Bernadette O'Rourke
My research focuses on the role of language in the construction of social difference and social inequality. Drawing on theoretical frameworks and concepts in the area of sociolinguistics and the sociology of language I examine these processes as they unfold in minority language contexts with a particular focus on the Irish and Galician cases. I am currently exploring the native-non-native speaker dichotomy and the concept of the 'new speaker' in these contexts. While my earlier studies looked mainly at indigenous minority languages, my more recent work incorporates issues surrounding service provision (including translation and interpreting) for speakers of migrant languages in Ireland and the UK. Apart from these active research areas I am also interested in general issues of language planning and policy, language rights and language ideologies.
Publications
O'Rourke, B. and Ramallo, F. (forthcoming 2013) Competing ideologies of linguistic authority amongst “new speakers” in contemporary Galicia. Language in Society.
O’ROURKE, B. Whose language is it? Struggles for language ownership in an Irish language classroom. (November 2011) Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 10 (5)
O’ROURKE, B. and RAMALLO, F. (2011) The native-non-native dichotomy in minority language contexts: Comparisons between Irish and Galician. Language Problems and Language Planning, 35/2
O’ROURKE, B. and HOGAN-BRUN, G. (in press 2012) Language Attitudes in Policy and Planning. In C. Chapelle (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Wiley-Blackwell.
O’ROURKE, B. 2011. Galician and Irish in the European Context: Attitudes towards Weak and Strong Minority Languages. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
O’ROURKE, B. 2011. Sustaining Minority Communities: The Case of Galician. In J. M. Kirk and D. P. Ó Baoill (eds) Sustaining Minority Language Development. Belfast Studies in Language, Culture and Politics, Vol. 20. Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Scotland.
O’ROUKRE, B. 2011. Negotiating Multilingualism in an Irish School Context. In C. Hélot and M. Ó Laoire (eds.) Language Policy for the Multilingual Classroom: Pedagogy of the Possible. Multilingual Matters, 105-125.
O’ROURKE, B. and CASTILLO, P. 2009. “Top-down” or “bottom-up” language policy: Public Service Interpreting in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Spain. In R. de Pedro, I. Perez and C. Wilson (eds.) Interpreting and Translating in Public Service Settings. London: St. Jerome, 33-51.
O’ROURKE, B. 2009. Developing multilingual awareness amongst primary school children in Ireland: a case study. In D. Newby and H. Penz. Languages for social cohesion: Language education in a multilingual Europe. Graz: ECM
O’ROURKE, B. 2007. Support for the societal presence of minority languages and as symbols of identity: assessing the views of Irish and Galician student groups. In A. Pearson-Evans and A. Leahy (eds.) Intercultural Spaces. Language, Culture and Identity. Oxford: Peter Lang, 43-56.
O’ROURKE, B. 2007. ¿Falas galego?: The Effects of Socio-Political Change on Language Attitudes and Use in the Galician Sociolinguistic Context.Teanga,116-131.
O’ROUKRE, B. 2006. Language Contact between Galician and Spanish – Conflict or Harmony?: Young People’s Linguistic Attitudes in Contemporary Galicia. In C. Mar-Molinero and M. Stewart (eds.) Globalization and Language in the Spanish-speaking World: micro and macro perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 178-196.
O’ROURKE, B. 2005. Expressing Identity through Lesser-used Languages: Examples from the Irish and Galician Contexts. Language and Intercultural Communication (Politics, Plurilingualism and Linguistic Identity), 274-283.
O’ROURKE, B. 2003. Conflicting Values in Contemporary Galicia: Attitudes to ‘O Galego’ since Autonomy’, International Journal of Iberian Studies, Vol. 16 (1), 33-48.
O’Rourke, B. 2003. Irish and Galician: A Comparative Analysis of Minority Language Cases. In F. Dillane and R. Kelly (eds) New Voices in Irish Criticism. Dublin: Four Courts Press,136-146.
