In an new evaluation the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages notes "structured and comprehensive" financial support for two languages concerned: Cypriot Maronite Arabic and Armenian. Government support includes language learning, teaching activities, school infrastructure, and cultural institutions.
The report - reflecting the status of regional or minority languages in the country as of June 2024 - also praises consultation of the state authorities with language speakers and their representatives in the House of Parliament as "regular and effective." It acknowledges the Cypriot government focus on raising awareness of the Armenians and Maronites, their history, culture and languages within Cypriot society. Western Armenian, the protected language for Armenians in Cyprus, has been taught at various education levels, with efforts to expand instruction at upper secondary levels.
However, despite such government support and preservation efforts to revitalise Cypriot Maronite Arabic, the Committee of Experts raises serious concerns over its teaching, stressing that the language is "in danger of extinction". Due to the lack of trained teachers, the language is taught only at the primary level with limited hours. The report thus calls for more urgent measures to ensure the survival and transmission of the language.
The evaluation report has been published together with comments from the authorities. A summary of the evaluation report is also available in Greek.
