Class Finale!

The last NEP class will meet at the Bear Trap at 4:30pm April 28. 

De laatste NEP klasse zal bij de Val van de Beer bij 4:30 p.m. 28 April samenkomen.

A última classe do NEP reunir-se-á na armadilha do urso 4:30 pm no 28 de abril.

Последний тип нэпа встречает на ловушке медведя на 4:30 pm 28-ое апреля.

La clase ultima del NEP se reunirá en el desvío del oso en 4:30 P.M. el 28 de abril.

Η τελευταία NEP κλάση θα συναντηθεί στην παγίδα αρκούδων στις 28 Απριλίου 4:30pm.

La dernière classe de NEP se réunira au piège d'ours à 16h30 au 28 avril.

FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, AND SWITZERLAND

Here, for your reading pleasure, we present expert information about France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. We've started with a very brief history of French poetry, followed by surveys of the oh-so-linguistically-complicated Luxembourg and Switzerland. Then you'll find the beginnings of a discussion about national identity in the poems and in the anthology, which we hope to continue in class. Last but not least, we've posted two poems by Bruno Grégoire, for several reasons: we think it would be fun to have a more focused discussion of a poem or two; we found the poems to be among our favorites in the anthology so far; and, the poems embody a lot of specific anxiety of identity that correspond with our questions about the section as a whole. Hope you enjoy!

And, of course, useful phrases:

German:
I am going to beat you to death: Ich gehe zu schlagen Sie zu Tode.
My hovercraft is full of eels: Mein Luftkissenfahrzeug ist voller Aale.

French:
I am going to beat you to death: Je vais te cassé la goule.
My hovercraft is full of eels: Mon aéroglisseur est plein des anguilles.

A CONCISE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE IN LUXEMBOURG

Compiled by Kate Lorenz

The linguistic and literary histories of Luxembourg are very complex, mostly because you have several languages spoken by the same people in the same place, at the same time, in an “almost hierarchical manner.” Lëtzebuergesch is the language of the people, and is used in everyday communication. While this language has origins in German, it has evolved to be a distinct language over time; however, Lëtzebuergesch has primarily been an oral language, though an artificial orthography was instituted in the 20th century.

For written and some spoken communication, French and German are favored. French is the language of the intellectual elite, and used in scholarly articles, courts of law, and for official documents. German is also used for written and oral communication, especially by the general populous, due to its close ties to Lëtzebuergesch.

This diversity of language gives Luxembourg a vibrant cultural diversity. Theatre companies from France, Germany, and Belgium frequently play in Luxembourg, and film screenings are equally diverse. As for the literary world, the Luxembourg writer is essentially forced to write in a learned language, rather than the commonly spoken language, which can be limiting. Creative endeavors in Lëtzebuergesch are most often seen in lyrical poetry and local theatre, which focus on speaking rather than the written word.

More reading here.