Address: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, EH14 4AS
Publications
O'Rourke, B. and Ramallo, F. (forthcoming 2013) Competing ideologies of linguistic authority amongst “new speakers” in contemporary Galicia. Language in Society.
O’ROURKE, B. Whose language is it? Struggles for language ownership in an Irish language classroom. (November 2011) Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 10 (5)
O’ROURKE, B. and RAMALLO, F. (2011) The native-non-native dichotomy in minority language contexts: Comparisons between Irish and Galician. Language Problems and Language Planning, 35/2
O’ROURKE, B. and HOGAN-BRUN, G. (in press 2012) Language Attitudes in Policy and Planning. In C. Chapelle (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Wiley-Blackwell.
O’ROURKE, B. 2011. Galician and Irish in the European Context: Attitudes towards Weak and Strong Minority Languages. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
O’ROURKE, B. 2011. Sustaining Minority Communities: The Case of Galician. In J. M. Kirk and D. P. Ó Baoill (eds) Sustaining Minority Language Development. Belfast Studies in Language, Culture and Politics, Vol. 20. Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Scotland.
O’ROUKRE, B. 2011. Negotiating Multilingualism in an Irish School Context. In C. Hélot and M. Ó Laoire (eds.) Language Policy for the Multilingual Classroom: Pedagogy of the Possible. Multilingual Matters, 105-125.
O’ROURKE, B. and CASTILLO, P. 2009. “Top-down” or “bottom-up” language policy: Public Service Interpreting in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Spain. In R. de Pedro, I. Perez and C. Wilson (eds.) Interpreting and Translating in Public Service Settings. London: St. Jerome, 33-51.
O’ROURKE, B. 2009. Developing multilingual awareness amongst primary school children in Ireland: a case study. In D. Newby and H. Penz. Languages for social cohesion: Language education in a multilingual Europe. Graz: ECM
O’ROURKE, B. 2007. Support for the societal presence of minority languages and as symbols of identity: assessing the views of Irish and Galician student groups. In A. Pearson-Evans and A. Leahy (eds.) Intercultural Spaces. Language, Culture and Identity. Oxford: Peter Lang, 43-56.
O’ROURKE, B. 2007. ¿Falas galego?: The Effects of Socio-Political Change on Language Attitudes and Use in the Galician Sociolinguistic Context.Teanga,116-131.
O’ROUKRE, B. 2006. Language Contact between Galician and Spanish – Conflict or Harmony?: Young People’s Linguistic Attitudes in Contemporary Galicia. In C. Mar-Molinero and M. Stewart (eds.) Globalization and Language in the Spanish-speaking World: micro and macro perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 178-196.
O’ROURKE, B. 2005. Expressing Identity through Lesser-used Languages: Examples from the Irish and Galician Contexts. Language and Intercultural Communication (Politics, Plurilingualism and Linguistic Identity), 274-283.
O’ROURKE, B. 2003. Conflicting Values in Contemporary Galicia: Attitudes to ‘O Galego’ since Autonomy’, International Journal of Iberian Studies, Vol. 16 (1), 33-48.
O’Rourke, B. 2003. Irish and Galician: A Comparative Analysis of Minority Language Cases. In F. Dillane and R. Kelly (eds) New Voices in Irish Criticism. Dublin: Four Courts Press,136-146.
Address: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, EH14 4AS
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Books by Bernadette O'Rourke
The book begins with a thorough review of relevant theoretical debates, followed by an analysis of the socio-historical factors which led to the stigmatisation and 'minorization' of these two languages. It looks comparatively at the role of language policy in attempting to reverse these processes, drawing on existing attitudinal research, as well the author's own cross-national study of young people's language attitudes. Through its comparative approach, the book provides a fresh perspective on the Irish and Galician contexts. It gives new insights into the factors affecting attitudes towards minority languages more generally and will be of interest to language planners, educators and policy makers.
