Մասնակից:Langcom/Ավազարկղ

Language Committee of the Republic of Armenia

Language Committee is a state body under the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia. The Committee develops and implements the language policy of the country. 

Language Committee (previously the State Language Inspectorate) was established under the Government of the Republic of Armenia upon the decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia № 531, on October 19, 1993.

In 2002, the State Language Inspectorate was reorganized and became a separate subdivision of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia. 

On March 23, 2018, the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On State Administration Bodies” was adopted, by virtue whereof the Language Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia operates as Language Committee, with the status of a state body under the Ministry.

Based on the above, Language Committee also performs the functions assigned to the Language Inspectorate by law.

Since June 12, 2018 the Chairman of the Language Committee is linguist and Armenian language specialist Davit Gyurjinyan.

Two departments operate within the Committee: The Department of Language Control and the Department of Administrative Offenses.

History

The short period of existence of the First Armenian Republic shall be considered to be the outset of the Armenian state language policy in contemporary history. One of the most significant events of this historical period was granting of the status of state language to the Armenian language.

Davit Gyurjinyan Language Committee President

At the beginning of the independence period the Russian language dominated among Armenians. The majority of the officials and soldiers didn’t know Armenian or simply didn’t want to write or speak the language of the country.

In spring, a movement known as “Armenisation” started in Armenia. The Armenisation Committee was formed, which was to help institutions solve practical (including language-related) issues. Armenisation Committee aimed at defending the Armenian language rights and making it the official language of Armenian state. The Armenisation Committee made an open appeal to the citizens of Armenia to organize and fight tirelessly for the rights of Armenian language.

Citizens, demand that Armenian be recognized as a state language!. Demand to be spoken to in a language you understand!.

“Hayastani ashkhatavor” (Armenian worker), April 27, 1919.

On December 24, 1919, at the 52nd session of the Armenian Parliament, the law consisting of two articles was adopted after long discussions. Armenian became the official language of the state. The law “On Language” was published on December 26.

Armenian became mandatory in state and public institutions and in the army. The institutions were obliged to take measures to make Armenian the official language of state affairs within six months. The use of other languages ​​should be prescribed by a special law.

Language is one of the cornerstones of independent Armenia, and since the government does not speak the native language to the people, independence cannot be real

H. Manukyan, Dec. 24, 1919

The adopted law was about ARMENIAN, there was no distinction between Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian. This approach was later adopted in the Constitution of Soviet Armenia and the Republic of Armenia, as well as in the Law of the Republic of Armenia of 1993 “On Language”.

During the Soviet period (1920-1991), Armenian had the status of a state language. The fact was enshrined in the Constitutions of the Republic of 1922, 1936, and 1978, but language issues were not regulated by a separate law. Armenia did not conduct its own language policy, but it wasn’t completely deprived of that opportunity.

The Supreme Council, the highest legislative body of the independent Republic of Armenia, adopted the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Language” on March 30, 1993. The main provisions of RA language policy are presented in the Article:

• “The state language of the Republic of Armenia is Armenian, which encompasses all spheres of life of the Republic”.
• “The official language of the Republic of Armenia is literary Armenian”.
• “The Republic of Armenia supports the preservation and spread of the Armenian language among Armenians living outside its borders”.
• “The Republic of Armenia guarantees the use of the languages of national minorities in the territory of the Republic”.

Structure

Departments

Language Control Department

Language Control Department ensures the performance of works aimed at regulating the transcription  and pronunciation of Armenian proper names, geographical names into foreign languages and the foreign proper and geographical names into Armenian, carries out language expertise, language campaigns (organization of conferences, meetings, consultations, press conferences dedicated to issues of language policy, works related to ensuring the presence of the Language Committee in social media, answers the language-related questions), supports national minorities in exercising their linguistic rights and fulfilling their duties, works on and assists in creation and publication of dictionaries, directories and manuals regulating the Armenian language, performs other functions assigned to it by RA legislation.

The Department of Administrative Offenses

The Department of Administrative Offenses supervises the implementation of the state language policy by state administration and local self-government bodies, the fulfillment of the requirement on the use of literary Armenian for teaching and upbringing in the educational and training systems operating in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, fulfillment of the requirement on providing parallel Armenian translation of non-Armenian speeches in congresses, sessions, meetings, conferences, open access dissertations, official and public events, TV and radio programs, fulfillment of the requirement on organizing the paperwork of the state bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations of the Republic of Armenia in literary Armenian, fulfillment of the requirement on preparation of advertising materials in Armenian and performs other functions assigned to it by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

Previous Chairmen

Sergo Yeritsyan	2010-2018
Lavrenti Mirzoyan	2004 - 2010
Levon Galstyan	1998 - 2004
Valeri Mirzoyan	1993 - 1998

References

1. Officiial Website
2. Facebook page
3. Instagram page
4. Twitter
5. Telegram
6. Youtube