In light of all the significant political, economic and social changes that have taken place in Romania in the last seventeen years as the country has been making its transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the ever growing interest in the language, culture and history of this “Latin island in a Slavic sea” seems only natural and timely. Moreover, being a country with the second largest population in Eastern Europe after Poland and situated in a crucial strategic position in Southeastern Europe, it is not surprising that Romania has been receiving more attention lately as a full member NATO and will definitely attract more now that is has also joined the European Union.
Learning Romanian opens opportunities to connect with a society in full transition while also offering the chance to study a whole array of significant political, economic and cultural phenomena with great impact on European history. So we can ask: is knowing Romanian an advantage for those who want to study that part of the world, its history or the multiple and complex`aspects of the changes it is undergoing? Does it help those who want to study other Romance languages? How about students of the 20th century avantgarde, an aesthetic zone with remarkable Romanian contributions? The same can be said about students of nations and nationalism, of communism and post-communism. In all these areas there is a huge amount of scholarly output that waits for Western scholars to consult it. For historians, political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists knowing the language of the country they study is indispensable. How can we best adjust our teaching to specific professional requirements? What does our previous experience tell us about the efficiency of our teaching methods/materials? Which ones have worked well so far and which ones, if any, could stand some improvement or even some changes?
Response: Dr. Marina Cap-Bun
I think that 2007 was a wonderful choice for a debate concerning the field of Romanian Studies. The Roundtable on Romanian Language will certainly provide the opportunity to discuss the most remarkable scholarship of the field and the practical possibilities to make the resources more accessible (translations, digitalization and internet accessibility, overseas library transfers etc.). Language teaching is much more successful if it comes together with elements of culture and civilization, which brings more life into an otherwise difficult, arid knowledge. It is almost impossible to speak a language without apprehending at least some elements of the corresponding culture and mentalities, some historic events which portray its native speakers. But to acquire that flexibility in the language teaching process it takes more than a text book with dialogues and pictures, even more than language learning CDs. Today, the internet offers tremendous opportunities for intercultural exchanges. I think that the great challenge for the Romanian language teaching process is now the necessity to digitalize as many resources as possible and make them accessible on-line or at least in electronic format. The corpus should include but not be restricted to: multimedia dictionaries, language learning text books, documentary films, bilingual or multilingual anthologies of Romanian literature, multimedia reproductions of traditional customs and habits, on-line interactive language learning web-pages, fragments of Romanian theater, music and dance etc.
But that is not possible without a close cooperation between specialists and that is why I would like to discuss the necessity of a worldwide professional networking of Romanian Studies scholars around the world, also involving the Romanian academic and scientific community, which would facilitate common scientific projects to support the development of the field.
Romanian Studies, now a branch of European Studies, should be more present in comparative studies (comparative literature, Romance linguistics, political studies, anthropology etc). The question is how can we make that happen? Learning Romanian language is definitively the key element, but a better promotion of the broader field of Romanian Studies could also be helpful.
I am currently conducting a scientific project called “Romanian Studies around the World: the Cultural Dimension of Romania’s Integration into the European Union”. The web page of this project will contain a list of all the lectureships, with a brief presentation and history and contact information of the former and current scholars involved in the Romanian Language programs, some information about the available resources and also local ideas for improving the program. It will also include an e-mail list of Romanian Studies specialists to facilitate the exchange of ideas between scholars, and an on-line Romanian Studies Quarterly, including e-mail newsletter, and a scientific section with publications of the most interesting theoretical contributions to the field, translations from/in Romanian literature, multimedia resources, fragments of Romanian theater, parliamentary speeches or cultural manifestations related to the field, information about the access to library resources, materials available on-line or in electronic format. It is only a small step, but I think a useful one.
Response: Dr. Mona Momescu
It would be interesting to consider how many universities in the US offer Romanian, either under LCTLs or within more complete programs in which Romanian a minor. The status of Romanian is essential to the way in which we organize our curriculum and to the way in which we adapt to the expectations and needs of the students.
I believe that because many US universities still offer Romanian under Slavic Studies Depts., the provocation launched by the organizers began with the age-old essentialist approach on Romanian language as a “Latin island”, which says a lot about the language family to which Romanian belongs, but also boosts the insularity of the Romanian language and culture. Perhaps we should try to analyze whether such an approach is still productive in an age where languages are seen as a tool for communication that help people cope with the requirements of an unprecedented mobility. What are the methods that we use to teach Romanian for students who do not have extended knowledge of grammatical categories, syntax, etc. and who do not minor/major in Romanian studies? *Presentation of the Columbia University-Language Resource Center/Mona Momescu project on Romanian- a Cultural Approach (using video, audio authentic material in language teaching, types of exercises, cultural notions embedded in the materials)
The second part of the provocation makes us meditate on the following: what part of our culture and by which methods we should promote in other countries? Shall we select only the Romanian values already acknowledged by non-Romanians, or shall we familiarize the learners with a complete image of the Romanian culture, that does not vacillate between the extremes of localism and universalism? Also, it would be interesting to try to analyze how we may help closing the gap between culture understood as literary heritage and culture in its broader acceptation (scientific, literary, material etc); relying mostly or exclusively on the literary heritage means that some of the professionals who create language and culture teaching materials create an ideal learner who must be a Romanian, except for the linguistic skills. No matter how disappointing this might be for us, as language/literature instructors, is this the case? Do others react to the same things that we do in a manner similar to ours?
The last issue that I will tackle is how we help balance the tendency towards stereotyping, either external (coming from others) or internal through our language/culture classes?
