Estų kalbos politikos gairės: strateginis planas ir jo įgyvendinimas

BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG University of Tartu ESTONIAN LANGUAGE POLICY GUIDELINES: STRATEGIC PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION KEY WORDS: Estonian language, language policy, language continuity. INTRODUCTION The use of Estonian in all areas of common language use is so commonplace, self-evident, perhaps even eternal for today’s Estonians, that they do not always think about preserving and cherishing it. In the last hundred years, the situation of the Estonian language has never been so good as it is now. Estonian is the native language of just over one million people, making it one of the 300 most widely spoken languages of the world’s 7,000 languages. In addition, Estonian as a second language is improving rapidly in Estonia. Every year, about a thousand students learn about the Estonian language and culture at thirty universities around the world. There are about a hundred languages in the world in which full university education can be obtained, and Estonian is one of them. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest achievements of the first 100 years of the Republic of Estonia is the possibility of obtaining higher education in the mother tongue. Estonian is one of the fifty most technologically advanced languages in the world. The Estonian language is protected by the Constitution and the Language Act, and it is also an official language of the European Union, with all the rights and duties associated with it. In addition, not only the common language is cultivated, but also all, especially regional, variations of the Estonian language are studied. The article provides an overview of the socio-linguistic environment and the legal environment of the Estonian language in Estonia, and analyses how Estonia has contributed to the research, development and continuity of the Estonian language through strategic language planning. 1. SOCIOLINGUISTICAL ENVIRONMENT OF ESTONIA According to the Estonian Statistics Department, in 2016 there were 1.313 million BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian language policy guidelines: strategic plan and its implementation | 2 BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 inhabitants. In terms of population, Estonia is one of the smallest countries in Europe, as much as 1 14 times behind the so-called average European Union country indicator. According to the 2011 census, 889,770 Estonians, 321,198 Russians and 22,302 Ukrainians formed 24.8% of the total ir būstų surašymo duomenimis 2 , Estijoje gyvena 192-ų tautybių atstovai: 68,7 proc. nuolatinių population. than 100, total in Estonia is 37. Compared to the 2000 census, the number of Estonians Baltarusių (12 419) ir suomių (7 423) yra mažiau nei 1 proc. Tautybių, kurių atstovų yra daugiau increased by 1%, while the number of Russians decreased by the same amount. The population has 3 been decreasing since 1989 due to emigration and low birth rates, especially the number of foreign-language speakers (Eesti inimarengu aruanne 2007: 48). However, over the past two years, the ratio of emigration to immigration in Estonia has equalised, and in 2015, immigration exceeded emigration for the first time: 15 413 people entered Estonia in 2015, while 13 003 people left Estonia, i.e. immigration offset the decline in the population caused by negative natural population growth. 4 There are 157 native languages in Estonia. Over the past ten years, Estonia has become even more multilingual: according to the previous census, 109 languages were spoken as native languages. Most of the native speakers are Estonian (886,859 – 68.5%), Russian (383,062 – 29.6%) and Ukrainian (8,012 – 0.6%). 5 The Estonian language skills of non-Estonians have improved steadily in recent years. The results of the surveys carried out so far show that the proportion of foreign-language speakers aged 15-74 who claim to know Estonian actively or passively has increased from 34% (1997) and 40% (2007) to 85% (2016). Also, the monitoring of the Estonian integration programme 6 “Implementation of the vision objectives of the Estonian integration programme 2008-2013 in 2008-2009”, carried out in 2010 by the research group of Professor Raivo Vettik of the University of Tallinn, shows that the Estonian language proficiency of Russian-speaking people, based on their own assessment, has improved significantly in recent years (LK monitooring 2010). However, the analysis of statistical data shows that in Estonia there are still many people, 1 Eesti Statistikaamet [Estonian Statistical Department], access on the Internet: http://www.stat.ee/72428. 2 Eesti Statistikaamet [Estonian Statistical Office], available online at: http://www.stat.ee/64309?parent_id=32784. 3 Eesti Statistikaamet [Estonian Statistical Office], available online at: http://www.stat.ee/64628?parent_id=32784. 4 Eesti Statistikaamet [Estonian Statistical Department], access on-line: http://www.stat.ee/277525. 5 Eesti Statistikaamet [Estijos statistikos departamentas], prieiga internete: http://www.stat.ee/64309?parent_id=32784. 6 Eesti Kultuuriministeerium [Estijos kultūros ministerija], prieiga internete: http://www.kul.ee/sites/kulminn/files/6_faktileht_a4_keelteoskus.pdf. BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian language policy guidelines: strategic plan and its BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 implementation | 3 people who do not speak the state language at the necessary level in social and professional life. 2. LANGUAGE VITALITY CRITERIA AND ESTONIAN LANGUAGE The Estonian language has entered a completely new socio-linguistic environment, characterized by globalization and multilingualism in society, school and family, and the development of technology. This means that we have to accept the fact that two, three or more languages are spoken next to each of us. Multilingual Estonians are the rule, not the exception. Multilingualism of the individual and the state is a great asset that must be protected and maintained. But how to ensure the survival and development of the Estonian language in such a new situation? When considering the concept of language vitality and its criteria, scholars have mainly considered small and