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Basquisation
“A special aspect of education in the Basque Country is the linguistic Basquisation of adults. For centuries, the relationship between Basque and Spanish or French was one-way. Many Basque speakers abandoned their language and, either of their own free will or forced by circumstances, they adopted one of the official languages. Since the sixties, the relationship between Basque and Spanish or French has been reciprocal. Basque continues to lose speakers in the French Basque Country, but, at the same time, many Basques whose mother tongue is French or Spanish are learning Basque. Some people who have learned Basque in adulthood have obtained such a command of the language that they have become famous writers in Basque or even members of the Academy of the Basque Language. Currently, as many as 40,000 people are learning Basque or improving their level in the so-called euskaltegis, centres for adult learning and the perfecting of Basque. Without euskaltegis and the enlargement of the Basque-speakers community, the revival of the language (in the sense that this term has been used so far) would have been almost impossible.”
The Basque launch will take place on 12 June at the Sala Arriaga, University of Vasque Country, Bilbao. The speakers at this launch are:
- Silvia Berny, Director British Council Bilbao
- Aneta Quraishy, Senior Project Manager, Language Rich Europe
- Iván Igartua, Director of Research, Department of Culture, Vasque Government
- Olatz Olaso, Representative EMUN