http://www.palgrave.com/PDFs/9780230574038.Pdf
Presentation of book at Universidade de Vigo
Noemí Rey | Vigo
http://duvi.uvigo.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4452&Itemid=12
Bernadette O’Rourke presenta un libro que compara a realidade sociolingüística de galego e gaélico
Galicia e Irlanda, a loita das minorías
Centrar o fomento do idioma só no ámbito educativo, un dos erros máis graves que cometeu a república irlandesa
É obrigatorio na escola dende os 4 anos, aparece en todos os carteis xunto co outro idioma oficial, conta na nota para entrar na universidade, é un orgullo falalo aínda que sexa mal fóra das súas fronteiras xeográficas… e sen embargo moi poucos adultos son capaces de manter unha conversa nesta lingua. Trátase do gaélico, un idioma do que o galego pode tomar nota para debuxar o seu futuro. “A planificación lingüística en Irlanda ten case un século, mentres que en Galicia comezou nos anos 80. Debería aprender dos éxitos e dos fracasos do gaélico”, recordou Bernadette O’Rourke, autora de Galician and Irish in the European Context.
Bernadette O'Rourke presentou en Vigo 'Galician and Irish in the European context'A autora fixo parte do traballo de campo na Universidade de Vigo
É obrigatorio na escola dende os 4 anos, aparece en todos os carteis xunto co outro idioma oficial, conta na nota para entrar na universidade, é un orgullo falalo aínda que sexa mal fóra das súas fronteiras xeográficas… e sen embargo moi poucos adultos son capaces de manter unha conversa nel. Trátase do gaélico, un idioma do que o galego pode tomar nota para comezar a debuxar o seu futuro. “A planificación lingüística en Irlanda ten case un século de vida, mentres que en Galicia comezou nos anos 80. Por iso, en lugar de ter medo á ‘irlandización’ do galego e de que se converta nunha lingua ritual, o que debería de facer é aprender dos éxitos e dos fracasos do gaélico”, recordou Bernadette O’Rourke, autora de Galician and Irish in the European Context, un libro que recolle un estudo comparativo entre galego e irlandés e a actitude lingüística dos mozos cara eles.
Foi durante a súa primeira estancia en Galicia hai xa 10 anos cando O’Rourke comezou a afondar nas diferenzas e aspectos en común que comparten ambas linguas. A conclusión foi clara: o galego ten que ser capaz de crear oportunidades fóra do eido educativo, nos sectores que realmente preocupan aos mozos, como o mundo laboral ou as novas tecnoloxías. “Un dos fracasos máis grandes de Irlanda é que dedicaron moito tempo e diñeiro a estudar a situación da educación e a tomar medidas neste contexto, pero despois dos 18 anos non había opcións para vivir en gaélico”, lamentou. Un exemplo desta pouca visión foi a aparición dunha canle de televisión só en irlandés, que se demorou ata 1996, cando a TVG xa levaba 10 anos funcionando. Como atraer público nun país onde só fala irlandés un 5% da poboación? Con subtítulos animando á xente a mellorar o idioma, con deportes que outras cadeas non retransmiten e “con rapazas moi guapas que crean unha imaxe positiva do irlandés”.
A gran diferenza entre o galego e o irlandés é o seu nivel de protección. O gaélico é a primeira lingua oficial de Irlanda a pesar do baixo porcentaxe de falantes; en Galicia, aínda que as estatísticas reflicten un 60% de falantes habituais, é un idioma cooficial. En común teñen a actitude positiva cara eles da poboación: nun estudo que fixo no ano 2004 para a súa tese de doutoramento en Vigo, O’Rourke concluíu que 87% dos mozos galegos considera que Galicia perdería a súa cultura propia sen o idioma. Pero “as actitudes non se converten en usos”, queda moito por facer.
Facerlle caso a Fernández Del Riego
Xa o dixo Francisco Fernández del Riego cando era presidente da Real Academia Galega: se o galego “resistiu catro séculos de desatención, que parvada é iso da morte do idioma?” As estatísticas históricas parecen estar do lado do galego: mentres que o gaélico comezou a perder falantes xa no século XVII e en 1851 só o 5% dos irlandeses era monolingüe, o galego tiña en 1877 un 88% de falantes. Segundo O’Rourke a viabilidade futura pasa por ter unha boa planificación lingüística, pero tamén pola situación socioeconómica que se viva. “A diversidade lingüística está ameazada constantemente por convivir nun mundo globalizado. Os responsables deben ter claro que o traballo nunca termina”, recalcou a escritora.
