Sustaining Frisian: a qualitative evaluation of policy impact on the protection of the Frisian linguistic heritage in West Frisia

The integration of minorities in the so-called Old Continent has been a recurrent issue since the advent of the political structure of the European nation-state. As the first decades of the 21st century have shown, with cases like the Catalan, Corsican or Scottish, some European national minorities have begun revaluating their place in the states they are a part of, partly due to the need for linguistic and cultural recognition. This situation showcases how important their integration is to preserve states' integrity and stability. Following this logic, this research paper tries to analyse the effectiveness of protection policies of the Frisian language, a minority language in the Netherlands spoken by 420.000 individuals approximately. Since the 1950s the Frisian language has held legal recognition in the Dutch state, with increased protection until our days. However, it has to be taken into account that languages vary in prestige, number of speakers, and sociolinguistic characteristics. Despite equal rights on paper, practical disparities persist, impacting aspects such as the quality of education in the language or the linguistic landscape. As a result of these dissimilarities, the literacy levels of Frisian speakers have been severely affected. It is important to note that the Frisian language has a notable cultural significance, as it plays a vital role in the creation of its speakers' identity. This is why the survival of the language cannot solely rely on its de jure recognition. The efficacy of the current policies must also be evaluated. Moreover, understanding the community’s attitudes towards Frisian, along with other challenges that the language faces, is also essential for the development of future, and more useful, policies that ensure the thriving and survival of this minority language. This study employs a case study approach to assess the effectiveness of the protection policies using the Ethnolinguistic Vitality model, which systematizes factors of language protection combining three socio-structural factors: demography, institutional support and the status of the language. Furthermore, this research adds a new layer on the previous research regarding this topic, by using a qualitative strategy based on semi-structured interviews of diverse stakeholders engaged in the protection of the Frisian language in the Netherlands.