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Dr Mari Jones, who teaches French linguistics at Cambridge University, has launched a community project named "Jèrriais Today" that aims to record native speakers across the Island.
The recordings are to be compiled in an archive that will help preserve Jersey's very own language and that will be available to everyone, including future generations.
Dr. Mari Jones launched "Jèrriais Today" in January with Dr. Julia Sallabank from SOAS University in London to prevent Jèrriais from falling into oblivion as only 1% of Islanders speak it. They both obtained funding from their universities and also received local help on the Island from L'Office du Jèrriais and the department for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture.
Over 30 submissions have been received so far, and all Islanders are invited to get involved, whether they speak Jèrriais or not. Indeed, volunteers are also needed to do the recording. The two linguists were on the Island last week to conducted a series of workshops on the process.
While at Jersey Library for a lunchtime talk, Dr. Mari Jones explained: "We have kickstarted "Jérriais Today" but it is in the hands of the Islanders now, it is very much their project rather than ours."
If the recordings are the main focus, the project also aims to help those who are trying to learn the language by putting them in contact with native speakers. The linguists are hoping that through their discussions, and with the help of the archive, which will be available to the public, Jèrriais will stay alive and not become a dead language. As Dr. Jones pointed out, "Once a language is gone, it is gone forever."
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