The goal of this term paper is to examine the ongoing influence of Norman and Standard French on CIE. To present the French influence on CIE, articles in the local online press were studied to find utterances, either grammatical or lexical, that were derived from Norman French. The Guernsey Press and Jersey Evening Post were searched for examples.
Starting with an introduction to the geographical situation and the historical background of the Channel Islands, the term paper will provide an insight into the features of the English of the Channel Islands. Moreover, a short overview about the current linguistic situation will be given. The second part relates to the analysis of newspaper articles regarding the ongoing of the French influence in the local press. Lastly, after summarising the gained findings the term paper provides an outcome on where CIE is headed.
The history of the Channel Islands and their specific geographical situation between France and Great Britain caused the emergence of a lesser known variety of the English language - the English of the Channel Islands. The closeness to France raised various Norman French dialects and arouses the interest in investigating the current linguistic situation. For someone the Channel Islands are clearly an English speaking region; for others, they represent a francophone territory due to their proximity to France. Viereck characterises the Channel Islands as an “Anglicist’s no-Man’s land”. This underlines the ambiguous linguistic situation and provides opportunities for hypotheses concerning the use of the language.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 Geographical Location
2.2 History of Settlement on the Channel Islands
3. Languages Spoken on the Channel Islands
3.1 English
3.2 French
3.3 Jèrriais
3.4 Portuguese
4. Influence of French on Channel Island English Today
4.1 Syntax
4.2 Vocabulary
4.3 Pronunciation
5. Evidence of Ongoing French Influence on Current Channel Island English
6. Conclusion
7. References
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper examines the extent of the ongoing influence of Norman and Standard French on the specific variety of English spoken on the Channel Islands, known as Channel Island English (CIE). The research aims to determine whether traces of these French influences remain relevant or detectable within the contemporary local press.
- The linguistic history and development of English on the Channel Islands.
- An overview of the diverse languages spoken across the archipelago.
- Analysis of French-derived grammatical, lexical, and phonological features in CIE.
- Evaluation of current usage in newspapers like the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The history of the Channel Islands and their specific geographical situation between France and Great Britain caused the emergence of a lesser known variety of the English language - the English of the Channel Islands. The closeness to France raised various Norman French dialects and arouses the interest in investigating the current linguistic situation.
For someone the Channel Islands are clearly an English speaking region; for others, they represent a francophone territory due to their proximity to France. Viereck characterises the Channel Islands as an “Anglicist’s no-Man’s land” (1988: 468). This underlines the ambiguous linguistic situation and provides opportunities for hypotheses concerning the use of the language.
Currently, English is the primary language of economic and political activity on the Channel Islands. Other languages spoken beyond the archipelago include French, which is mostly employed in administrative activities; Portuguese, spoken primarily by immigrants on the Islands; and a variety of Norman dialects which originate in Norman French and are spoken by a minority of the population. Jones (2010: 42) predicts that Norman is set to disappear, as fewer and fewer inhabitants choose to speak the dialect in favour of English. Jones (2010: 42) also adds that the conscious corrections of non-standard characteristics in English will also contribute to the elimination of the Norman influence. Additionally, French usage continues to decline as English becomes more popular.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the geographical and historical context of the Channel Islands, introduces the linguistic ambiguity of the region, and defines the paper's goal of investigating French influence on contemporary Channel Island English.
2. Theoretical Background: This section details the islands' geographical location, their unique political status as dependencies of the British Crown, and the historical settlement patterns shaped by the shift from Norman to English rule.
3. Languages Spoken on the Channel Islands: This chapter provides an overview of the linguistic landscape, discussing the status of English, the decline of local Norman dialects like Jèrriais, the role of Standard French, and the presence of Portuguese.
4. Influence of French on Channel Island English Today: This chapter analyzes specific linguistic features of Channel Island English, covering syntax, vocabulary, and pronunciation that show potential remnants of contact with Norman French.
5. Evidence of Ongoing French Influence on Current Channel Island English: This section investigates the local press, specifically the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press, to identify if any French-derived utterances or grammatical structures are still present in modern media.
6. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, noting that while Norman influence persists in spoken, informal settings among bilinguals, it is increasingly absent from standard written English in the local press.
7. References: A comprehensive list of academic sources and online materials used for the research.
Keywords
Channel Island English, Norman French, Jèrriais, linguistic contact, bilingualism, syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, Jersey, Guernsey, language shift, language decline, local press, sociolinguistics, Channel Islands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research?
The paper explores the linguistic situation on the Channel Islands, specifically focusing on how the English language there has been influenced by historical contact with Norman and Standard French.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study spans historical development, sociolinguistics, dialectology, and media analysis in the context of Channel Island English (CIE).
What is the core research question?
The central goal is to investigate whether Norman and French influences are still relevant and detectable in the current Channel Island English, particularly within local newspaper articles.
Which methodologies were applied in this study?
The paper utilizes a literature review of established linguistic studies and an empirical investigation of contemporary newspaper articles from the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press.
What does the main body of the work focus on?
The main part analyzes specific syntactical, lexical, and phonological features of CIE, followed by a search for these features in modern print media to assess their current usage.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include Channel Island English, Norman French, linguistic contact, Jèrriais, and sociolinguistic variation.
Is Norman French still widely spoken on the islands?
No, the research indicates that Norman dialects are in significant decline, primarily limited to elderly speakers or specific cultural preservation efforts, and are being replaced by Standard English.
Does the local press show significant influence from French?
The study concludes that explicit evidence of ongoing French influence in the local press is very limited, as the journalistic style predominantly aligns with Standard English.
- Quote paper
- Silke Hecker (Author), 2020, The Evidence of French Influence on the Channel Island. Is French still relevant in local press of the Channel Islands?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/996746
