Friday 15th May .

During this full time scheme (September 2009 – August 2010), trainees will learn television production skills whilst on an internship with local production companies or with NvTv (Belfast’s local television station).

Bankado en Skotgaelalingvo


…de BBC News:

Scottish banks are to be encouraged to offer services in Gaelic after a cheque made out in the language was rejected.

Michael Drummond, from Stornoway on Lewis, used a bilingual Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chequebook.

However, RBS said in the UK it was necessary for cheques to be written in English so they could be understood by everyone who may have to handle them.

Nationalist MSP Alasdair Allan said the case raised a serious issue about services offered in Gaelic...

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Papur Fama



Welsh Assembly culture minister Alun Ffred Jones will be visiting Mold on Friday to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Flintshire’s Welsh language community newspaper Papur Fama.

The get-together at Ysgol Maes Garmon, Mold, starts at 7pm.
In the first issue published by volunteers in April 1979, Mr Jones was responsible for the sports column.

At that time, he was a Welsh second-language teacher at the Alun School, Mold, and acted in the local Welsh drama society, Cymdeithas Ddrama’r Dreflan….

Tús Maith 3 en Havard


…de la Derry Journal:

An Irish language course for adults developed by Derry man Risteard MacGabhann is now being used at one of the world's best known universities.

Mr MacGabhann’s ‘Tús Maith 3’ course has been nominated as a required text for an Irish programme at Harvard University in Boston.

The course, which will be launched in Derry at the Bláthanna Festival in June, is taught by Dr Cáit Chadbourne who recently spent a sabbatical year at Magee.

Mr MacGabhann said he was honoured to have his course selected to be used at Harvard…

Sunday 26 April 2009

Skolpad Lokournan



L'association Skolpad Lokournan propose des cours de langue bretonne, des animations, l'apprentissage du chant breton et une section danse.

Douze de ses membres ont donné un aperçu de leurs talents, jeudi après-midi. «Skolpad» est, en breton, un petit pas fait pour ôter la boue des sabots. Les jeunes retraités de Saint-Renan en ont fait plus d'un, sur la scène de la salle Saint-Jacques.

Leur nouveau répertoire s'est enrichi de morceaux de toute la Bretagne. En plus de ceux du Léon, ils ont également présenté des gavottes de Lannilis et Saint-Renan, des laridés du pays vannetais, avant de terminer par une danse de Plougastel (torchou) à laquelle ils ont invité les résidants à prendre part.

Cerbhi Meg Russell?


...de la Irish Independent:

This is an Irish-language book about a remarkable Irish woman written by a remarkable Irish woman. And if anyone should feel the need to ask "Who is Maire Mhac an tSaoi?", it might be because we aren't always as conscious of the role and power of the fair sex in history. But more on that anon. A third question has to be asked before the first two can be attempted, "Just who was Piaras Feiritear?" and, more the point, what is his connection with a young noble Kerrywoman of the 1640s and one of Ireland's most illustrious women?

Feiritear, or Ferriter in its anglicised form, was a poet, a soldier and a courtier in the romantic, dangerous and passionate times in the Ireland of the 1640s. A swashbuckling hero of Ireland's resistance to Cromwell's invasion, he stands between Meg Russell and Maire Mhac an tSaoi. Meg Russell is the young woman who stares out at us enigmatically from the cover of a book the title of which is Cerbhi Meg Russell?...

Friday 24 April 2009

Peto por Paperoj


The 2009 Conference of the North American Association of Celtic Language Teachers (NAACLT) will be held May 20-24, 2009 at The New York City Irish Center (10-40 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, New York)…

Abstracts for individual papers or workshops are welcome on topics involving any one of the modern Celtic languages. Celtic language teachers are especially encouraged to present workshops or papers concerning methods, materials and program development. Other topics may include:


● Teaching methods for Celtic languages and experiences with them.
● Experiences and studies of second language learners and their teachers.
● Problems with second language acquisition and proposed solutions.
● Sociolinguistic, psychological and psycholinguistic studies relation to Celtic languages.
● Language learning materials.
● Language policy and planning.
● Syllabus design.
● Assessment and examination.
● The application of computer technology to Celtic language teaching.
● The design, evaluation and use of Computer Assisted Language Learning packages.

