Indonesia: old ties
People can sometimes use Dutch to get by in unexpected places. One of those places is Indonesia. Some older Indonesians still speak Dutch, but even the younger generation is interested in the language. University students, for example law students, are often required to study Dutch texts. Many universities in Indonesia therefore offer courses in Dutch as a source or occupational language. Students and other interested parties can enrol in general Dutch courses at various educational centres, the most important of which is the Erasmus Language Centre (ETC) in Jakarta. Each year, some 1500 to 2000 students take Dutch courses there.
http://taalunieversum.org/en/dutch_worldwide/
The state of Spanish today in the Philippines
Spanish ceased to be an official language and a required subject in college in 1987 during the Cory Aquino Administration. It is still spoken and maintained by mestizo families, and many Filipinos, even during the 60s and 70s, grew up with Spanish being their first and primary language, even before they learned to speak Tagalog or English. Speakers are typically, but not always, the 'elite'. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a member of the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language. Many of the older people speak it well in Zamboanga where the general population speak the creole, Chavacano.
The propagation and/or imposition of Spanish as an official language is still in heavy dispute. On one side, much of the history and culture is embedded in the language. There are an estimated 13 million manuscripts from the 16th century to 1898 which include government documents, economics, trade disputes, legal matters, patriotic material, religious material, registrations etc. There is a demand for Spanish proficiency and translation in Philippine history.
On the other side, Spanish is accused by some as representing colonization and has less relevance than English for practical usage or Filipino in terms of nationalism. Certain advocates maintain that Spanish was used by the first Filipino patriots. For example, Spanish was used to write the country's first constitution, Constitución Política de Malolos, Noli Me Tangere, the original national anthem, nationalistic propaganda material,etc and thus should be considered a national language. Philippine nationalism was first propagated in the Spanish language.
Manila is home to the main East Asian branch of the Instituto Cervantes, the Spanish government's official overseas institute for the promotion of Spanish language and Latino American culture. The Spanish language enjoys popularity as a language of choice for learning a foreign language among Filipinos.
http://www.indopedia.org/Spanish_in_the_Philippines.html
Pick your choice which language is in better shape in their respective former possessions.
People can sometimes use Dutch to get by in unexpected places. One of those places is Indonesia. Some older Indonesians still speak Dutch, but even the younger generation is interested in the language. University students, for example law students, are often required to study Dutch texts. Many universities in Indonesia therefore offer courses in Dutch as a source or occupational language. Students and other interested parties can enrol in general Dutch courses at various educational centres, the most important of which is the Erasmus Language Centre (ETC) in Jakarta. Each year, some 1500 to 2000 students take Dutch courses there.
http://taalunieversum.org/en/dutch_worldwide/
The state of Spanish today in the Philippines
Spanish ceased to be an official language and a required subject in college in 1987 during the Cory Aquino Administration. It is still spoken and maintained by mestizo families, and many Filipinos, even during the 60s and 70s, grew up with Spanish being their first and primary language, even before they learned to speak Tagalog or English. Speakers are typically, but not always, the 'elite'. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a member of the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language. Many of the older people speak it well in Zamboanga where the general population speak the creole, Chavacano.
The propagation and/or imposition of Spanish as an official language is still in heavy dispute. On one side, much of the history and culture is embedded in the language. There are an estimated 13 million manuscripts from the 16th century to 1898 which include government documents, economics, trade disputes, legal matters, patriotic material, religious material, registrations etc. There is a demand for Spanish proficiency and translation in Philippine history.
On the other side, Spanish is accused by some as representing colonization and has less relevance than English for practical usage or Filipino in terms of nationalism. Certain advocates maintain that Spanish was used by the first Filipino patriots. For example, Spanish was used to write the country's first constitution, Constitución Política de Malolos, Noli Me Tangere, the original national anthem, nationalistic propaganda material,etc and thus should be considered a national language. Philippine nationalism was first propagated in the Spanish language.
Manila is home to the main East Asian branch of the Instituto Cervantes, the Spanish government's official overseas institute for the promotion of Spanish language and Latino American culture. The Spanish language enjoys popularity as a language of choice for learning a foreign language among Filipinos.
http://www.indopedia.org/Spanish_in_the_Philippines.html
Pick your choice which language is in better shape in their respective former possessions.