endangered languages. For example, in 2002-2003, UNESCO asked an international group of linguists to develop a document to assess language vitality and to help shape language policy, identify language needs and appropriate protection measures. To this end, the Expert Group on Endangered Languages has prepared conceptual guidelines. The paper, entitled “Language Vitality and the Threat of Disappearance”, presents nine criteria (Brenzinger et al. 2003): 1) language transmission from generation to generation, 2) absolute number of speakers, 3) ratio of speakers to total population, 4) change in the scope of language use, 5) response to new fields and media, 6) availability of language learning tools and literacy levels, 7) attitudes and policies of government and institutions, 8) community members’ relationship with their language, 9) type and quality of documentation. According to socio-linguistic definitions, Estonian, which is spoken as a mother tongue by just over a million people, does not belong to the group of endangered languages, because it has the status of a state language, is used in all areas of social life from everyday and business to academic, is the main language of instruction at all levels of education from primary school to doctoral studies, is used both at home and in the electronic space, and its users are increasing. However, in today’s globalized world, the vitality of a language needs to be protected even if it has more than a million speakers (cf. Crystal 2000). a mobile labour market, as well as an open and mobile educational space, can affect languages that are considered socio-linguistically sustainable Pastaraisiais metais ypač susidomėta tyrimais ir prognozėmis, kaip globalizacija, atvira ir according to the above criteria. The official languages BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian Language Policy Guidelines: Strategic Plan and its Implementation | 4 BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 Language status and language-supporting infrastructure do not necessarily ensure language sustainability, as English is increasingly used in education, commerce and the economy, and migration flows have led to the emergence of super-diversity in society (Vertovec 2007, 2010). The potential impact of global English on the sustainability of minority languages is widely recognised (Skutnabb-Kangas 2000; Phillipson 2003, 2009; Hagege 2006; Canagarajah 2007, Klaas-Lang, Metslang 2015, Klaas-Lang 2016), and a number of research-based government programmes have been launched (e.g. in Sweden, Estonia and Finland) to ensure the functioning of the state language in all areas of life (Mål i mun 2002; EKAS 2004; Hakulinen et al. 2009; EKA 2011). This has led to the expansion of the scope of minority language supervision to an approach to linguistic sustainability that includes the interaction of global, state and minority languages in the modern information society (Ehala 2010, Soler-Carbonell 2012, Ehala et al. 2014). 3. DOCUMENTS CERTIFYING THE STATUTORY STATUS OF ESTONIAN LANGUAGE In order for the language to function successfully, its legal space must be guaranteed and regulated. In Estonia, Estonian is the official language under the Language Act of 1989 and subsequent revisions. It should be noted that the first Language Law was passed before Estonia regained independence, and at the time was called the Language Law of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, which in Article 60 states: “The state language of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic is Estonian. In Estonia, the Estonians’ homeland, the Estonian language is given special attention and protection by the state. Granting the Estonian language the status of a state language is a solid foundation for the survival and development of the Estonian nation and its culture” (Keeleseadus 1989). On 23 February 2011, the Estonian Parliament adopted the revised Language Act, the purpose of which (like the previous Language Act and its amendments) is to “develop, preserve and protect the Estonian language, as well as to ensure that Estonian is the main language of communication in all areas of public life” (EV Keeleseadus 2011: 1.pt, §1). The new Language Act also stipulates that “the official language of Estonia is Estonian” (EV Language Act 2011: 2.pt, §3, subsection (1)). The legal protection of the Estonian language has also been enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (EV Põhiseadus 2011), which states that the state must ensure that the Estonian nation, language and culture survive through the ages: Article 6 of the Constitution states that the state language is Estonian. It is the duty of the state to ensure the right of every person to receive education in the Estonian language (37 BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian Language Policy Guidelines: Strategic Plan and its Implementation | Art. BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 5), the right of every person to conduct business and communicate with public authorities in Estonian (Art. 51), to conduct business in public bodies and municipalities in Estonian (Art. 52). Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to say that Estonian as a state language functions smoothly in all regions of Estonia and in all areas of life, whether in terms of the management of affairs and consumer information, the language of election campaigns and the Estonian language skills of elected representatives of the people or the highest municipal officials. In order to ensure the rights established by law, the state, through the Language Inspectorate, takes care of language protection 7 in the first place. 4. