Jèrriais Talking Street Signs

Hearing the island’s traditional language ­Jèrriais has become much easier thanks to an initiative by a group of adult students.

The Talking Street Signs project gives anyone with a smartphone – or other device with internet access – the chance to hear Jèrriais speakers talking about some of the Island’s best known landmarks.

A simple website available at Oyez.je/jw has been created with recordings in Jèrriais accessed by QR codes on signs at specific places in the Island. The project has been devised by mature students learning with L’Office du Jèrriais, the organisation responsible for teaching the language in schools and online, as well as promoting it in the community.

One of the students, Laurence Curtis, explained how the idea came about: “Two visitors from Normandy who needed directions in town asked me if I spoke Jèrriais as they wanted to hear and record it. That gave me the idea to look for ways to make it easier for people to hear Jèrriais around the Island, as well as being able to see it,” he said.

He added that the recent revival of interest in the language, supported by the government, has seen Jèrriais words appear on buses, signs and government buildings but hearing the spoken language has been much more difficult until now.

Working with other students including Clive Jones, Helen Romeril, Rod McLoughlin and Pauline Snarey, Mr Curtis discussed the idea with members of L’Office and Jersey Heritage, and decided the first step should be to record the Jèrriais texts that appear on silver Wayfinder signs around town. These signs include a map and information on the history of the area in English and French, as well as one panel in English and Jèrriais.

With 15 signs to prepare, the group set about collecting recordings from Jean Le Maistre, David Marrett and the late Enid de Gruchy who spoke Jèrriais as children, as well as from Colin Ireson and Jèrriais teachers Geraint Jennings and Aline Cattermole.

Texts of their recordings were matched with historic pictures to create web pages for each of the Jèrriais panels, and a French version was also added to help visitors from France see the similarities and differences between Jèrriais and modern French.

The Parish of St Helier gave permission for stickers – including a QR code and an internet address – to be placed on each Wayfinder sign. The recordings can now be heard by scanning the QR codes on the signs, by visiting Oyez.je/jw or by trying the QR Code below

“I hope that the recordings will help bring Jèrriais to people who might not otherwise hear it and perhaps inspire some of them to start learning the language, too,”  Mr Curtis said.

Anyone seeking further information, providing feedback or offering ideas for projects to help people hear Jèrriais further can email [email protected].

The Wayfinder signs with online pages are:

• Lé Quartchi du Hâvre – The Harbour Quarter
• Les Gardîns d’la Mé – Jardin de la Mer (the seaside garden)
• Lé Pèrquage – The Pèrquage / Castle Street
• La Rue des Sablions – Sand Street
• La Plianque Billot – Billot’s Plank at Charing Cross
• Lé Couain ès Ànes – The Donkeys Corner (New Stret /King Street)
• La Grand’Rue – Broad Street
• La Pièche de la Libéthâtion – Liberation Square
• Lé Bridge – The Weighbridge
• La Rue d’Driéthe – ‘The Back Road’ / King Street
• Les Ruettes – ‘The Lanes’ – Bath Street
• La Pompe dé haut – ‘The High Pump’/ Snow Hill
• La Colomb’thie – “The Dovecot”/La Colomberie
• Lé Hâvre des Pas – Havre des Pas (Sign at Howard Davis Park)