It’s not easy for students in Argentina to get together outside of the classroom in places where they can speak Basque; and so that is why initiatives that propose such encounters are always welcome. With this goal in mind, and encouraged by the success that it had at last year’s Semana Vasca in Necochea, the local Basque club organized a Mintzodromo for Basque students in the city. The experience was a very good one and the possibility of holding another one at the end of winter vacations is also being discussed.
La Plata, Argentina. The neologism “Mintzodromo,” is the combination of the Basque word “mintzatu” to speak, and the Greek suffix “dromo” competition, circuit. The activity known as “Mintzodromo came from the Basque Country and is aimed above all at new Basque speakers. The hope is that people learning the language will use Basque by providing places where people can gather for the sole objective of practicing and communicate in Basque. Even if it was created in the Basque Country, the initiative didn’t take any time to cross the ocean and last year the first Mintzodromo was held at Semana Vasca in Necochea, where Basque speakers in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and the Basque Country all gathered.
To provide continuity to such proposals, the La Plata Basque club held its own event on July 8th with Basque students form the local Euskal Etxea as well as those from the Basque Language Lectureship at the National University of La Plata. As Maria Fernanda Astigarraga, Basque club reference told EuskalKultural.com “We mainly played board games, Pasahitza and Pictionary. We divided ourselves into two groups. At first it was a quiet exercise but then the “competitive spirit” took over and we began to compete and try to win!” she said.
To accompany the students’ production, their teachers, Juantxi Yacomini and Maitane Andueza coordinated activities. The new lecturer at UNLP also helped, Ane Arandia Morgaetxebarria.
Due to the great response, the students and organizers are both planning to hold another Mintzodromo after the winter holidays.
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