surfinforlife wrote:Jen (JCL) wrote:Originally from Rotterdam in The Netherlands, now living in Rotting Jersey in the channel islands
Do you guys speak french or english there??
Hah, bone of contention that one, might be a long reply.
''Official'' old time language is Jersiais - a mix of crude Norman French and English. Apparently there are only about 200 true Jersiais left now though, although they are starting to teach it in schools again.
Most common language is English (well, as much as you can speak English with a Scouse, Scots, Irish accent...)
Second most common is Portuguese, as there are about 20'000 of them over here (the 20'000 is the amount that the States analysts know about, I reckon if you add another 10'000 it'd be closer)
And now weve got the Polish infiltrating it too. There are currently about 3000 Polish over here, but with the speed they breed at it wont be long before Jersey changes from 'Little Madeira' to 'Little Krakow'.
All school kids (primary age) can learn Portuguese as a third language (English is first, French is second), and the States have recently hired a Polish teacher.
Funny thing is, when my parents moved back over here, I spoke mostly Dutch and was forced to speak English, to the point that if I said one single word in Dutch, i'd get a detention (at 8 years old!!). So... I'm not exactly chuffed that they are teaching Portuguese and Polish to kids when I was made to drop my language. As and when the time comes, my kids wont be learning Portuguese, they'll be learning Dutch after school