Mehrsprachigkeit in Europa: Plurilinguismo in Europa ... - EURAC

N. I. Xirotiris, K. Simitopoulou, E. Styliara
They are aware that knowing Greek (the offi cial state language) is a professional qualifi cation,
but very few of them think that Turkish could be also useful for their professional life.
Many of them feel as European citizens, several ignore Europe and few complain that Europe
ignores them (aspects vary according to the family educational and/or economic level).
Note: In 4 cases the answer in question no 47 (“What do you think about someone with
a special accent?”) is: THAT HE IS POMAK, OR OF POMAK ORIGIN. This is a clear indication
that, in spite of the intense claims of Turkey that the local Muslim populations are exclusively
Turkish-speaking and consequently of Turkish origin, the interviewed young Muslims know that
the Pomaks are an existing community which speaks another language. Indirectly, this refl ects
the existing hierarchy within the Muslim population groups (Turkish, Pomak and Roma speaking
respectively).
1.4. Qualitative evaluation of a randomly sampled young population from the
Prefecture of Xanthi
1.4.1. Sample description:
This sample of young Pomaks (15-21 years old) includes 8 boys and 13 girls who are either pupils
of secondary education or university students. The interviews were performed in Xanthi, where
all of them are living now. However, they have been born in various villages or settlements of
the mountainous Rhodopi, such as Kimeria, Pachni, Kendavros, Echinos, Sminthi, Oreo, Gorgona,
Satres, Simandra, Prioni.
Their families have migrated recently to Xanthi, seeking better opportunities concerning
their job as well as their children’s education.
In the previous decades the low family income derived from small scale agricultural
activities, mainly tobacco cultivation. After their settlement in Xanthi, fathers are occupied as
technicians, craftsmen, professional drivers, builders, one teacher, three sailors. Mothers are
usually housewives, 4 of them are employed in local enterprises.
The family educational level is generally low (mostly primary education degree), with that
of the women even lower. In some cases the elder members of the family have also migrated
to Xanthi, thus strong family links are kept. In other cases the grandparents remain in their
mountain villages and meetings with their grandchildren are rarer. Some of the interviewed
have siblings in Germany, Australia or Canada.
They use all three languages (Pomak, Greek and Turkish) within the family. However,
the youngsters gradually lose their linguistic roots, since they speak Pomak only with their
grandparents.
Like all modern young people, they participate in the everyday life in Xanthi, meeting
their friends in clubs and cafés, going to the cinema, etc. and they are familiar with new
technologies.
1.4.2. Draft observations
All the aspects of the sociolinguistic problem of Pomacs are refl ected in the answers of this
cluster. In particular, screening the interviews one may notice:
1. the internal migration of Pomaks from the mountain villages towards the valleys and the
central city of Xanthi, for better professional and educational opportunities. This has
resulted in a gradual abandoning of the mother tongue by the younger generation, because
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