This study explores the origins and current status of the Gallo language at school--a minority language spoken in the eastern part of Brittany--among older speakers （group 1-41 informants） and students of Gallo （gr...This study explores the origins and current status of the Gallo language at school--a minority language spoken in the eastern part of Brittany--among older speakers （group 1-41 informants） and students of Gallo （group 2-17 informants）. The paper discusses different pedagogical methods, learning materials, and learners＇ status. The most important mission of schools is to increase public awareness about their linguistic environment which helps reassert minority identity through language acquisition and linguistic maintenance. Implementing an educational language curriculum for regional languages constitutes a main step towards the preservation of linguistic minorities. According to the informants interviewed during the fieldwork, both groups express positive reactions towards the presence of Gallo at school （group 1--80%; group 2--92.9%）. However, in follow-up discussions, a certain number of older speakers seem to be more reluctant, because the variety of Gallo taught at school is different from the one which was transmitted to them. In conclusion, bilingual and immersion programs are increasingly successful in Brittany and could lead to a wider recognition of Eastern Brittany＇s language and culture.展开更多
文摘This study explores the origins and current status of the Gallo language at school--a minority language spoken in the eastern part of Brittany--among older speakers （group 1-41 informants） and students of Gallo （group 2-17 informants）. The paper discusses different pedagogical methods, learning materials, and learners＇ status. The most important mission of schools is to increase public awareness about their linguistic environment which helps reassert minority identity through language acquisition and linguistic maintenance. Implementing an educational language curriculum for regional languages constitutes a main step towards the preservation of linguistic minorities. According to the informants interviewed during the fieldwork, both groups express positive reactions towards the presence of Gallo at school （group 1--80%; group 2--92.9%）. However, in follow-up discussions, a certain number of older speakers seem to be more reluctant, because the variety of Gallo taught at school is different from the one which was transmitted to them. In conclusion, bilingual and immersion programs are increasingly successful in Brittany and could lead to a wider recognition of Eastern Brittany＇s language and culture.
