Doreen Pastor (Mentor)
I am a PhD candidate in German Studies at the University of Bristol. My research project focusses on tourism to "difficult" heritage sites such as former concentration camps in Germany.
Location University of Bristol
Activity
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Very good thought - the perpetrator/victim or good/evil distinction is never clear cut.
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The issue of sign language is a very interesting point. Thank you for sharing.
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Hello Deepa, sorry to hear that it's still not working. It might be worth using a different internet browser and/or checking your security settings (high security can sometimes prevent the use of videos etc.)
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Hello Andrew, it's not just computers. We (Germans) also use words such as "2nd hand shops" etc. And funnily enough, we also invent words that sound English but aren't, e.g. "Handy" = mobile phone:)
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Thank you Susan for the great links.
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Hello Typhaine, thank you for pointing out that there is a European Charter. For everybody who is interested, here is the link: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/default_en.asp
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Hello Deepa, can you let me know what's happened? I just tested it and seems to work on my computer.
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Thank you very much for comments, it's a very interesting insight. How do you keep Lithuanien alive since you moved to Ireland?
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Dear Jonathan, I think it was a typing error which we all do sometimes...
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Hello Shona, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think, you raise an important point - language can also be used to exclude people. There is a ethnic minority living in East Germany (Sorbian) with their own language. They can be incredibly hostile towards "Germans" and actively encourage Germans not to move into the area.
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Thank you Guadalupe for your insight into Spain, it's fascinating.
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Dear Tom, thank you very much for sharing this book, it sounds very interesting.
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Dear Krisztina, that's very interesting, I didn't know that Hungarian nearly disappeared.
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Dear Carol, thank you for sharing your thoughts. It's so true that using a language as a means of suppression will create a range of conflicts.
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Dear Patricia, well said, I agree forcing people to speak a language can have a negative impact.
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Hello Jenny, yes, I went to Estonia and saw the strong focus on Estonian culture and language which was great to see. Sometimes however I wonder whether this strong focus can also be dangerous, I remember local people telling me that Russian-speaking minority in Estonia is not entitled to Estonian passports unless the speak the language.
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Hello Margaret, it's so true - I'm living in the UK now for 7 years and although I'm very fluent in English, I still can express myself in my native language German.
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Dear Lorie, he had indeed some tragedies in his life. Interestingly, his son Rudolf was a Republican and he didn't believe in the empire, so father and son didn't get on very well. Potentially it was one of the reasons for the suicide (apart from being in an unhappy marriage). His death was also treated as "murder" as it would have been a scandal to admit he...
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Dear David, thank you for sharing the comment and signposting learners to the book you mentioned. It is definitely very applicable to the topic.
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Good point, Fiona. I remember seeing a debate in Wales when I was living there about the Welsh-speaking TV channel which costs a lot of money and hardly anybody watches it. And despite all the effort, welsh speakers are declining. Although I couldn't understand Welsh, I still think I was able to understand the culture and I found it fascinating to listen to my...
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Dear Kristina, thank you for sharing this example. I didn't know that there was a Swedish minority in Finland. I went to Estonia last year and was very apparent how proud they are of their language and during the Soviet occupation, the focused on Estonian folkflore, probably as a way to express resistance.
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Thank you very much for the positive learning experience. It's great to know that our learners enjoy the course.
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Thank you very much for sharing the link, its's very fascnitating.
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Dear Lauren, thank you for sharing this example, it's very interesting to hear similar issues in the present day.
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Dear Carol, thank you for recommending this book.
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Thank you for sharing this article, Galyna.
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Thank you Laura, well said.
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Hello Fernando, well said.
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Hello Deborah, it's actually quite difficult to find books about Poland's role in English. There is one recent book which has received good reviews: The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War by Halik Kochanski. Norman Davies book "The History of Poland" is well regarded but it's more a generic history of Poland.
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Dear David, thank you very much for making this comment. It's true that languages can be used for propaganda etc. and an artifical preservation could achieve division rather than cultural diversity.
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Hello Michael, thank you for sharing the title of this book. It sounds very fascnitating.
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Hello Diane, thank you for making these points. English is my second language and it has taken me a long time to pick up subtleties. There are a lot of English words used in Germany (my native country) and very often in an incorrect way. The classic example is the word "Handy" (meaning mobile phone in Germany), everybody thinks it is an English word when in...
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Thank you for this point, it is true that languages can be used to "suppress" a group.
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Dear Philip, thank you very much for your comment. Although Welsh has been revived, it is actually still in decline. Have a look at this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-31736375
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I very much agree with this comment, thank you for making it.
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Hello Keith, it's very interesting to read your analysis of living in Wales. I lived in a Welsh-speaking area as a German native speaker and I always felt that learning Welsh was somewhat forced (e.g. majority of the primary schools were Welsh-speaking). And yet, despite the emphasis on Welsh, the number of Welsh speakers is declining...
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Hello Hannah, thank you for suggesting this book, definitely something worth looking at.
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Hello Therese, thank you for sharing the top languages, it's very interesting.
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Hello Aniela, the case of Romania is very interesting. Do people refuse to speak Romanian although they understand the language?
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Hello Christine, the major languages were German and Hungarian. But all other languages (Czech, Slovenian, Slovak etc.) were also spoken. So there was no "universal" language.
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Hello Christine, thank you for sharing this example, it sounds incredibly fascinating.
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Hello Jean, I agree with you that only the memories of a small elite group are "passed on". Sadly it's isn't unique to Austria, in happens in a lot of circumstances as the group with the loudest and most influential voice will determine which "heritage" is passed on to the next generation.
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That's very interesting. I didn't know that this happened. Similar issues happened here in the UK where children who spoke Welsh in school were "punished". It has now completely changed and Welsh is actively encouraged as a language.
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Hello Mary, very good analysis. And it's true, the conflicts are still going on.
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Hello Jean, very interesting throughts. I do think, Austria has a distinct culture which is independent from Germany. It's true the watch German television etc. but I think, they still have customs etc. which are very distinct to their culture. I travelled through the Baltic States in the summer and although the German influence is strong (especially Latvia),...
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Hello Jean-Claude and Jim, there is a very successful film about Franz and his wife Sissi which romantised the whole era. Due to the success of the film, the whole merchandise industry developed but unfortunately people don't know the "true" facts.
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Hello Sheila, what do you think about the former Auschwitz survivor going back to the site and ordering a Pizza which he consumes on site (has really happened)?
