Following on from a much publicised assertion by Tory Cornwall Councillor and retired army Colonel, Tom French, that dual language road signs in Cornish and English would represent a hazard to drivers with dyslexia, the Cornwall Branch has written to the press and media refuting this utter nonsense.
The latest letter from a Celtic League member who is a leading historian and author as well as being an adviser to the Cornish Language Street Signs Panel is hereunder and responds to a further Anglo centric letter widely published and written by another detractor:
"The vote that Mr Curtis calls for, regarding bilingual signage in Cornwall, and an overall Cornish language policy, was taken some years ago by Cornwall Council. I also believe that it was passed unanimously.
It is curious that this subject only ever becomes controversial when a Celtic language is involved. Dover has bilingual signposting, in English and in French. No one complains and no one considers them confusing, not even dyslexic people. Also in Kent, the town of Stockbury has an attractive road sign announcing its current name, and its 11th century Middle English form: Stochingberge. No problem there for anyone either. In Cornwall, many dyslexic people have written into the social media, confirming that Cornwall's bilingual signage causes them no difficulty whatsoever.
It is getting somewhat tiresome to repeat that these bilingual signs cost no more to produce bilingually than in a single language. Highways assured the Signage Panel (which I advise) that the laser process used costs no more to create 20 characters than for one. All street and road signage has a life span. When one requires replacing, it is replaced, bilingually, at NO extra cost.
That Mr Curtis has never heard Cornish spoken takes some believing. The number of people using Cornish in 2001 (according to an independent report into the language commissioned by the government) was just under 10% of the maximum number who spoke Cornish at any given point in history after 1200. It will be significantly more now, 13 years on. In that 13 years more publications in Cornish have been printed than in the total period since the revival over a century ago, including a complete Bible (published 3 years ago). Choirs and rock-groups even sing in Cornish. And of course, we all speak Cornish to some extent, even Mr Curtis. Even the BBC! We do it every time we say Polzeath or Penzance, Pendeen or Morvah, Lanreath or Liskeard, Fowey or Lostwithiel, or any one of thousands of other place-names.
Can I also remind the language's detractors that it has been a legally protected language since 2002, and should not be subject to attack from anyone.
Yours etc"
[email protected]
The latest letter from a Celtic League member who is a leading historian and author as well as being an adviser to the Cornish Language Street Signs Panel is hereunder and responds to a further Anglo centric letter widely published and written by another detractor:
"The vote that Mr Curtis calls for, regarding bilingual signage in Cornwall, and an overall Cornish language policy, was taken some years ago by Cornwall Council. I also believe that it was passed unanimously.
It is curious that this subject only ever becomes controversial when a Celtic language is involved. Dover has bilingual signposting, in English and in French. No one complains and no one considers them confusing, not even dyslexic people. Also in Kent, the town of Stockbury has an attractive road sign announcing its current name, and its 11th century Middle English form: Stochingberge. No problem there for anyone either. In Cornwall, many dyslexic people have written into the social media, confirming that Cornwall's bilingual signage causes them no difficulty whatsoever.
It is getting somewhat tiresome to repeat that these bilingual signs cost no more to produce bilingually than in a single language. Highways assured the Signage Panel (which I advise) that the laser process used costs no more to create 20 characters than for one. All street and road signage has a life span. When one requires replacing, it is replaced, bilingually, at NO extra cost.
That Mr Curtis has never heard Cornish spoken takes some believing. The number of people using Cornish in 2001 (according to an independent report into the language commissioned by the government) was just under 10% of the maximum number who spoke Cornish at any given point in history after 1200. It will be significantly more now, 13 years on. In that 13 years more publications in Cornish have been printed than in the total period since the revival over a century ago, including a complete Bible (published 3 years ago). Choirs and rock-groups even sing in Cornish. And of course, we all speak Cornish to some extent, even Mr Curtis. Even the BBC! We do it every time we say Polzeath or Penzance, Pendeen or Morvah, Lanreath or Liskeard, Fowey or Lostwithiel, or any one of thousands of other place-names.
Can I also remind the language's detractors that it has been a legally protected language since 2002, and should not be subject to attack from anyone.
Yours etc"
[email protected]