It was found that writing language in advertisement boards is 37% English, 11% Turkish languages, and 18% Russian words written in Latin graphic
Azerbaijan Free Speech Foundation (AFSF) started monitoring on protection of Azerbaijan language in advertisements, service offices, also in media outlets. As the first measure, they started to hold monitoring in order to found how the requirements of the “About State Language” Law of Azerbaijan Republic dated to September 30, 2002 is complied in the writings of advertisement boards. The Foundation will start large scale discussions and events about analogical situation in media agencies with the participation of state intellectuals, specialists, related state body representatives, and linguist scholars.
The first monitoring covered advertisement boards in 442 service offices located in 10 central streets and avenues of Baku. As a result of investigations it was found that advertisement languages, definitely the problems on protecting requirements of the state language are far away from the frame of satisfactoriness, though it is better now in comparison with the situation during some years ago. Thus it was found during monitoring that Azerbaijani words were used in 52% of advertisement boards, English words in 37%, and words belonging to Turkish languages in 11% of boards. Besides, in the writings of 23% advertisements grammatical mistakes were met. In 18% boards Russian words were written in Latin graphic.
We should mention that, while writing advertisements, requirements of the very important principal considered in article 7.1 of mentioned law like “The state language in the all service spheres, advertisement and announcements within the territory of Azerbaijan Republic is used. In necessary cases, other languages also may be used together with state language in advertisements and announcements (boards, panels, placards, etc.), but the place they hold should not be larger than the place of its equivalent in Azerbaijani and should be come after the writing in Azerbaijan language” were broken in the plenty of parameters. On the contrary, it was revealed that our some countrymen’s illness of “modern talk” passed to advertisement boards. “Boçka”, “Başmaçok”, “Çudo peçka” line up across Azadlig Avenue, “Tetradka” in İstiglaliyyat street, “Bon Apetit” sweets shop, “Merkez Lahmacun”, “Ince Göl” in S.Vurgun street, etc. names “decorate” streets of our capital without any equivalent in the Azerbaijan language. If we take into consideration that on the beauty salons only “Beauty salon” expressions are written, it is not so difficult to imagine how a foreigner or povince people come to Baku would feel.
After this Azerbaijan Free Speech Foundation (AFSF) will continue monitorgins dedicated to protection of the Azerbaijan language in different levels.
