The Société Jersiaise has awarded two honorary forms of membership, recognising exceptional contributions to the study, preservation and advancement of Jersey’s linguistic heritage.
Corresponding Member: Professor Mari Jones
Professor Mari Jones (shown in the main picture), Professor of French Linguistics and Language Change at the University of Cambridge, is now a Corresponding Member of the Société Jersiaise.
Corresponding Membership recognises distinguished scholars whose work aligns closely with the aims of the Société and whose expertise has contributed significantly to Jersey’s cultural and linguistic life from beyond the Island.
Dr Jones’ internationally respected research into Norman languages and Jèrriais, together with her extensive publications and long-standing engagement with the Société and the Island, have substantially advanced academic and public understanding of Jersey’s linguistic heritage.
Membre d’Honneur: Mr Geraint Jennings
The Board and Members of the Société Jersiaise have unanimously elected Mr Geraint Jennings as Membre d’Honneur, the highest distinction the Société can bestow. An Extraordinary General meeting was recently held to celebrate Geraint’s exceptional contribution to the preservation and development of our native language.
This honour recognises Mr Jennings’ decades of dedicated service to the revitalisation, documentation and promotion of Jèrriais. Through his scholarship, teaching, translations, original literary work and leadership within the Jèrriais-speaking community, he has created a body of work of enduring importance. His contributions span lexicography, grammar, children’s literature, performance culture and daily public engagement through initiatives such as Les Pages Jèrriaises and Caqu’téthie sessions.
Mr Jennings’ expertise, generosity and lifelong commitment have profoundly shaped modern understanding and use of the Island’s language, inspiring learners, researchers and speakers alike. The Board considers his achievements to exemplify the very purpose of the distinction of Membre d’Honneur.
Supporting the future of Jèrriais
These two appointments come at a time when the Société Jersiaise is actively progressing work with their partners at Le Don Balleine, Jersey Heritage and other stakeholders on the creation of a digital Jèrriais hub, or corpus. This initiative aims to bring together linguistic resources, archival material, contemporary usage and learning tools in a single accessible digital space, supporting both speakers and learners on the Island and internationally, in support of the Jèrriais Language strategy of the Government of Jersey.
The contributions of both Mr Jennings and Professor Jones have helped lay essential foundations for this work. Their scholarship, advocacy and commitment to accessibility strongly align with the Société’s ambition to ensure that Jèrriais remains a living language, supported by high-quality digital resources for future generations.
