FYI. The following item from the Angola Press Agency was seen on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200606280475.html . On the one point of disagreement on the nature of language (vis-à-vis culture) between lawyer João Pinto and linguist José Pedro that there might be other linguists who come closer to the position articulated by Pinto. Still, they agree on the main issues... DZO
Angola: Legislation On Indigenous Languages Should Respect Diversity Angola Press Agency (Luanda) http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/ June 28, 2006 Posted to the web June 28, 2006 Luanda Angolan lawyer João Pinto on Tuesday in Luanda advocated the creation of a legislation for the juridical protection of the country's indigenous languages, but taking into account the existing cultural diversity. The lawyer was delivering a lecture on "The juridical protection of the vernacular languages", being promoted by the Culture Ministry, in the ambit of the preparation of the 3rd conference on National Culture, scheduled for September. To him, to protect the indigenous languages is to defend the history of a people, that is why it is important to outline strategies of equilibrium, so that such a legislation can come to give value to the local languages without any political influence. "The problem with the vernacular languages has to do with the consolidation of a lawful state, based on the identity of a people, thus, a legislation about this problem should promote the knowledge and study of these languages without prejudices", he asserted. João Pinto stressed that it is worrying when in public institutions, citizens that speak an indigenous language in some cases are looked down on, because they can not speak Portuguese well. It is a fatal mistake, he said, "because no matter how hard we try to become Portuguese or English, it woun't be possible, since we have within us an African culture, particularly Angolan". On his turn, the linguist José Pedro disagreed with the definition given by João Pinto about the language being a means to externalise the feelings and way of life of a human being, because to him, it is an instrument of communication. However, José Pedro corroborates wit the rest that was defended by João Pinto, when he emphasises the protection of the indigenous languages, since the majority of the Angolan population utilises, as a means of communication, the Bantu languages. "It is really necessary a linguistic equilibrium, for there are no superior languages, since all of them are equal (.)", he emphasised. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