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESTONIAN LANGUAGE AND SUPERVISION OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION In developing a language development strategy, the focus should be on the three most important aspects of language: language status, language structure (language system and usage) and language teaching (Stewart 1968; Wiley 2003; Mansoor 2005; Ferguson 2006, etc.). National legislation and conscious image creation help to ensure the necessary status of the language, conscious and scientific development of the language structure guarantees the possibility of using the language as a flexible and modern tool in all possible areas of life, ensures uniform general language and technical language support in electronic media. It is very important to take care of the language as a resource, because the common language is the basis of the administrative language, the language of education, the language of science, the language of public information and other variants of language use, which are necessary conditions for society and the state. The third area of strategic language planning – language teaching – ensures the transmission of language (i.e. the common language, i.e. a uniform standardized variant of language) from generation to generation. The status of Estonian as an official language of the European Union places much greater demands on the development and teaching of Estonian. For 18 years, the Estonian state has taken care of strategic language planning. In 1998, the Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education and Science) was appointed to develop a strategy for the development of the Estonian language. In 2000, the Minister of Education issued a decree establishing the Estonian Language Council (later the Estonian Language Committee) to organise 8 the European Year of Languages in Estonia. 7 Eesti Keeleinspektsioon [Estonian Language Inspection], accessed online at: http://www.keeleinsp.ee/?lang=1. 8 Chairperson of the Estonian Language Council since 2005 BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estų kalbos politikos gairės: strateginis planas ir jo įgyvendinimas | 6 BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 and the strategy was developed. “The Estonian Language Council advises the Government of the Republic of Estonia on the development and implementation of language policy” (EV Keeleseadus 2011: 2.pt, § 7). On 5 August 2004, the Government of the Republic of Estonia approved the Strategy for the Development of the Estonian Language 2004–2010 (EKAS), and on 11 November 2010, the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Estonian Language 2011–2017 (EKA) and its implementation plan, prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science in cooperation with the Estonian Language Council. The first language development plan was translated into English, Russian, Finnish and Hungarian. Printed and electronic versions of the current development plan 9 are available in Estonian and English. Prior to adopting the strategic document, studies were carried out on language structure, status, legal status, education, research, regional languages, language technology development, activities of multilingual society, etc. Undoubtedly, such a comprehensive study of the Estonian language was the first in the history of our language. It can also be said that the strategic development plan drawn up in 2004, despite its objective and subjective shortcomings, was a particularly important guideline for the development of the Estonian language. In this strategy for the development of the Estonian language, the Estonian state has formulated its clear objectives and a plan of action for the development of the language. The development plans for 2004 and 2011 cover all the most important areas of the Estonian language: Estonian language management, Estonian language research and resources, technical language support, general education in Estonian, Estonian in general foreign language education, Estonian language skills in vocational education, language of science and higher education, regional variants of Estonian, foreign Estonian, language use by people with special language needs, Estonian in the context of other languages and representation at the international level, supervision of compliance with the language law and information on language issues. In 2011, the Government approved the composition of the Estonian Language Council. The Council consists of linguists, representatives of ministries, departments and creative unions, politicians, kuriai svarbi gera estų kalbos padėtis, o ir kiekvieno jos nario indėlis – ne tik profesionalios etc. So this is a very broad group, (not necessarily linguistic) knowledge, but also social sensitivity to language issues. Unlike the State Lithuanian Language Commission, the Estonian Language 9 Eesti Haridusja Teadusministeerium [Estijos švietimo ir mokslo ministerija], prieiga internete: Council does not deal with language regulation. Kalbos https://www.hm.ee/sites/default/files/estskeelearengukavainglise.indd_.pdf. BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian language policy guidelines: strategic plan and its BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 implementation | 7 Estonian language policy guidelines: strategic plan and its implementation 10 The work of the Estonian Language Council is purely language policy. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, the Language Council submits to the Government every two years an overview of the situation of the Estonian language and the implementation of the Estonian language development plan and other strategic language plans. From today’s strategic documents, and above all from the resulting operational plans, it is expected that results that can be measured and which should raise a certain area or organization to a higher level will be achieved in a relatively short time. It is difficult to provide such indicators when planning a language development strategy, and in the context of globalization, the preservation of previous positions (especially with the influence of English) can be called a step forward for Estonian. Both the development plan and the interim reports include an indicator for each measure, which should show progress in a specific area of language use. However, these indicators should be viewed critically. Not everything that matters can be measured. And what can be measured is not necessarily important. Of course, the actions envisaged and agreed in the strategic development plans require certain means to be implemented. It is therefore essential that development plans and state budget planning are harmonised. The link between language funding and development plans is quite obvious: both the past and the current development plan form the basis for the language budget planning of the Ministry of Education