Recent census data have shown that the number of Breton speakers in Lower
Brittany has continued to drop despite revitalization efforts. A problem minority
languages face is struggling to maintain a place in the lives of the people who have
adopted the dominant language. In this study, I assess the current problems faced by the
Breton language today by examining a few select problems. First, I highlight the lack of
situations in which speakers can use Breton. Even children attending immersion
programs often do not live in a Breton-speaking household, nor do they have settings
outside the school where they can practice the language. Secondly, I consider the
ideological place of Breton in the minds of speakers. Many people feel that while Breton
is important to their heritage, they do not need to actively speak it in order to associate
with a Breton identity. Related to this is the opinion of many people that Breton is an
outdated language with no future ahead of it, as revealed by recent research (Broudic
2009, Jones1998, Timm 2001). Finally, the creation of a new, standardized Breton known
as neo-Breton adds to the problem of finding a place for the language; older speakers
who use traditional Breton are marginalized, while it is the young speakers using neo-
Breton. I use current census data as well as personal research conducted in Brittany in
July 2010 to supplement my assessment of the current Breton situation. While progress
has been slow, Breton is gaining a stronger presence in society. / text
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTEXAS/oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2010-12-2498 |
| Date | 21 February 2011 |
| Creators | Moen, Jennifer Lee |
| Source Sets | University of Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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