The French State’s ambivalence regarding language diversity: concerning recent developments in the protection of regional languages

Abstract

Approval by the French Parliament of the law on the protection of regional languages as heritage and the decision by the Constitutional Council concerning this law reveal that the protection of language diversity continues to be a matter of debate in France. These recent developments illustrate the State’s ambivalence regarding this diversity and the enduring tension between the affirmation of linguistic unity and official monolingualism and the intention to protect regional languages. In a laconic statement of reasons, which has become a source of criticism and uncertainty, the Council declared immersive teaching and the use of the regional languages’ diacritic signs in civil status documents to be unconstitutional on the basis of Article 2 of the Constitution. This provision, which proclaims that “The language of the Republic is French” constrains the possible scope of protection of regional languages. It is clear from this decision and from the law that was eventually enacted that the boundaries of this protection remain unmoved and its content is inevitably limited.

Keywords

• constitution
• official monolingualism
• language diversity
• language immersion
• diacritic marks
• france