A stage for our language

Tuesday 19 March 2019

With increasing numbers of entrants, the Guernsey French section of the Eisteddfod is being held today and tomorrow with an expert adjudicator in the island especially for the occasion.

Professor Mari Jones, a renowned language expert will be listening to the readings and performances in Guernesiais before grading those prepared to get up on the stage.

Pictured: Professor Mari Jones is the adjudicator for the Eisteddfod Guernesiais Section. She is a renowned linguist and has spoken to students locally and across the world on the importance of native languages like our own. Picture from the Guernsey Language Commission Facebook page. 

The Guernsey French section of the Eisteddfod has seen some changes this year, after concerns were raised over dwindling numbers of entrants. 

Geoffrey Mahy, the Executive Officer of the Guernesias Section of the Eisteddfod, has been on the committee which has overseen those changes and the preparations for today's event.

"We've reorganised it to be more user friendly to competitors and to the audience as well, so that anybody can enter without fear of being excluded or not being able to understand what was going on. It's just a more inclusive approach."

Those new inclusive ideas include introductions and explanations in English as well as Guernesiais throughout this evening.

"In the past the introduction has been all in Guernesiais, the pieces have all been in Guernesiais without any explanation of what they're about, so unfortunately that has resulted in our opinion in a reduction in audience numbers so we want to make it much more clear to everyone what's going on at any one time."

Some new competitors have registered for the event with some young adults, a father and young son aged just four, and many non native speakers competing in the various categories this evening and a number of children competing in the youth section tomorrow. 

The adults classes will take place from 19:00 on Tuesday 19 March in the Ladies' College Drama Studio, which is in the new block to the rear of the eastern end of the Melrose building which fronts Les Gravées.

The Junior competitions is on Wednesday 20 March from 16:30 at Forest School. Admission for both events is £2 per adult and £1 per child at both sessions. All entries will be given a brief introduction in English to set the scene.