Parks, squares, terraces and other informal areas of at least 80 localities will begin the exercise “Adult Older Children” on 22 November. For two weeks Euskaltzaleen Topagunea has called on adults who have direct contact with children between 0 and 12 years of age to use Euskera so that the youngest can see and learn that Euskera has a social use. “What to listen, to respond”: they want parents, caregivers, educators and other family members and citizens to be “an example” and that it is “normal” to speak in Basque in all contexts.
With this project, Topagunea wants to strengthen the social norm “Euskaldunes speak in Basque”, keeping “firmly” the Basque in three situations: using the Basque language among those who know it, always using the first word in Basque, and speaking in Basque with the partner who understands it in Basque, even in bilingual conversations.
In the words of Euskaltzaleen Topagunea, the revitalization of a language must be rooted in the use of younger generations and become a social norm. In addition to the street spaces, they have proposed that the house be a space for the maintenance of the Basque country, and have asked the participants to think in advance where and with whom they want to do the exercise.
This is one of the videos they have made for the campaign:
I think it will have to do with the hangover of the profession, but I have to acknowledge that I look at the linguistic landscape of the places I visit. Signs that stick on the walls, hanging from streetlights, billboards, and supports that appear in shops or companies (signs,... [+]