Thursday 23 April 2009

93 Procentoj por la Irlandalingvo


…de la Irish Times:

Ninety-three per cent of those taking part in a Statewide survey wish to have Irish revived or preserved, according to a report launched yesterday by Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív.

The survey, The Irish Language and the Irish People , by Father Micheal Mac Greil SJ and Fergal Rhatigan, assesses the attitude of Irish people towards the Irish language, their use of it and their perception of their own competence in the language.

The findings are based on 40-minute face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 1,015 persons (85% of them Irish-born) aged 18 years and over in this State between November 2007 and March 2008. The fieldwork was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

“The overall positive message emerging from the findings of the 2007-08 survey has been the continued increase in the support for the Irish language and competence in it by respondents with higher education and more highly-prestigious occupations,” the survey report says.

What the survey calls “the most disappointing result” is the disparity between the 47 per cent of Irish-born respondents who claim “reasonable” competence in Irish and the 23 per cent who use the language on a regular basis…

Séamus de Blaca kaj Míle Fáilte


…de CBS News:

To Seamus Blake's immigrant parents from Ireland, the language of prosperity was English.So when they learned of their son's teenage interest in their native Gaelic, Blake said they asked him: "What good will that do you?"

What it did was turn him into an evangelist of the endangered language and the voice of the only radio show regularly broadcast in Irish Gaelic in the New York area.

"I became kind of a fanatic," Blake said in his rich Irish accent on a recent Tuesday before setting to work on the weekly broadcast of "Mile Failte" (MEEE'-leh FAWL'-tcheh), the show on WFUV-FM that he has hosted since 1978.

Blake's show offers an aural portrait of the surprising vitality of a language that UNESCO has deemed "definitely endangered." Irish Gaelic belongs to a branch of Celtic languages that includes Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Breton and Cornish.

In the last two years, Blake's Saturday morning show has featured music ranging from Afro-Celtic funk to reggae, as well as storytelling and interviews _ all in the language that generations of Irish immigrants like his parents had once considered moribund…
.
* Dro. Blake liveros la ĉefteman adreson je tio jara Konferenco de la Nordamerika Asocio de Keltalingvaj Instruistoj en Nov-Jorko, 21-22 Majo....


Wednesday 22 April 2009

Y Cylch Catholig


…de la Daily Post:

A High Street bank is under fire for refusing to set up a Welsh business account for a church group.

North Wales-based Catholic Circle upgraded its Barclays bank account to small business status after being granted charitable status – but was told all the paperwork had to be in English.

Secretary Siw Roberts was stunned when the bank told her it could not set up an account with documents in Welsh.

Last night the bank confirmed it does not offer an account in Welsh, but insisted a Welsh language telephone service for businesses is available.

The bank previously refused to process a cheque written in Welsh, to pay for a trip to Lourdes.
The group has now switched accounts to another bank...

* Ĉu iu scias la retejan adreson por la Katolika Cirklo?

Tuesday 21 April 2009

Urba Koncilio de Derry


…de la Derry Journal:

Derry City Council is to carry a logo with its English name translated into Irish and Ulster Scots.

The way was paved for the three-language logo with last week's adoption of Irish and Ulster Scots language policies by council members.

Derry City Council logos will be accompanied by the terms Derry City Council, Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire and Derry Citie Cooncil, although final confirmation on translation of name is pending from the Ulster-Scots Language Society.

The Irish language policy adoption will enable employees and members of the public to use their name and address in Irish and to speak Irish in all council buildings while the public can request all council services and all council information to be provided in Irish. All new internal and external signs on Derry City Council-owned buildings, offices, internal directional signs and vehicles will include English, Irish and Ulster Scots…

Monday 20 April 2009

Loveday Jenkin


…de Cornwall 24:

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has announced that its list of candidates for the ‘South West Region’ seat in the European Parliament will comprise their six prospective parliamentary candidates for Westminster…

Loveday Jenkin (Camborne and Redruth) is a former Chairman of Mebyon Kernow and served on Kerrier District Council between 1995 and 2009.

