Introduction-Minority Language Policy: Theory and Practice

Abstract

In practice the Charter has created legal standards that work like individual and collective rights and that empower minority language speakers to insist upon education in minority languages, on using the languages before judicial courts and the administration, on claiming a right to receive radio and television programmes in minority languages, and on insisting to be treated in the minority language in hospitals and homes for the elderly, to name only some of the most important guarantees of the Charter.

Keywords

• Minority languages
• European Charter for Minority or Regional Languages
• Council of Europe