Leclerc centers are not known for their propensity to throw money away. However, in the Plougastel-Daoulas hypermarket, the Breton language is omnipresent. Here, the loyalty vouchers are called gwenneg (“sou”, in French) and customers stroll through the aisles fouezh ha legumaj (fruits and vegetables), peskerezh (fish shop), babigou (Babe), porfumerezh (perfumery), pastezereh-baraeresh (bakery). The store owner, Jean-Marie de Bel-Air, even offered his employees to take Breton lessons.
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When we ask the interested party why he acts like this, he does not play the hypocrite. “I highlight Breton first because I am Breton and proud of it, but also because it corresponds to my interest. Breton people like it, of course, but also customers who, without speaking the language , like Brittany and finally to tourists who appreciate not finding themselves in a lambda store. Specificity is always an asset in the commercial field! And it works all the better as those who know me know that my approach is in line with my opinions. deep”.
“A country that loses its soul also loses its economy,” wrote the poet and writer Xavier Grall. This is also the conviction of Malo Bouëssel du Bourg, who has embarked on an operation that seems a little crazy: encourage companies to use Breton. His arguments ? “For a company, it is a way of affirming the authenticity of its positioning and of distinguishing itself from its competitors. It is also a unifying element, which promotes internal cohesion and facilitates recruitment”.
In Brittany, Breizh Cola overtook Pepsi
Nice speech from an activist disconnected from reality? One could believe it if the same man had not been for many years the very serious director of the very serious association “Produit en Bretagne”. At the start, a simple idea: and if, while shopping, a consumer had the certainty of buying an article manufactured or transformed on the spot, would he not choose it to promote local employment? Bingo! Obtaining the logo guaranteeing the required conditions leads to an increase in sales of 20% on average and, on the spot, Breizh Cola even exceeded Pepsi! It is no coincidence that the said association now brings together nearly 500 companies – including Jean Hénaff, Saupiquet, the Caisses d’Epargne Bretagne Pays de la Loire – who have come either out of conviction or out of well-understood interest.
It is therefore now a question of moving on to the next stage, by encouraging this network to use the Breton language, each at its own pace. “Those who are just starting out can make do with welcoming signage and bilingual greeting cards; the most advanced can use software in Breton (there is some), set up a Breton version of their website and recruit as a priority, equal skills, British-speaking employees.”
You can imagine: not all the bosses are immediately convinced by this project. Some fear too much complexity; others a risk of outdatedness; still others the incomprehension of some of their customers. Faithful to his method, pragmatic, Malo Bouëssel du Bourg answers them by example. “For years, Askorn Medical, specializing in medical prostheses, has been communicating at international trade fairs in English, French and Breton. And it works. Because the initiative surprises and raises questions, visitors remember more easily this company, especially since they find the idea sympathetic and generous.” As for the trials on the theme of “discrimination in hiring, withdrawal, communitarianism”, they make him smile: “How would valuing a skill in Breton be more discriminatory than claiming a skill in English?”.
Notions of authenticity and quality
One reality remains: Breton is obviously less useful than French and English. So what ? “Each language has a mission, both singular and complementary, continues Malo Bouëssel du Bourg. French and English are the languages of evidence, respectively in France and internationally. But precisely: for this very reason , they do not provide any particular advantage. Breton is the language of complicity. Because it is the result of a choice, it brings added value to the company that uses it, by associating it to notions of authenticity, quality, anchoring in the territory and respect for diversity.Culture creates social ties and specificity.This is why it is a driving force for the economy. “
Fingers crossed. Half a century ago, the renaissance of the Breton language began with culture, with artists like Alan Stivell. Then education followed, thanks in particular to the immersive schools of the Diwan network. Today, with the economy, it is the third stage of the rocket that is (perhaps) in the process of being put in place.
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Here & There relies on identity clothing
“I’m not complaining, I’m complaining”. “You know you’re from Burgundy when you go to Ausserre, not AuXerre, vindieu”. “An Alsatian does not age, he gains value”. It is this type of slogan that the company Ici & là affixes to T-shirts and souvenirs intended for regional communities. Its creator, Vincent Aircadi, who worked on regional imaginations during his sociology studies, presents himself as “a convinced federalist”.
Regional languages: when the Constitutional Council does politics and not law
Does the Constitutional Council sometimes take political decisions? According to the sociolinguist Philippe Blanchet, this is in any case what has already happened in the field of regional languages.
Quebec: free training to combat Anglicisms…
Convinced that the quality of French is both an individual and collective responsibility, Canadian linguists Monique Cormier and Noëlle Guilloton have just launched a free online training course to avoid anglicisms in companies.
… and a forum to defend science in French
Because we have seen an anglicization of science for several decades, a forum is being held on April 26 and 27 to defend science in French, in Quebec and around the world. We will talk about scientific recognition and career advancement, support for French-language scientific journals and international scientific collaborations, etc.
Little precise culture bullshitby Karim Duval
“Bullshit is the opposite of the superfluous. It is the substance that bypasses the form. It is the why that surpasses the how” (Confucius). humor with mastery to poke fun at the proliferation of Anglicisms in certain supposedly trendy circles (circles that this former consultant turned comedian knows well.) An ode to cultural diversity that is both brilliant and hilarious.
Little precise culture bullshit, by Karim Duval (alias Dr Jean-Bill Duval). Editions Le Robert
Can ChartGPT help lesser-used languages?
Using the example of Icelandic, this article asks whether the famous conversational robot could not support minority languages, and in particular Breton.
“The creation of a bilingual class, it pulls everyone up”
To fight against ghettoization, the Ministry of Education intends to reserve the creation of international sections for underprivileged colleges. In Montpellier (Hérault), an experience of this type helped restore the reputation of an establishment fled by families.
Erratum
Last week I reversed two terms in a definition of my crossword puzzle article (whose -s had also been omitted from the title). Here’s the correct version: “Empty the tubs and refill the sinks? Intermission.”
Conference in Aubervilliers on May 3: “Save the regional languages”
Based on the ideas developed in my latest book, I will present the means of preserving our cultural diversity on Wednesday May 3 at 6 p.m., at the Les mots passers bookstore, located at 2 rue du Moutier, in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint -Denis).
Save regional languages! by Michel Feltin-Palas, Editions Héliopoles
TO WATCH
A film on the minorization of the Breton language
Madeleine Guillo-Leal signs “Disoñjal”. This short fiction film in French and Breton paints the portrait of an 80-year-old woman who loses the use of French. Here is the trailer.
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