A respected councillor, she was a cabinet member on Kerrier with responsibility for Leisure, Arts and Culture.

She was brought up in Leedstown, lives at Praze an Beeble and serves on Crowan Parish Council. She is also a prominent activist in the Cornish language revival.

€700,000 por la Irlandalingvo en Usono


…de An Druma Mór, la novaĵa blogo de Eoghan Ó Néill:

D’fhógair an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D. inné maoiniú de bhreis agus €700,000 chun tacú le agus forbairt a dhéanamh ar mhúineadh na Gaeilge thar sáile i 2009.

Tá thart ar ceathracha ollscoil agus coláiste 3ú leibhéal i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, i dtíortha na hEorpa agus níos faide anonn, atá gníomhach i soláthar clár Gaeilge agus Staidéir Cheiltigh laistigh dá bhforais féin.

Cuireann an Fo-Chiste d’Institiúidí Triú Leibhéal Thar Lear de chuid Chiste na Gaeilge, a bunaíodh in 2006, tacaíocht ar fáil d’fhorais triú leibhéal ar fud an domhain chun forbairt a dhéanamh ar na cláir seo agus iad a chur chun cinn...

Wednesday 15 April 2009

La lrlandalingvo, Ulsterskota kaj Civitanaj Festoj


...de la Londonderry Sentinel:

Culture Minister Gregory Campbell has warned Derry City Council that proposals giving Irish greater priority than Ulster-Scots in civic festivals will outrage and further alienate unionists.

If adopted, the new proposals would mean that a reason must be given if an element to promote the Irish language is not included in civic festivals and events.That would not be the case for Ulster-Scots.

New Ulster-Scots and Irish Language policies will be considered tomorrow by the council's Planning and Resources Committee and will have a number of wide-ranging implications.

However, Irish appears to enjoy greater priority in the proposals - and Mr Campbell has warned that adopting them would be a serious mistake...

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Amikoj kaj Herooj


...de AWN News:

Friends and Heroes is set during the height of the Roman Empire when their army was present throughout the known world! Keen to make the programme as accurate as possible, the research team learned much about Roman life in the period, including their engineering of ships and design of dock cranes! Even Roman food has been portrayed as faithfully as possible….

….Since
Friends and Heroes was first broadcast in Europe on the BBC satellite children's channel CBBC, and later on the terrestrial channel BBC2, international broadcast sales have grown considerably. Trinity Broadcast Network in the USA premiered Series 1 early in 2007 and other channels planning to launch Series 1 in 2009 include GoodTV in Taiwan and Sat7Kids in the Middle East. By mid 2009, Friends and Heroes will be broadcasting in English, Arabic, Italian, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Chinese.

Friends and Heroes is available in ten language versions including: English; Arabic; Chinese (Mandarin); French; German; Hindi/Urdu; Korean; Portuguese (Brazilian); Russian and Spanish (South American) and Manx Gaelic.

"The availability of so many dubbed languages means that Friends and Heroes is appealing to young viewers and broadcasters across the world," said David Dorricott, Executive Producer….

Friday 10 April 2009

Letero de Churchill pri la Kimralingvo


…de la Western Mail:

A sarcastic letter written by Winston Churchill in response to demands by Welsh language campaigners during World War II is to go under the hammer later this month.

At the height of the war, the Welsh Parliamentary Party wrote to Churchill on December 3, 1941, requesting a meeting on a language petition signed by tens of thousands of people in Wales.

“We realise your great responsibilities in these days, and the limited time at your disposal, but we are deeply anxious to meet you,” the letter’s authors said.

The party referred to a petition signed by 394,860 people, asking Churchill to place the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English language in judicial proceedings and public services.

But, given this was one of the bleakest points of the war, it seemed Churchill’s diary was already rather full.

Four days later, on the date that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Churchill replied: “Much as I should like to meet the deputation of the Welsh Parliamentary Party, I regret that, owing to the many tasks which fall to my lot at this time, it is impossible for me to arrange a date.”…

…He added that the letter was “pivotal” to the recognition of the Welsh language.

