School and beyond

: Regional language education in France. The impact of Breton and Corsican upper secondary schooling on pupils’ language ideologies and practices

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact of regional language education in France on pupils' language ideologies and practices through four case study upper secondary schools (Lycées) in Brittany and Corsica. These included an immersion and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) stream in Brittany and two drip-feed language acquisition programmes in Corsica. This research is fieldwork-based, observations and interviews were conducted with Breton and Corsican teenagers in years 12 (classe de première) and 13 (classe de terminale). The thesis explores how the schools shape pupils' language ideologies and language practices. It does so by exploring three key points. First, the production of ideologies and practices in school then, the negotiation of pupils’ language ideologies and practices in the classroom and on school grounds and finally, the thesis analyses the negotiation of these ideologies and practices produced in formal education outside of school. I argue that pupils adapt and negotiate their regional language practices and ideologies differently according to the ideological link between language programmes and minority language use and beliefs in society. The research contributes to language revitalisation and education literature. It does so by inviting us to consider better the ideological underlining of sociolinguistic factors that influence young people's language use and makes a case for reconsidering minority language acquisition programmes by acknowledging the ideological underpinnings that run through school and society.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Elin Royles (Supervisor) & Rhys Jones (Supervisor)