Moldova: A Chance to connect
Moldova’s linguistic legacy is highly complex due to its history of being part of alternating Russian and Romanian spheres of influence in the region. Even agreeing on a name for the country’s official language is a challenge that as yet has not been surmounted. The Declaration of Independence refers to a language law that calls it Romanian, the Constitution calls it Moldovan, and many have come to refer to it simply as the State language. In addition, the Russian language has the status of ‘language of inter-ethnic communication’ and is still widely spoken throughout the country.
The language question also affects many members of Moldova’s national minority communities, who often speak Russian in addition to their national language but sometimes lack proficiency in the State language. This poses a major obstacle to their full participation in Moldovan society.
One of the examples of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minority’s efforts to promote the integration of Moldovan society is a project started in 2005 to teach the State language to civil servants in minority-populated areas, such as Gagauzia in southern Moldova. During the seven years of the project, over 2,900 employees in the public sector have received language training at levels of proficiency ranging from the beginner A1 level to the highly advanced C2 level.
Sustainability and local ownership have been at the centre of the project since its inception. In May 2008 the participating language teachers registered themselves as a separate organization, the Association of European Trainers from Moldova (ANTEM), which has since become the leading provider of adult language teaching services throughout the country. It trains around 400 professionals from many walks of life every year, bringing in private revenue alongside the High Commissioner’s funding.
The training courses are strongly supported by local authorities, who select the participants, allow them to participate during working hours and cover a part of the costs. The next phase of the project sees the High Commissioner engaged in a dialogue with the Moldovan Government on the development of a comprehensive policy on the integration of society. The promotion of State language skills amongst civil servants, funded by the Government, will be a key component of this.