The linguistic, literary and cultural conference will be held in the Austrian capital from the 23rd to the 26th of September. The colloquium’s theme is ‘The concept of Catalan countries: Language, literature and culture’.
The Catalan Parliament approves a law that recognises Occitan language, called Aranese in the small Aran county, as co-official in Catalonia. It will also be the preferred language in the Aran county, in Western Catalan Pyrenees. The top representative of the Aranese county, Francesc Boya says it is a “historic day” and warns that Aranese language is in an “intensive care unit”.
The Catalan Government has passed a decree that sets a minimum requirement for the Catalan language when hiring new university teachers. Visiting lecturers and current teachers are excluded. Universities will have flexibility in certifying the level and will be able to set individual exceptions.
Josep Huguet, the Catalan Minister for Innovation, Universities, and Businesses, said that the Catalan Government is preparing a decree-law that obligates university professors to prove their level of Catalan. Huguet argues that this is a measure of “equilibrium”, to ensure Catalan is used in the university.
The European Parliament, Council and Ombudsman have accused the Spanish Government of not translating legal texts and citizens? communications into and from Catalan. A binding agreement was signed in 2006 obliging Spain to pay for the translations.
Today the Poetry Market of Paris has begun with Catalonia as its special focus. Catalan poets have read their poems in the 28th edition of the most important poetry fair in Europe.
The pressure of Catalan Euro MPs has worked out. The European Commission has changed its initial position to not renew its only Catalan translator. Commissioner Reding has personally engaged in finding a replacement.
Site contains online dictionary with over 7,000 names of Catalan dishes in four languages