Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Rosalía in Japanese
A translation of one of the key works of the Galician literary renaissance, Cantares gallegos by Rosalía de Castro, has been published in a Japanese-Galician bilingual edition by DTP publishing in Tokyo. It is the work of Takekazu Asaka, who was in Santiago on Tuesday to promote the book. Mr Asaka has previously transalted Lorca's published translations of Lorca's Poemas galegos into his native language, as well as works by Castelao, Pondal, Pardo Bazán and Fernández Flórez. This new edition expands on Asaka's previous translations of Rosalía's poems.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Did You Know...?
The overseas vote is crucial in today's Galician election. Over 335,000 people living abroad have the right to vote. That's more than the population of Vigo, Galicia's largest city. They represent 12.7% of the total number on the electoral roll. The highest number of foreign-based potential voters is in Argentina, where over 120,000 Galicians (or their descendents) can exercise their right.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Use of Galician Today
The figures below show that Galician is the main language in the education system today – until university level when there is a dramatic shift towards Spanish. Although Galician is the language most frequently used for communications and public information notices in universities, only 28% of lecturers use Galician orally or distribute class handouts in the language of the region.
One reason for this is that the linguistic policies of the Xunta (Galician government) focus on compulsory education. But the predominance of Spanish in urban areas where universities are situated is another factor. Although most primary school children in the region use Galician as a first language the opposite is the case in the seven largest cities (Vigo, A Coruña, Ourense, Santiago, Lugo, Pontevedra and Ferrol) where 72% of primary school children principally speak Spanish. Just over 40% of secondary school teachers in these urban areas prefer to use Spanish at work, while in the region as a whole over 72% opt for Galician.
Only 6.5% of parents are opposed to the use of Galician in the classroom, while around 19% are indifferent and 74% in favour. The majority of parents believe the use of Galician in schools will not increase in the coming years and that the amount of Galician already used is enough.
Language Used
Nursery: Students Teachers
Sp 43.3% 29.4%
Ga 56.7% 70.6%
Primary: Students Teachers
Sp 36.8% 23.2%
Ga 63.2% 76.8%
Secondary: Students Teachers
Sp 42.2 32.1
Ga 57.8 67.9
University: Students Teachers
Sp 71.4 75.8
Ga 28.6 24.2
Galician in the Workplace
In health centres, the public is attended to mainly in Galician (63%); while in contrast, Spanish predominates in 54% of dialogues with the system’s users. The majority of GP’s opt for Spanish in their work with only 31% opting for the use of Galician with their patients. In hospitals this figure drops to 26%.
78% of Xunta staff use Galician in the workplace where 95% of documentation is written in the regional language. However, 4 out of 10 civil servants attend to the public in Spanish.
57% of calls to the Policía Nacional were answered in Spanish and 49% of conversations with the public were conducted in Spanish. 64% of the Guardia Civil speak Galician although 97% write in Spanish.
In other areas, Galician continues to lag behind. In the court system, 66% of judges and other courtroom staff use Spanish with the public and 86% of courtroom documentation is in Spanish. At the tax office, Galician documentation is an even rarer sight with only 9% of texts written in the language of the region.
Info taken from La Voz, 7th Jan, 2009. Statistics from the Galician Language Observatory created by the Secretaria Xeral de Política Lingüística.
One reason for this is that the linguistic policies of the Xunta (Galician government) focus on compulsory education. But the predominance of Spanish in urban areas where universities are situated is another factor. Although most primary school children in the region use Galician as a first language the opposite is the case in the seven largest cities (Vigo, A Coruña, Ourense, Santiago, Lugo, Pontevedra and Ferrol) where 72% of primary school children principally speak Spanish. Just over 40% of secondary school teachers in these urban areas prefer to use Spanish at work, while in the region as a whole over 72% opt for Galician.
Only 6.5% of parents are opposed to the use of Galician in the classroom, while around 19% are indifferent and 74% in favour. The majority of parents believe the use of Galician in schools will not increase in the coming years and that the amount of Galician already used is enough.
Language Used
Nursery: Students Teachers
Sp 43.3% 29.4%
Ga 56.7% 70.6%
Primary: Students Teachers
Sp 36.8% 23.2%
Ga 63.2% 76.8%
Secondary: Students Teachers
Sp 42.2 32.1
Ga 57.8 67.9
University: Students Teachers
Sp 71.4 75.8
Ga 28.6 24.2
Galician in the Workplace
In health centres, the public is attended to mainly in Galician (63%); while in contrast, Spanish predominates in 54% of dialogues with the system’s users. The majority of GP’s opt for Spanish in their work with only 31% opting for the use of Galician with their patients. In hospitals this figure drops to 26%.
78% of Xunta staff use Galician in the workplace where 95% of documentation is written in the regional language. However, 4 out of 10 civil servants attend to the public in Spanish.
57% of calls to the Policía Nacional were answered in Spanish and 49% of conversations with the public were conducted in Spanish. 64% of the Guardia Civil speak Galician although 97% write in Spanish.
