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Welcome again to the XarxaMOOC. We have the pleasure to have Tudi Torró with us today
to talk about the presence of language in the current world of education.
Of those concerned about public education in Valencian, Tudi Torró is the ideal exponent.
She works non-stop as a linguistic inspector and, in fact, she has been in charge of the presidency of
the Association of Education Inspectors in the Valencian Region. Thus, the concerns revolve around ensuring a dignified education
which guarantees the use of Valencian, with an honest and promising inspection.
In the framework of this profession, the creation of possibilities in Valencian and promotion of it are implicated, 8 00:00:45,002 --> 00:00:50,680 just like in the fight of the public education system which guarantees all the rights of the students.
Also, her developing incessant job is also diversified in projects to disseminate the language, such as the participation in
the civic association for language in Elx called El Tempir,
or the multilingual education unit, where there is a group of firm projects on the use of our language
and education which is taught in our territory, with the sight set on it becoming multilingual.
Logically, the reasons why Tudi Torró is with us today at XarxaMOOC are clear and justified.
To count on someone who promotes our language, and who fights for it as she is continuing to become a part of the education framework, is always satisfactory. 15 00:01:26,159 --> 00:01:31,597 As well as thanking her for being here, the question we would like to ask for XarxaMOOC is:
to what extent do you consider the education system guaranteeing a future for language diversity? 17 00:01:38,103 --> 00:01:41,268 First of all, thank you for the introduction.
I have only done the job that those who are linked to this difficult project do, which is linguistic standardisation in our country. 19 00:01:51,235 --> 00:01:54,701 The question we really ask is a broad one
because, what future does linguistic diversity in our country have according to the standardisation?
The first thing we have to look at is what the education administration understands as linguistic diversity.
Whether they consider it as a job, or an approach to those languages that exist in the classroom.
At this moment in time there are children that bring a wide range of language from home,
People who speak Arabic, English or Romanian.
Or do they consider that the objective is the languages that we have in our territory, in our case, Valencian and Spanish,
especially Valencian, as a language that is not necessarily more present. However, I think that we suffer a clear discrimination with respect to other languages. 27 00:02:37,277 --> 00:02:47,894 How do I see the future? I suppose you know that a year ago a Decree on multilinguism was published.
It is a decree made as if starting from zero, forgetting everything that has been done since 1983 in the Valencia Region.
It is a Decree on multilinguism. The objective that the Regional Government has, is to consider
the presence of English in schools. However, our consideration is before English, as we know English is important and necessary,
our territory has Valencian as its own language as well as Spanish should, of course, be taught.
So, we have two territorial languages. Before we are multilingual we must be bilingual.
What does this Decree do? It simply designs a planning that authorities should take into account.
Does the Decree guarantee that the future of linguistic diversity manages to get where it should do?
I think that the regulation guarantees nothing.
What really guarantees that we have students or a future where everyone who finishes their studies to know
the territorial languages well, as well as a foreign language, is the objective of the European Language Council.
It is a good methodology and investment. It is important to have a basic regulation.
I do not think this regulation will exactly be in favour of Valencian.
But it is true that teachers, from here on, with good training…
I think that the future is in teacher training,
in the attitude of our politicians for them to really believe that Valencian is a language of the future and it is a language that not only has to be maintained
but also be promoted. And afterwards it is important to have support.
So, for me, the future is, above all, in teacher training. I think that universities are also very important
in the initial training that will be given to future professors from the Education Faculty. But also from any faculty
because there are a lot of people that, without studying a teaching degree, would like to be a teacher. I think this is fundamental.
Therefore, will languages only be learnt at school? No, and we all know that.
The subject of how languages are learnt…there are studies, specifically in Europe, where we can see that sometimes 20% of people say
they do not learn other language at an educative level. How can people learn? They learn in context, when they need to learn them.
Now, in our context we have Valencian, it is present. Then we have Spanish, is it present? Yes, but we need to know how this should be seen,
and for students to really feel that Valencian is a part of our roots and this region.
I think that here there is a great challenge for Valencian not to lose space, but the contrary, for Valencian to be known just as
any other language that we want to learn. From this point on, we can guarantee a certain linguistic diversity from school
with good aptitudes and good professionals, that know what they are doing when we are talking about learning languages as it is not about learning languages
separately. It is about integration of languages: which language goes before, which one goes after, how languages interrelate…
I think that the future is in training, in methodology, in teaching. Our politicians need to think that Valencian is a fundamental part
of our historic, cultural and linguistic heritage and support it. From then on, we will have a guarantee for the future.