Colloquium: How and why to teach regional languages (Picard and other languages)

Regional languages in France are grappling with the challenge of teaching in schools, especially since the adoption of the Molac law (May 2021), which offers a "subject" status to these languages. Indeed, the entry of non-standard languages into school raises the question of the norm, of the spelling, but also of the lack of tools or the challenges posed by variation. Thus, if the confrontation between the taught variety and the heritage resulting from natural transmission within families shows too great a gap, the effect may be to accelerate the loss of the link between language and identity (see the case of French in Louisiana or Flemish in the North). A major question is also that of social demand: what are the issues and expectations of students and their parents? What need do these teachings meet?

This international colloquium takes as its starting point the case of Picard, which, since its recognition in 1992 as one of the languages of France, has benefited from a willingness to transmit it for the first time within the National Education.

A first day will be devoted to the transmission of regional languages for which social demand is weaker than for languages clearly linked to an identity, with a strong mobilization of citizens (such as Breton or Basque) or for so-called " useful " languages (the " big " languages of education, such as English, Spanish). What can be done for varieties with an image deficit? How to create motivation and pleasure, among learners, adherence among parents ?