In other areas, Galician continues to lag behind. In the court system, 66% of judges and other courtroom staff use Spanish with the public and 86% of courtroom documentation is in Spanish. At the tax office, Galician documentation is an even rarer sight with only 9% of texts written in the language of the region.
Info taken from La Voz, 7th Jan, 2009. Statistics from the Galician Language Observatory created by the Secretaria Xeral de Política Lingüística.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Is Galicia Spain?
47.8% of Galicians feel as much Spanish as Galician. 22% feel more Galician than Spanish. 8% feel Galician only.
Survey carried out and published by La Voz de Galicia, January '09. No explanation given as to what the remainder of those surveyed thought.
Survey carried out and published by La Voz de Galicia, January '09. No explanation given as to what the remainder of those surveyed thought.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Roller Hockey
Liceo 0 Barcelona 3
I attended my first ever roller hockey match yesterday. The match was a Spanish top of the table clash in La Coruña. The visitors handed Liceo their first defeat of the season with a surprisingly comfortable win. Obviously a newcomer to the sport does not see it through the same eyes as a seasoned fan, but it looked to me as if Egurrola, the Barça goalkeeper (if that's the right term) had an outstanding game, while Liceo spurned too many chances.
Roller hockey is a sport that’s particularly popular in Catalonia. Most of the best teams in the Ok Liga are Catalan and many cities there have their own club. Surprisingly, a little research tells me that Great Britain played a leading role in founding the sport and were once regarded as the best in the world. But since the Second World War they have been very much overtaken by Spain, Portugal and Italy. Roller hockey is also quite popular in South American countries like Argentina and Chile.
A game consists of two halves of 25 minutes. However, the clock stops between plays so the duration is roughly the same as a football match.
Advantages over football? Well, it’s reasonably priced for a start. I paid 7 Euros for my ticket. The cold slab seating may not be up to the standard you expect at top class football these days, but it’s a comfortable indoor environment where you don’t get really cold or wet.
The atmosphere was good with nearly three thousand in the stands and drummers backing their team throughout, while a few “Ultra” fanatics with a megaphone ensured the crowd didn't get too sedate. It was also pleasing to see the home fans accept defeat in a gracious away. Some applauded the victors off the court while the Liceo players were also given praise for their sterling effort – not something I could envisage taking place in the “beautiful game” after a 3-0 home defeat.
I attended my first ever roller hockey match yesterday. The match was a Spanish top of the table clash in La Coruña. The visitors handed Liceo their first defeat of the season with a surprisingly comfortable win. Obviously a newcomer to the sport does not see it through the same eyes as a seasoned fan, but it looked to me as if Egurrola, the Barça goalkeeper (if that's the right term) had an outstanding game, while Liceo spurned too many chances.
Roller hockey is a sport that’s particularly popular in Catalonia. Most of the best teams in the Ok Liga are Catalan and many cities there have their own club. Surprisingly, a little research tells me that Great Britain played a leading role in founding the sport and were once regarded as the best in the world. But since the Second World War they have been very much overtaken by Spain, Portugal and Italy. Roller hockey is also quite popular in South American countries like Argentina and Chile.
A game consists of two halves of 25 minutes. However, the clock stops between plays so the duration is roughly the same as a football match.
Advantages over football? Well, it’s reasonably priced for a start. I paid 7 Euros for my ticket. The cold slab seating may not be up to the standard you expect at top class football these days, but it’s a comfortable indoor environment where you don’t get really cold or wet.
The atmosphere was good with nearly three thousand in the stands and drummers backing their team throughout, while a few “Ultra” fanatics with a megaphone ensured the crowd didn't get too sedate. It was also pleasing to see the home fans accept defeat in a gracious away. Some applauded the victors off the court while the Liceo players were also given praise for their sterling effort – not something I could envisage taking place in the “beautiful game” after a 3-0 home defeat.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Homage in Vigo
Around a hundred people congregated in Pereiró Cemetery in Vigo this summer to pay homage to Emilio Martínez Garrido and seven other socialists and Republicans who were lined up against the cemetery walls and shot on 27th August 1936.
A spokesman for the Vigo collective 'Memoria do 36' said: "We are here without political colours* in defence of democracy and freedom. This was the date when the Fascist hordes tried to murder us, which they did for forty years."
The group held up a placard displaying photos of the victims along with the words "Non esquecemos" - Galician for "Don't Forget Us".
* A Spanish Republican flag was centre stage at the event.
Loosely translated from an article in El País, 28th Aug. 2008
A spokesman for the Vigo collective 'Memoria do 36' said: "We are here without political colours* in defence of democracy and freedom. This was the date when the Fascist hordes tried to murder us, which they did for forty years."
The group held up a placard displaying photos of the victims along with the words "Non esquecemos" - Galician for "Don't Forget Us".
* A Spanish Republican flag was centre stage at the event.
Loosely translated from an article in El País, 28th Aug. 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Depor in Europe
Deportivo La Coruña enter the group stages of the UEFA tonight with a tough tie in Moscow against CSKA. Next month they face Feyenoord in Coruña on 27th November. The third match will be a trip to play Lech Poznan in Poland in the first week in December before rounding things off against Nancy in Riazor a week before Xmas.
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