“This was obviously a big burning issue in Wales at that time, as the Welsh language was not encouraged.

“So this is one of the most pivotal events for the Welsh language…

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Redon


...de maville.com:

L'adhésion de la ville à la langue de la charte Ya d'ar brezhoneg crée des réactions. En breton, en gallo, en français... Des défenseurs des cultures bretonne et gallèse reviennent sur cette demarche...

…Redon n'est pas la première ville à adhérer à la charte (elle est même la 97e...). D'autres villes, comme Rennes, ont déjà affiché une double signalétique sans provoquer des crispations.

Alors, pourquoi un tel débat ici ? « Peut-être parce que Redon est vu, par beaucoup, comme la capitale du gallo », estime Gilbert Hervieux. Le président du Groupement culturel breton, organisateur de la Bogue, est bien placé pour le savoir...

Nick Lewis kaj Princo Madoc


…as The Sun News:

Who, you may ask, is Prince Madoc?

According to Nick, he was a Welsh prince who traveled to America, settled here and left intriguing clues of his travels.

It took place in 1170, some 322 years before Columbus set sail.

“The notion that Prince Madoc of Wales went to North America in 12th century is labeled ‘not true’ by many, but it is true,” Nick said.

His research, in libraries and on the Web, produced a lot of evidence about the Welsh prince, he said. Among his findings:

Ÿ Indians were found in the Dakotas who speak a language very much like Welsh, “and in many cases it’s exactly like Welsh.”...

Monday 6 April 2009

Lingva Disputo


…de la Ballymoney Times:

Ballycastle independent councillor Seamus Blaney said he thought those writing to Moyle Council applying for Irish and Ulster Scots would have included their addresses in their particular form of language in their letters if they were so concerned about promotion.

That prompted Council Chairperson, Ulster Unionist councillor Willie Graham, to say: "Maybe they can't speak Irish or Ulster-Scots, not like me, I can speak Ulster-Scots."

Council Vice-Chairperson, Sinn Fein councillor Cara McShane, disagreed with Councillor Blaney saying the Irish language school did write in Irish in their application regarding signs at Kilns Road and Mill Street.

Meanwhile, Councillor Blaney said Ulster-Scots is not a language but a dialect.

And he said Sinn Fein were in effect promoting the Ulster-Scots because he predicted bids would come in for Ulster-Scots signs if Sinn Fein pushed through the Irish signs in Moyle.

Councillor Blaney wondered what an area like Glenville in Cushendall would be called in Irish.*

[* “Baile an Ghleanna”? ]

Friday 3 April 2009

Matthew Rhys


…de la Western Mail:

Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys has made an emotional return to Patagonia for the filming of his new movie.

The Cardiff-born actor has just arrived in the Argentinean region for the beginning of shooting of a film called Patagonia.

He will star alongside Brecon actress Nia Roberts in the Welsh-language picture due to be released later this year.

On Wednesday, Rhys revisited a group of locals he first worked with during a re-enactment of the epic trek of 30 men and 200 horses to discover new lands in Patagonia in 1885.

Rhys described the journey – which he completed back in 2005 – as the “best experience of his life” in a documentary capturing the trek for BBC Wales.

The 30-minute film has now been translated into Spanish and was shown to locals for the first time last night, four years after it was shot, with Rhys the guest of honour at the premiere...

Wednesday 1 April 2009

Futbalo kaj la Kimralingvo


…de This is South Wales:

Swansea City stars will be forced to speak Welsh on the pitch, thanks to barmy new European Union regulations.

That means the club's Spanish contingent, some of whom are still struggling with English, must now learn a second new language if they are to carry on playing in Wales.

And the likes of Garry Monk, Alan Tate and Leon Britton will be forced back across the Severn Bridge unless they get to grips with the Welsh alphabet.

The players, and others across the UK, are having to go back to class because of a new European working directive.

The Workers Language Integration directive was rubber stamped in Brussels in October, and comes into force this month.

The EU regulations are designed to prevent languages being lost given that the borders between member countries are now so open.