O libro significa a “inmersión da situación sociolingüística galega no mercado anglófono, xa que ata agora todos os foráneos que se achegaron a este campo coñecían pouco ou mal a nosa realidade. Ela racha con esa tendencia”, asegurou o profesor Fernando Ramallo durante a presentación.
Papers by Bernadette O'Rourke
The apparent strength of Galician in numerical terms conceals the vulnerability of a language which is largely made up of an aging and rural-based population. Migration to urban areas, particularly since the mid-twentieth century, has destabilised its demographic base, advancing the process of language shift, particularly amongst the younger generation. It could, nevertheless, be predicted that the numerical strength of Galician speakers as a minority group, places it in a strong position to mobilize itself in support of the language, a position which has also been strengthened by recent changes in language policy.
Socio-political changes in Galicia since the 1980s in the context of Spain’s transition to democracy have led to an ideological shift in favour of a more pluralistic society. In this context recognition is given to Spain’s linguistic diversity and greater respect is awarded to the different languages of Spain, including Galician. Decentralization has thus shifted some power away from the Spanish centre and given Galicia a degree of control over its own future, including its linguistic future. While regional autonomy as opposed to complete political independence can be seen to limit the powers of the Galician Autonomous administration, the continued presence of the dominant ‘other’ has to some degree maintained the symbolic role of Galician and sustained a sense of urgency surrounding language issues in Galicia.
Language policies for Galician have, however, tended to be lukewarm and have been developed in line with a non-conflictive interpretation of the sociolinguistic situation for the language. This has resulted in a low-intensity model with a strong focus on the educational sphere and with little real revitalization of the language in other domains. Even in the area of education, policies have tended to be weakly implemented. Although the positive reinstatement of the language in formal domains such as education has led to more favourable attitudes towards the language, particularly amongst the younger generation, this is not leading to any significant shifts in language use amongst these age groups. This is despite the fact that ability to speak Galician is high amongst the entire Galician population, even amongst those whose first language is Spanish. Such ability is related to the high level of intelligibility between Galician and Spanish and such closeness in linguistic terms allows for bilingual conversations to take place. Spanish speakers are now more ideologically supportive of the minority language and more tolerant of Galician speakers’ right to maintain their language in conversational interaction. However, Spanish speakers less frequently become active users of Galician themselves, something which may reflect the weakly implemented bilingual policies which have tended to characterise the Galician sociolinguistic context.
In his analysis of language policy in Galicia, the newly appointed General Secretary for Language Policy in Galicia, Anxo Lorenzo Suárez, has suggested that the model of language planning adopted for the Galician language has been based on a false illusion of its linguistic vitality, leading to a distorted analysis of its demographic and territorial strength (Lorenzo Suárez 2008). Given that rural Galician-speaking population is being eroded, if Galician is to be sustained then a stronger focus on activating language use amongst the growing number of second language speakers of the language amongst Galicia’s urban youth."
http://www.channelviewpublications.com/pdf/tocs/9781847693679.pdf
Language Policy for the Multilingual Classroom
Pedagogy of the Possible
Christine Hélot, Muiris Ó Laoire
Format:Paperback - 240 pages
ISBN:9781847693662
Published:15 Apr 2011
Publisher:Multilingual Matters
Dimensions:210 x 148 (A5)
Availability:Available (recent release)
The book begins with a thorough review of relevant theoretical debates, followed by an analysis of the socio-historical factors which led to the stigmatisation and 'minorization' of these two languages. It looks comparatively at the role of language policy in attempting to reverse these processes, drawing on existing attitudinal research, as well the author's own cross-national study of young people's language attitudes. Through its comparative approach, the book provides a fresh perspective on the Irish and Galician contexts. It gives new insights into the factors affecting attitudes towards minority languages more generally and will be of interest to language planners, educators and policy makers.
