Regional Agency for Friulian Language


ARLeF - Agjenzie Regjonâl pe Lenghe Furlane is a public body of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia that coordinates activities involving the safeguarding and promotion of the Friulian language across the regional territory. It plays a key role in the implementation of the legislation on the Friulian language, which comprises, as well as
The Agency is a regional law body with public legal status as well as administrative and financial autonomy that operates under the Comparto unico del pubblico impiego of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Established by Regional Law no. 4 of 26 February 2001, its operations started in 2005 with the approval of its Statute.
The Agency provides a language consultancy service for both public and private bodies and performs diverse actions to promote the presence and advance the use of the Friulian language in the main fields of social life, including the family, the school, mass media, new technologies, public administration, scientific research, show business, the arts, culture and the working environment.
The Agency performs its functions through:
  1. direct activities;
  2. funds granted to qualified public and private bodies;
  3. collaborations with public and private bodies that work in favour of the knowledge, dissemination and use of the Friulian language;
  4. study grants.

    Bodies

The Agency comprises a [|Board of Directors], a [|Technical and Scientific Committee], a Chairman and an [|Auditor].

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is appointed by decree of the President of the Region according to the deliberation of the Regional Government and comprises five members. The names of three of them, including the Chairman, are put forward by the Regional Minister responsible for the protection of the Friulian language. One member is appointed by the Council of Local Autonomies, chosen from among the representatives of the local authorities included in the area of protection by Finally, one member is appointed by the University of Udine. The Regional Government is entitled to appoint the Chairman of the Agency, who needs to be one of the appointed members of the Board of Directors. The Chairman presides over the meetings of the Board of Directors, coordinates the operations of the Agency and acts as its legal representative.
The Board of Directors performs the following functions:
The Technical and Scientific Committee includes eight scholars, university lecturers or cultural operators boasting wide and considerable experience in planning or implementing initiatives for the teaching and the dissemination of the Friulian language as well as the promotion of its use in all fields of communication and contemporary life.
The members of the Committee are appointed by the Board of Directors for a term of three years and may be reconfirmed.
The composition of the Committee should guarantee a balanced representativeness of complementary disciplinary competencies, in particular:
The Technical and Scientific Committee performs the following functions:
The Auditor is appointed by the decree of the President of the Region on the proposal of the Regional Minister responsible for the protection of the Friulian Language. The Auditor performs auditing functions and has a mandate of three years from the date of his or her appointment and may be reappointed only once.

Operational Structure

The operational structure of the Agency comprises a Director, a Management Office and the Technical and Scientific Staff.
The Director supervises the implementation of the guidelines set out by the administrative bodies of the Agency. In this area, the Director:
The Management Office reports to the Director and performs management tasks. The office has permanent employees as well as personnel made available by the Regional Authority or other public bodies.

Regional Linguistic Centre for the Friulian Language

Through the Regional Linguistic Centre for the Friulian Language, ARLeF provides services in the areas of linguistic and place naming consultancy, translation, information and guidance relating to the Friulian language. The services provided are addressed to all local authorities, ancillary departments as well as public service licensees included in the relevant territory. In addition, the service may be provided to private individuals, providing it is deemed to be in compliance with the guidelines set out in the regional linguistic policy. The Centre comprises one headquarters and four branches that cover the entire Friulian-speaking territory.

Projects implemented by ARLeF

The Agency engages in a series of direct activities in various fields of social life. Below are some of the most important projects, divided by area.

Family

Crescere con più lingue – A project implemented in collaboration with the healthcare authorities of the Friulian-speaking territory that is primarily aimed at promoting among new parents the several cognitive and metacognitive advantages resulting from a multilingual upbringing. The project also aims to overcome the prejudice that may influence the choice of families with respect to multilingual educational paths. Finally, Crescere con più lingue promotes the cultural and linguistic characteristics that are typical of the regional territory, including its “natural multilingualism.”

New technologies

The Agency has implemented several software tools that facilitate the written usage of the Friulian language according to the norms of the official spelling. On the ARLeF website, users will find the following applications:
Maman! – The first children’s TV show in Friulian. Additionally, the Agency has produced Friulian versions of various cartoons, including Omenuts, Tui e Tuie and Rite e Cjossul. The Agency’s website also offers a fun-learning section totally devoted to children.

School

Pavee. The magic of Friulian – Institutional information and awareness-raising campaign specifically devised for parents of preschool and school children. The campaign aims to increase the number of parents choosing to enrol their children in the optional Friulian classes when they start to attend kindergarten as well as elementary and lower secondary school.

History and culture

Fieste de Patrie dal Friûl – With the promulgation of Regional Law no. 6 of 27 March 2015, which aims to remember and celebrate the origins, culture and history of the independence of the Friulian people, ARLeF was entrusted with the task of supervising the organisation of the official ceremonies of the festival as well as over 100 related events held by the local authorities in the Friulian-speaking territory on the 3rd of April each year. The festival commemorates the 3rd of April 1077, a day that marked the foundation of the patriarchal state of Friuli, an institution that reunited the land of Friuli and other territories in a single state organisation and existed until the 15th century, reaching a very advanced level of civil organisation forms at the time.
Teatri Stabil Furlan – This project is aimed at establishing a theatrical production organisation in the Friulian language by creating the first network comprising the most qualified entities in the Friulian theatrical and cultural sector. The project stems from the cooperation among ARLeF and various entities including the Municipality of Udine, CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Fondazione Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine, Accademia di arte drammatica “Nico Pepe”, Società Filologica Friulana and Istitût Ladin Furlan Pre Checo Placerean.
Furlan, lenghe de Europe – A travelling exhibition that presents the concept of Friulian identity in a brief yet detailed way, explains the social and cultural context in which the language has developed and illustrates the linguistic policy strategies pursued in the Friulian-speaking territory.

Promotion of the language

Al dipent di nô – An institutional information and awareness-raising campaign to promote the Friulian language by encouraging people to deliberately speak it in everyday life. The project includes various phases and involves multiple media outlets aiming to reach the inhabitants of Friuli, especially the young people, and inspire them to actively support the Friulian language.

Projects supported by ARLeF

The Agency supports the promotion of the Friulian language in the sectors of publishing, entertainment and scientific research by granting funds through calls for proposals to public and private bodies that intend to implement specific projects.
Among the several projects supported by ARLeF over the past few years there are:
Additionally, the Agency signed a series of memorandums of understanding and launched several collaboration projects with prominent Friulian entities for the promotion of the language in all sectors of society. The memorandums include several activities such as the translation of information and promotional material, the implementation of joint events and multilingual information campaigns.
Following are a few names of entities that established a collaboration with the Agency, which proves the diversity of the scope of the activities carried out: Mittelfest – a festival of music, dance, theatre and visual arts from Central European countries; Isontina Ambiente s.r.l. – the company manages the environmental services in 25 municipalities of the Province of Gorizia; Udinese Calcio S.p.A. ; FUC – Società Ferrovie Udine-Cividale s.r.l..

European projects

As a partner, the Agency has took part in several EU projects, including:
Additionally, ARLeF is a member of the Network to promote linguistic diversity , a pan-European network that works in the field of linguistic policies and planning, highly regarded in the European institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. It is an operational platform created to support, protect and promote minority and regional languages from around Europe through an exchange of best practices and information among the experts in the sector.
On the 1st of July 2014 the Regional Council of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region officially joined the network. Subsequently, ARLeF was given operational tasks relating to management, organisation and support to the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Authority in the NPLD activities.