Application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in the United Kingdom: modern state and prospects

The research relevance can be justified by the humankind's intention to preserve national identity in the modern processes of globalization, which is possible only when preserving and reviving a national language. The issue of preserving regional and minority languages is a key point when planning a state's language policy. The opportunity to communicate uninhibitedly in a native language conforms to the underlying ideas of the European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover, cultural and linguistic diversity supports to develop the multicultural and democratic Europe that considers the interest of all. The current paper is aimed at studying the United Kingdom experience in preserving the regional languages that exist within its boundaries. The language policy of the United Kingdom is based on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (hereinafter the Charter). Great Britain signed the Charter on 3 March 2000 and has submitted 4 reports on its implementation (the forth report was submitted in March, 2013). The fifth report is due in 2017. Actually, in Great Britain there are three regional governments in charge of the Charter implementation: the Welsh Assembly (Welsh), the Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic and Scots) and the Northern Ireland Assembly (Irish and Ulster-Scots). Apart from the languages mentioned, there are two more regional languages that are protected by the Charter as well: Cornish in Cornwall and Manx in the Isle of Man. The work undertaken for the Charter application is checked and evaluated by the Committee of Experts so as to conform to every article of it. The results of on-spot checks are reflected in the Committee reports as recommendations for further government work and eliminating the uncovered inconsistencies. The four Committee reports allow us to track reviving and promoting of the regional languages. Furthermore, the reports reflect the difficulties that might occur when implementing the regional languages in the various social institutions. According to the reports and their analysis by the Committee, each of the languages covered has various positions in society, the stable position is taken by Welsh that is noticeable almost in every social institution. Such an analysis of states' experience in planning for years their language policy aimed at preserving regional and minor languages allows us to adapt the best practice and avoid glitches that might occur while applying the Charter in other countries, for instance, in the Russian Federation.

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