http://www.palgrave.com/PDFs/9780230574038.Pdf
Presentation of book at Universidade de Vigo
Noemí Rey | Vigo
http://duvi.uvigo.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4452&Itemid=12
Bernadette O’Rourke presenta un libro que compara a realidade sociolingüística de galego e gaélico
Galicia e Irlanda, a loita das minorías
Centrar o fomento do idioma só no ámbito educativo, un dos erros máis graves que cometeu a república irlandesa
É obrigatorio na escola dende os 4 anos, aparece en todos os carteis xunto co outro idioma oficial, conta na nota para entrar na universidade, é un orgullo falalo aínda que sexa mal fóra das súas fronteiras xeográficas… e sen embargo moi poucos adultos son capaces de manter unha conversa nesta lingua. Trátase do gaélico, un idioma do que o galego pode tomar nota para debuxar o seu futuro. “A planificación lingüística en Irlanda ten case un século, mentres que en Galicia comezou nos anos 80. Debería aprender dos éxitos e dos fracasos do gaélico”, recordou Bernadette O’Rourke, autora de Galician and Irish in the European Context.
Bernadette O'Rourke presentou en Vigo 'Galician and Irish in the European context'A autora fixo parte do traballo de campo na Universidade de Vigo
É obrigatorio na escola dende os 4 anos, aparece en todos os carteis xunto co outro idioma oficial, conta na nota para entrar na universidade, é un orgullo falalo aínda que sexa mal fóra das súas fronteiras xeográficas… e sen embargo moi poucos adultos son capaces de manter unha conversa nel. Trátase do gaélico, un idioma do que o galego pode tomar nota para comezar a debuxar o seu futuro. “A planificación lingüística en Irlanda ten case un século de vida, mentres que en Galicia comezou nos anos 80. Por iso, en lugar de ter medo á ‘irlandización’ do galego e de que se converta nunha lingua ritual, o que debería de facer é aprender dos éxitos e dos fracasos do gaélico”, recordou Bernadette O’Rourke, autora de Galician and Irish in the European Context, un libro que recolle un estudo comparativo entre galego e irlandés e a actitude lingüística dos mozos cara eles.
Foi durante a súa primeira estancia en Galicia hai xa 10 anos cando O’Rourke comezou a afondar nas diferenzas e aspectos en común que comparten ambas linguas. A conclusión foi clara: o galego ten que ser capaz de crear oportunidades fóra do eido educativo, nos sectores que realmente preocupan aos mozos, como o mundo laboral ou as novas tecnoloxías. “Un dos fracasos máis grandes de Irlanda é que dedicaron moito tempo e diñeiro a estudar a situación da educación e a tomar medidas neste contexto, pero despois dos 18 anos non había opcións para vivir en gaélico”, lamentou. Un exemplo desta pouca visión foi a aparición dunha canle de televisión só en irlandés, que se demorou ata 1996, cando a TVG xa levaba 10 anos funcionando. Como atraer público nun país onde só fala irlandés un 5% da poboación? Con subtítulos animando á xente a mellorar o idioma, con deportes que outras cadeas non retransmiten e “con rapazas moi guapas que crean unha imaxe positiva do irlandés”.
A gran diferenza entre o galego e o irlandés é o seu nivel de protección. O gaélico é a primeira lingua oficial de Irlanda a pesar do baixo porcentaxe de falantes; en Galicia, aínda que as estatísticas reflicten un 60% de falantes habituais, é un idioma cooficial. En común teñen a actitude positiva cara eles da poboación: nun estudo que fixo no ano 2004 para a súa tese de doutoramento en Vigo, O’Rourke concluíu que 87% dos mozos galegos considera que Galicia perdería a súa cultura propia sen o idioma. Pero “as actitudes non se converten en usos”, queda moito por facer.
