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Only around 20 percent of Americans claim to be able to speak a language other than English and only 3 percent of Mainers speak French. The pressure on non-English speakers is to be able to communicate within only one language, and the English-speaking privilege keeps most native English speakers in the mindset that the language is the only lingua franca in existence. To be able to communicate with one another, both parties have to meet in the middle.
For a specific Maine example that demonstrates the issue, the St. John Valley is consi dered “Maine’s last French-speaking bastion.” Unfortunately, due to the English language education bill of 1919 (repealed in 1960), French was prevented from being taught or even spoken in school and forced French to fade through the last two generations. The French language in Maine is extremely important to our history; les acadiens are a unique group of people to the state, sharing an equally unique dialect of French.
One of the other main obstacles that foreign language educators face is destigmatizing mistakes in speaking the language, but it is difficult to try to normalize interacting with other languages when the only language that most Mainers hear regularly is English. Instead, French-speaking clubs at local bookstores and cafes meet regularly to keep the conversation going. Taking the leap to offer a “bonjour” or a “salut” to someone is the first step in creating a safe space for the French language to thrive once again.
Mia Khavari
Glenburn