and Science. Activities for the development of the Estonian language are financed through the budgets of the state and local municipalities, universities and research institutions, state programmes, various funds, subsidies, special allocations and various agencies. The specific development budget for 2011-2017 amounts to EUR 61 million, which also includes separately funded state programmes (see the table below). Ministry of Education and Science website: 11  Preparation and publication of textbooks for higher education in Estonian (2008-2012; current programme 2013-2017); More than 50 textbooks in various fields have been prepared or translated;  support of Estonian terminology (2008–2012, 2013–2017);  Language Technology (2006-2010, 2011-2017); 10 Emakeele Selts [Society of the Native Language], available online: http://www.emakeeleselts.ee/yritused/ES_english.pdf. 11 Eesti Haridusja Teadusministeerium [Estijos švietimo ir mokslo ministerija], prieiga internete: https://htm.ee/et. BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian language policy guidelines: strategic plan and its implementation | 8  BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 Estonian language and cultural memory (2009–2013, 2014–2018); supporting research on the Estonian language. The priority of the new programme is to support the publication of monographs; The  Estų kalbos ir kultūros akademinių studijų užsienyje programa (2005–2010, 2011–2017). implementation of the Estonian language development plan 2011-2017 will be summarised at the end of 2017, but the interim reports have shown that overall the language objectives are being successfully achieved. The expected tasks of all measures have been accomplished, some specific tasks have been solved: several important dictionaries have been published, applied language technology programs have been launched, 20 new doctors have joined the group of researchers in general linguistics and related languages at the universities of Tartu and Tallinn in the last two years, students are widely involved in mass events in the field of language; language immersion (est. keelekümblus), integrated subject and language teaching is becoming an increasingly popular form of teaching in foreign-language schools in Estonia, high-level scientific publications publishing articles in Estonian have increased significantly, Estonian language exams at various levels have been introduced in other countries, the most important Estonian language dictionaries are available on the Internet, an online dictionary of Estonian sign language–Estonian language has been compiled, the state foreign language exam has become compulsory for graduates, etc. However, in addition to what has been achieved, there are still areas and tasks that have not been implemented during these years, namely: insufficient interest in the profession of Estonian language teacher, in some, mainly Russian-speaking regions, especially in Eastern Viru County, the motivation of pupils to learn Estonian is low, the possibilities of using Estonian in everyday life are low, the Estonian language skills of pupils studying a Russian-speaking profession are rather weak, often young specialists who have obtained a specialty are unable to perform their work tasks in an Estonian work environment. In higher education, English-language studies are increasing, and as a result, Estonian is losing its role as the language of teaching and research in some areas. Despite efforts at both state and local level, dialects continue to be withdrawn from everyday use, there are not enough sign language specialists (including sign language interpreters) to initiate and implement all necessary activities, the number of teaching places for Estonian language and culture at foreign universities has decreased, the development of accessibility of language technology applications is stalled due to financial shortages, and several aspects of language legislation require political will to be resolved. BIRUTĖ KLAAS-LANG. Estonian Language Policy Guidelines: Strategic Plan and its Implementation | 9 BENDRINĖ KALBA 89 (2016) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 5. SUMMARY To preserve the language, we need a legal environment that ensures its preservation, which would establish that a piece of land on the edge of Europe is really the only place where the Estonian privilegijuota. Norint išsaugoti kalbą, reikia ją perduoti iš kartos į kartą namie ir mokykloje. Bet language should be the most important – the desire of the speakers and the willingness to use the Estonian language. Attitude and motivation are important factors for successful foreign language learning. The attitude and motivation of language users are undoubtedly important for the survival of the mother tongue. A language can develop and survive without loss if it is used in all possible situations. We can certainly not talk about economic efficiency by continuing to use Estonian. In the narrow economic sense, a language with such a small group of users cannot compete on an equal footing with the “world languages”. In order to use Estonian, you have to make an effort. Based on the experience of strategic planning for the Estonian language, advice for language development planners can be summarized as follows: 1. In order to set goals and plan activities to achieve them, an accurate picture of the language situation in all areas of use is necessary. 2. Visions and objectives shall be supported by concrete action plans approved at sub-national level. Financial support from the State must be ensured for the implementation of the aforementioned operational plans. 3. A specific responsible person shall be designated for the entire development plan and for each activity. 4.Requires continuous supervision – whether the objectives are still relevant over time and as society changes, whether the activities sufficiently ensure that the set objectives are achieved, etc. The need for information – to support discussions on language issues, to inform taxpayers, thus ensuring the satisfaction of the public and people with the planned activities. LIST OF LITTERACY 2003: Brenzinger M., Yamamoto A., Aikawa N., Koundiouba D., Minasyan A., Dwyer A., Grinevald C., Krauss M., Miyaoka O., Sakiyama O., Smeets R., and others.