Mongolian Language law has been adopted just before the closure of the fall session of State Great Khural for the very first time. The law is effective from July 1st of 2015. What are the main provisions that everyone needs to know?
1. Mongolian language and literature classes should be taught starting from the first grade and special focus is given to private schools with foreign language curriculum to adhere to this provision.
Private schools with foreign language curriculum are inclined to lessen the Mongolian language and literature classes starting from the fifth grade and increase the load of the foreign language classes, which is seen as potential threat to mother language immunity.
Moreover, lesser Mongolian language classes lead to potential risk for the future citizens to not be able to work in civil service or corporations with strict bars.
2. Mongolian language test scores to be mandatory at the higher education admissions. As the law will be in effect starting July 1st of this year, this provision is to be adhered starting in 2016.
3. Address and banners on the streets to be wrtitten in Mongolian language.
Lesser Mongolian language classes lead to potential risk for the future citizens to not be able to work in civil service or corporations with strict bars.
4. Civil servants have to pass Mongolian language test and one fourth of the test will be on Mongolian script.
5. State Language Council changes into National council of Language Policy, which is to monitor the media language use and councel on Mongolian language use.
6. ID, birth certificate, marriage certificate and education certificates are to be both in Mongolian cyrillic and Mongolian script.
7. Mongolia will have unified Mongolian language rules and every citizen and entity should adhere to it.
8. Language Policy Council is to be set under President and will have 9 members appointed by President for the 6 year term.
9. Mongolian Language Linguistic Institute will be formed under Mongolian Academy of Science. The institute will be responsible for studies of Mongolian language, evaluate changes in the vocabulary and conduct studies in lexicology. Moreover, will be in charge of translation of foreign terminology into Mongolian.
10. Language Policy Council will be in charge of compilation of geographical names dictionary, its registration in world geographic dictionary, to avoid unlawful change of geographical names.
11. Mongolian script will be introduced in stages and state and local government is to conduct their correspondence in both cyrillic and Mongolian script. This provision is to be effective starting January 1st of 2025.
Some of the misinterpretations of the Mongolian Language law has been clarified by MP M.Batchimeg in brief.
MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE LAW AND SOME MISINTERPRETATIONS
Misinterpretation 1: Use of cyrillic is to be terminated and only Mongolian script to be used.
There is no provision in the law that states the termination of use of cyrillic. It clearly states that Mongolian script is to be added to the current use of cyrillic. Mongolian script will be introduced in stages and state and local government is to conduct their correspondence in both cyrillic and Mongolian script. This provision is to be effective starting January 1st of 2025. ID, birth certificate, marriage certificate and education certificates are to be both in Mongolian cyrillic and Mongolian script and currently Mongolian script is being used in official letters of President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament.
M.Batchimeg: The law provisions introduction of Mongolian script starting from the 6th grade, after the children are good at cyrillic. Moreover, the higher education admissions will have mandatory Mongolian language examinaiton, of which one fourth will be on Mongolian script. As of today every secondary school has Mongolian script classes.
UNESCO has warned us to protect Mongolian script as it is in danger of disapperaing. State Great Khural has adopted this law in order to protect the national heritage.
Misinterpretation 2: Mongolian script classes introduced at elementary school will cause similar phenomenon of 1990s.
The law provisions introduction of Mongolian script starting from the 6th grade, after the children are good at cyrillic. Moreover, the higher education admissions will have mandatory Mongolian language examinaiton, of which one fourth will be on Mongolian script. As of today every secondary school has Mongolian script classes.
Misinterpretation 3: This law discriminates other foreign languages.
This law intends to protet the national language and script and does not discriminate any other languages. There are two provisions in the law that regulated anything related with foreign language.
First, private schools with foreign language curriculum are to include Mongolian language and literature classes starting from first grade until the graduation in accordance with approved curriculum.
Second, public schools are to introduce foreign language classes starting from the fifth grade. There are many countries with the same practice of introducing foreign language at the age of 10-11.
Mongolia adhered to this policy since 1990. Currently children enter school at the age of 6 and starting from fifth grade or age of 10-11 are being introduced to foreign language classes in public schools.
Misinterpretation 4: The law provisions high fines if not adhered.
Mongolian language law has only one provision on fine to be imposed on legal entities equal to 10-15 times of minimal wage (1,920,000 - 2,880,000). The law itself is not hard to adhere to and does not require any monetary funds.
There is no provision that states to fine a citizen. It only states that every citizen is to adhere to the law.
M.Batchimeg: This law intends to protet the national language and script and does not discriminate any other languages. There are two provisions in the law that regulated anything related with foreign language.
Misinterpretation 5: Law will change the Mongolian language rules and translations of foreign words.
Rules and translations are not be regulated by the law. This will be under responsibility of Linguistics Institute under Mongolian Academy of Science, which further will be approved by the National Councel of Language Policy.
Misinterpretation 6: Mongolian language issue is not crucial during the times of economic downturn.
Protection of the national language is crucial for any nationality and a major issue related to naitonal safety.
Law initiators have agreed that the lack of unified policy on Mongolian language for the past 20 years have caused number of issues and needs to be addressed. The draft of the law has been under discussion with professionals for over two years.
The approval of this law won't have any negative impacts on state economic policy, activities and won't have any drawbacks on the economy and people's lives.
