Guernesiais at risk of extinction
THE collapse in the number of fluent speakers of Guernsey's native language is an acute illustration of the task facing those trying to save it. Just 200 remain, with only six under the age of 65. It has reached a point when the island needs to decide whether it is happy for Guernesiais to be consigned to history, perhaps remaining as a quirky relic spoken among the interested few and held in ghostly recordings, or whether a concerted effort, backed by more than just words, is needed.
So far there has been a whiff of tokenism about the States involvement.
The Guernsey Language Commission was officially launched on Liberation Day 2013 but has never had the formal recognition afforded to its cousins in sport and arts.
It now comes under Education, Sport & Culture, which in confirming the latest estimates for who still speaks the language told us that this year just over £12,500 had been spent on it.
Broadly the vision for the commission was for it to research and record the language, raise awareness, teach adults and raise funds for projects.
But it is difficult to judge its value or success as any business plan or accounts are absent from its webpage.
Any targets have remained vague since its inception.
The overarching vision for the last States, the Strategic Plan, and for this, the Policy & Resource Plan, both nod to promoting Guernsey's unique identity.
It is something easy to offer broad support to, but if Guernesiais is to be saved as a live language and its use grow, efforts will need to go beyond phrases in a plan or translating States job titles on business cards.
The key barrier to overcome is selling its relevance to the wider population.
The commission was seen as a way to guide and support existing groups and individuals who were already involved in the language.
They are not the people that need to be won over.
It is not an impossible task, with the rebirth and growth of Manx an example of what can be done. But at the moment for Guernsey it looks like it is overseeing an extinction.
