Latgalistikys kongresu materiali, III. 2011. - Latvijas Universitāte

In kindergarten Övdalian is used sporadically by dialect-speaking
teachers. Parents have nevertheless expressed their wish to open a separate
department where the personnel would be bilingual. There have also been
organized few university courses in Övdalian at Uppsala University but it
has only been isolated initiatives. Nowadays there is not a single university
where students can learn Övdalian.
Organisations
There are two local organisations that support Övdalian in its struggle
for survival: Ulum Dalska and Råðdjärum, Älvdalska språkrådet. In
2005 Ulum Dalska launched a process aiming to bring about an official
recognition of Övdalian as a minority language by the Swedish authorities,
in line with the suggestion of The European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages. Råðdjärum, Älvdalska språkrådet was established in
2004 within Ulum Dalska and its first task was to create a new standard
orthography, which was accepted in 2005.
Other projects
Among other projects with the object of supporting Övdalian one
should mention the Älvdalen Municipal Council’s initiative of putting road
signs in both Swedish and Övdalian and wooden signs only with Övdalian
names (lakes, clearings etc.) installed by Besparingsskogen (the community
of the owners of the forest ‘saving forest’). There are altogether 819
such signs today.
The usage of Övdalian is further encouraged by Ulum Dalska during
glåmåkwelder ‘evenings of chatting’ when Övdalian words, traditions and
proverbs are discussed. Additionally, the organisation has arranged
kwedåkweld ‘evenings of songs’, a few short language courses and reading
meetings for children at the local library.
Church
Övdalian does not appear regularly in the religious context. Nowadays
the dialect can be heard very sporadically in two chapels and during
Julottan (a morning mass on the Christmas Day). There are no masses or
sermons conducted in Övdalian as the pastor does not come from Älvdalen
and does not speak the dialect. The restricted position of the vernacular in
church is the result of a longstanding tradition of displacing dialects from
religion as well as pastors’ negative attitude towards local varieties of language.
Övdalian in religious contexts appears only as a means of communication
among the worshippers.
158