Mongolian Language law has been adopted just before the closure of the fall session of State Great Khural for the very first time. The law is effective from July 1st of 2015. What are the main provisions that everyone needs to know?
1. Mongolian language and literature classes should be taught starting from the first grade and special focus is given to private schools with foreign language curriculum to adhere to this provision.
Private schools with foreign language curriculum are inclined to lessen the Mongolian language and literature classes starting from the fifth grade and increase the load of the foreign language classes, which is seen as potential threat to mother language immunity.
Moreover, lesser Mongolian language classes lead to potential risk for the future citizens to not be able to work in civil service or corporations with strict bars.
2. Mongolian language test scores to be mandatory at the higher education admissions. As the law will be in effect starting July 1st of this year, this provision is to be adhered starting in 2016.
3. Address and banners on the streets to be wrtitten in Mongolian language.
Lesser Mongolian language classes lead to potential risk for the future citizens to not be able to work in civil service or corporations with strict bars.
4. Civil servants have to pass Mongolian language test and one fourth of the test will be on Mongolian script.
5. State Language Council changes into National council of Language Policy, which is to monitor the media language use and councel on Mongolian language use.
6. ID, birth certificate, marriage certificate and education certificates are to be both in Mongolian cyrillic and Mongolian script.
7. Mongolia will have unified Mongolian language rules and every citizen and entity should adhere to it.
8. Language Policy Council is to be set under President and will have 9 members appointed by President for the 6 year term.
9. Mongolian Language Linguistic Institute will be formed under Mongolian Academy of Science. The institute will be responsible for studies of Mongolian language, evaluate changes in the vocabulary and conduct studies in lexicology. Moreover, will be in charge of translation of foreign terminology into Mongolian.
10. Language Policy Council will be in charge of compilation of geographical names dictionary, its registration in world geographic dictionary, to avoid unlawful change of geographical names.
11. Mongolian script will be introduced in stages and state and local government is to conduct their correspondence in both cyrillic and Mongolian script. This provision is to be effective starting January 1st of 2025.
Some of the misinterpretations of the Mongolian Language law has been clarified by MP M.Batchimeg in brief.
MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE LAW AND SOME MISINTERPRETATIONS
Misinterpretation 1: Use of cyrillic is to be terminated and only Mongolian script to be used.
There is no provision in the law that states the termination of use of cyrillic. It clearly states that Mongolian script is to be added to the current use of cyrillic. Mongolian script will be introduced in stages and state and local government is to conduct their correspondence in both cyrillic and Mongolian script. This provision is to be effective starting January 1st of 2025. ID, birth certificate, marriage certificate and education certificates are to be both in Mongolian cyrillic and Mongolian script and currently Mongolian script is being used in official letters of President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament.
M.Batchimeg: The law provisions introduction of Mongolian script starting from the 6th grade, after the children are good at cyrillic. Moreover, the higher education admissions will have mandatory Mongolian language examinaiton, of which one fourth will be on Mongolian script. As of today every secondary school has Mongolian script classes.
UNESCO has warned us to protect Mongolian script as it is in danger of disapperaing. State Great Khural has adopted this law in order to protect the national heritage.
Misinterpretation 2: Mongolian script classes introduced at elementary school will cause similar phenomenon of 1990s.
The law provisions introduction of Mongolian script starting from the 6th grade, after the children are good at cyrillic. Moreover, the higher education admissions will have mandatory Mongolian language examinaiton, of which one fourth will be on Mongolian script. As of today every secondary school has Mongolian script classes.
Misinterpretation 3: This law discriminates other foreign languages.
This law intends to protet the national language and script and does not discriminate any other languages. There are two provisions in the law that regulated anything related with foreign language.
First, private schools with foreign language curriculum are to include Mongolian language and literature classes starting from first grade until the graduation in accordance with approved curriculum.
Second, public schools are to introduce foreign language classes starting from the fifth grade. There are many countries with the same practice of introducing foreign language at the age of 10-11.
Mongolia adhered to this policy since 1990. Currently children enter school at the age of 6 and starting from fifth grade or age of 10-11 are being introduced to foreign language classes in public schools.
Misinterpretation 4: The law provisions high fines if not adhered.
Mongolian language law has only one provision on fine to be imposed on legal entities equal to 10-15 times of minimal wage (1,920,000 - 2,880,000). The law itself is not hard to adhere to and does not require any monetary funds.
There is no provision that states to fine a citizen. It only states that every citizen is to adhere to the law.
M.Batchimeg: This law intends to protet the national language and script and does not discriminate any other languages. There are two provisions in the law that regulated anything related with foreign language.
Misinterpretation 5: Law will change the Mongolian language rules and translations of foreign words.
Rules and translations are not be regulated by the law. This will be under responsibility of Linguistics Institute under Mongolian Academy of Science, which further will be approved by the National Councel of Language Policy.
Misinterpretation 6: Mongolian language issue is not crucial during the times of economic downturn.
Protection of the national language is crucial for any nationality and a major issue related to naitonal safety.
Law initiators have agreed that the lack of unified policy on Mongolian language for the past 20 years have caused number of issues and needs to be addressed. The draft of the law has been under discussion with professionals for over two years.
The approval of this law won't have any negative impacts on state economic policy, activities and won't have any drawbacks on the economy and people's lives.