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Islanders can now learn Jèrriais online via an award-winning app, following work by L’Office du Jèrriais and language-learning platform uTalk.
People can use one of five thousand free codes being offered to subscribe to the uTalk app and access beginner Jèrriais for free, rather than the usual £40 cost.
The codes also allow users to access nine other languages for free.
To create the content, over 2,500 words and phrases were translated by a team of native Jèrriais speakers and were recorded in Jersey by Jean Le Maistre and Audrey Lucas, with support from the Jersey Community Foundation with funds from the Channel Islands Lottery.
The move aims to increase the number of people of all ages who speak basic Jèrriais by making language learning more flexible and accessible. uTalk users can select different languages as their default language, which means people who do not speak English as a first language can still learn Jèrriais easily.
Susan Parker from L’Office du Jèrriais, who is the subject of this week's Express podcast, said: “Whether you were born on the island or not, if you have made Jersey your home, then this is your heritage language.
"I’d encourage anyone who wishes to join the cause to revitalise Jèrriais to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to access uTalk and learn Jèrriais for free.”
uTalk Founder and CEO Richard Howeson says: “We always do our best to support endangered languages and feel privileged to have been able to record Jèrriais. The language is a unique testament to the history, culture and character of the Jersey people and is also the 150th language we’ve added to the app.”
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