Many European languages are facing challenges at the moment – as European borders become more porous and cooperation increases across the continent, more and more young Europeans are becoming fluent in a second language such as English or French. As a result, locals in many parts of Europe are becoming concerned about the long term outlook for their own native languages. Romanian is one language which faces such challenges – but recent news indicates the language will continue to thrive and grow in its own ways.
For example, Romanian has just been declared as an official language in the Bila Tserkva region of Ukraine. The move is a recognition of the large number of people of Romanian descent living in the region. This change means the Romanian language will now be used in official government communications.
Off the mainland and over to the British Isles, a recent news report announced the launching of a Romanian-language website for Castle Craig Hospital. The website focuses largely on addiction – not only to drugs and alcohol, but also to activities such as gambling. The site is designed to be a resource not just for addicts themselves but also for the professional medical community in Romania – Castle Craig’s representatives have said the site was developed as a reaction to the poor understanding and lack of information about addiction amongst doctors and medics in Romania. The site also contains information for businesses on dealing with employees who have addiction issues.
In other news the Romanian Cultural Institute is taking its own steps to bolster the Romanian culture and language. The primary goals of the institute’s latest initiatives are to develop a greater understanding amongst the Romanian people themselves about the contributions and achievements of prominent Romanians, as well as making Romania a more attractive cultural heritage spot for tourists. The program is aiming to get universities and other cultural institutions on board for a coordinated campaign. Beyond Romania the program is also looking to reach out to universities and governments overseas to help further promote tourism.
