Summer course on how we talk about Euskara

On 9 July, a course entitled Bikaintasuna Euskal Ikasketetan XV: Nola kontatzen dugu euskara? (Excellence in Basque Education XV: How do we talk about Basque?) will take place at the Miramar Palace in Donostia as part of the University of the Basque Country (EHU) Summer Courses. The course will include four presentations and a round table discussion with experts in branding, language, technological challenges and heritage. Every year, the Etxepare Basque Institute joins forces with the EHU summer course programme, to offer “Bikaintasuna Euskal Ikasketetan” (“Excellence in Basque Studies”) course. The purpose of the course is to further teacher training for teacher of Basque and Basque culture in international contexts. Now in its 15th year, this year’s course “Nola kontatzen dugu euskara?” (“How do we talk about Basque?”) will focus on how Basque is taught in international educational contexts, or in multilingual spaces in general.

The course will introduce new approaches for those involved in teaching Basque language and culture. While Basque is a vibrant language, what image does it convey? Led by experts, the conference will analyse the different perspectives from which Basque is viewed, examining whether it is seen from a traditional standpoint or, conversely, presented as a product of contemporary discourse, models, and aesthetics.

Is Euskara a modern language? How is it perceived? From their respective disciplines, the speakers will reflect on these and other questions, aiming to reconstruct the image of Basque and share strategies for presenting it from a contemporary perspective.

This is a multidisciplinary training course featuring four presentations by experts in Basque studies, branding, ICTs and heritage, as well as a round table discussion. It is designed to be completed in a single morning. The sessions will provide ideas, tools and methods for teaching Euskara and Basque culture, including insights on artificial intelligence.

The experts leading the sessions are Irene Larraza (director, Etxepare Basque Institute), Monika Madinabeitia (director of Promotion and Dissemination of Euskara at the Etxepare Basque Institute), Jaime Otamendi (director of Donostia Kultura), Estitxu Garai (vice-chancellor of the Bizkaia Campus and Communication at the University of the Basque Country), Beñat Muguruza (professor, University of the Basque Country), Urtzi Odriozola (IT specialist, Codesyntax) and Arkaitz Olea (head of mediation, San Telmo Museoa).