Facerlle caso a Fernández Del Riego
Xa o dixo Francisco Fernández del Riego cando era presidente da Real Academia Galega: se o galego “resistiu catro séculos de desatención, que parvada é iso da morte do idioma?” As estatísticas históricas parecen estar do lado do galego: mentres que o gaélico comezou a perder falantes xa no século XVII e en 1851 só o 5% dos irlandeses era monolingüe, o galego tiña en 1877 un 88% de falantes. Segundo O’Rourke a viabilidade futura pasa por ter unha boa planificación lingüística, pero tamén pola situación socioeconómica que se viva. “A diversidade lingüística está ameazada constantemente por convivir nun mundo globalizado. Os responsables deben ter claro que o traballo nunca termina”, recalcou a escritora.
O libro significa a “inmersión da situación sociolingüística galega no mercado anglófono, xa que ata agora todos os foráneos que se achegaron a este campo coñecían pouco ou mal a nosa realidade. Ela racha con esa tendencia”, asegurou o profesor Fernando Ramallo durante a presentación.
The apparent strength of Galician in numerical terms conceals the vulnerability of a language which is largely made up of an aging and rural-based population. Migration to urban areas, particularly since the mid-twentieth century, has destabilised its demographic base, advancing the process of language shift, particularly amongst the younger generation. It could, nevertheless, be predicted that the numerical strength of Galician speakers as a minority group, places it in a strong position to mobilize itself in support of the language, a position which has also been strengthened by recent changes in language policy.
Socio-political changes in Galicia since the 1980s in the context of Spain’s transition to democracy have led to an ideological shift in favour of a more pluralistic society. In this context recognition is given to Spain’s linguistic diversity and greater respect is awarded to the different languages of Spain, including Galician. Decentralization has thus shifted some power away from the Spanish centre and given Galicia a degree of control over its own future, including its linguistic future. While regional autonomy as opposed to complete political independence can be seen to limit the powers of the Galician Autonomous administration, the continued presence of the dominant ‘other’ has to some degree maintained the symbolic role of Galician and sustained a sense of urgency surrounding language issues in Galicia.
Language policies for Galician have, however, tended to be lukewarm and have been developed in line with a non-conflictive interpretation of the sociolinguistic situation for the language. This has resulted in a low-intensity model with a strong focus on the educational sphere and with little real revitalization of the language in other domains. Even in the area of education, policies have tended to be weakly implemented. Although the positive reinstatement of the language in formal domains such as education has led to more favourable attitudes towards the language, particularly amongst the younger generation, this is not leading to any significant shifts in language use amongst these age groups. This is despite the fact that ability to speak Galician is high amongst the entire Galician population, even amongst those whose first language is Spanish. Such ability is related to the high level of intelligibility between Galician and Spanish and such closeness in linguistic terms allows for bilingual conversations to take place. Spanish speakers are now more ideologically supportive of the minority language and more tolerant of Galician speakers’ right to maintain their language in conversational interaction. However, Spanish speakers less frequently become active users of Galician themselves, something which may reflect the weakly implemented bilingual policies which have tended to characterise the Galician sociolinguistic context.
In his analysis of language policy in Galicia, the newly appointed General Secretary for Language Policy in Galicia, Anxo Lorenzo Suárez, has suggested that the model of language planning adopted for the Galician language has been based on a false illusion of its linguistic vitality, leading to a distorted analysis of its demographic and territorial strength (Lorenzo Suárez 2008). Given that rural Galician-speaking population is being eroded, if Galician is to be sustained then a stronger focus on activating language use amongst the growing number of second language speakers of the language amongst Galicia’s urban youth."
http://www.channelviewpublications.com/pdf/tocs/9781847693679.pdf
Language Policy for the Multilingual Classroom
Pedagogy of the Possible
Christine Hélot, Muiris Ó Laoire
Format:Paperback - 240 pages
ISBN:9781847693662
Published:15 Apr 2011
Publisher:Multilingual Matters
Dimensions:210 x 148 (A5)
Availability:Available (recent release)