OLCA

1) Who are you?
Caroline SUSS, I have been a Project Manager at OLCA (Office for the language and cultures of Alsace and Moselle) since 2013.

2) Can you briefly introduce OLCA to us?
The Office for the Language and Cultures of Alsace and Moselle (OLCA) aims to promote and keep alive Alsatian and Platt wherever the language is present: family life, work, leisure, culture… It addresses the general public, businesses, municipalities… and also intervenes in the context of large-scale events and activities.
With the aim of boosting the use and visibility of the regional language in Alsace and Moselle, the OLCA carries out numerous activities which you can discover on its website. www.olcalsace.org ; a wealth of information to be used without moderation by lovers of regional language and culture or by those who wish to discover them.
 

3) What are your responsibilities?
The objective of the OLCA is to implement different strategies to revitalize the practice of Alsatian, our missions may seem varied but are all underpinned by the same common thread.
A significant part of my work involves creating resources and tools in Alsatian. These engaging tools (games, activities, workbooks, tutorials, etc.) can be used by anyone (volunteers or professionals) who introduces children to Alsatian outside of school. They can also be used by parents who are passing on Alsatian to their children.
The aim is really to make available to everyone all the resources necessary for the transmission of Alsatian.
In addition to this, I lead training sessions for anyone who can or needs to use these tools. These sessions aim to present what Alsatian is and how it is used today, to clearly define the role of the person who will transmit the language (we are not in a learning context), and to present all the available resources.
But these two actions cannot exist in isolation. They only make sense within a broader strategy that adopts a territorial approach. This is also where I and my colleagues come in, to support regions that wish to implement a comprehensive language policy in favor of Alsatian. This strategy allows us to connect all the societal areas where Alsatian can and should be revitalized (the economy, heritage, tourism, culture, etc.).
Finally, I also manage our internet portal dedicated to the preservation of oral heritage (www.sammle.org). This portal provides access to a wide range of resources in Alsatian (audio and video) in the following areas: traditional songs and music, traditional know-how, tales and legends, dialect theatre, testimonies or life stories in Alsatian.

4) How many people work in the organization?
OLCA is a small organization employing 9 people. The team is often supplemented by long-term or short-term interns depending on the volume of our activity.

5) Is Alsatian widely spoken at present? Can you tell us more about the practices of Alsatian speakers (habits, average age, etc.)?
First of all, it's important to know that among all the regional languages ​​of France, Alsatian is still very much alive. In terms of the proportion of speakers relative to the total population, it remains the most widely spoken regional language in France. However, three-quarters of those who use it daily are over 65. And frequent use doesn't guarantee its continued existence, survival, or vitality among younger generations: in fact, most people who speak Alsatian daily do so out of habit, because it's their mother tongue and the language of their social interactions. Their use is purely for everyday purposes, not in the context of passing the language on to children. This is unfortunate because if everyone who speaks the language passed it on to at least one child, the language would be saved.
To learn more, you can consult the page dedicated to the survey we conducted in 2012: http://www.olcalsace.org/fr/observer-et-veiller/le-dialecte-en-chiffres

6) What actions are you taking to promote the Alsatian regional language?
The OLCA is implementing numerous actions in favor of Alsatian.
To put it simply, they are structured around the following themes:

  • To transmit and guide
    • The aim here is to take action to promote the transmission of Alsatian by families but also in extracurricular settings (e.g., CDs of lullabies in health records).
    • We create tools for this audience and offer shows for young audiences to libraries and other community venues.
    • We also train the facilitators of Alsatian language workshops
    • We support organizations that wish to set up this type of workshop.
  •  To initiate and sustain
    • We support those leading cultural initiatives in Alsatian in developing their projects and provide assistance to artists and cultural stakeholders in Alsace. (e.g., the Alsatian singing competition "d'Stìmme" and the "Friehjohr fer ùnseri Sproch" festival)
    • We work in partnership with all types of organizations wishing to give greater visibility to the regional language.
    • We support municipalities and local authorities in their territorial language projects.
    • We encourage local businesses to incorporate the language into their communication and marketing plans.
    • We offer all these stakeholders a linguistic service in Alsatian (translation, proofreading,
  • Publish and share
    • The Office is also developing a series of internet portals to promote everyone's access to information relating to Alsatian (www.olcalsace.org), to heritage resources in regional languages ​​(www.sammle.org), and to resources for language transmission and learning (www.lehre.olcalsace.org)
    • We publish linguistic tools such as glossaries in print and digital formats.
    • We ensure a constant presence of Alsatian on social media
    • We also produce audiovisual content in Alsatian (the program Wàs hesch ìm Schìld for Alsace 20)
    • We have a documentation center and rent tools for facilitators (Bàbbelkìscht…)

7) Any ideas for teaching Alsatian to your children or grandchildren in a fun way?
In a family setting, we prefer to talk about transmission rather than learning, as this term is generally associated with formal schooling. We prefer to promote a playful approach to transmission. Our first piece of advice is not to stress and to have the most natural and relaxed communication possible with your child in Alsatian. A young child's brain receives the sounds and tones of different languages ​​completely intuitively; they are in the process of acquiring language and understanding the world around them, and they have no mental blocks. The only blocks they might encounter are those transmitted by adults. Remain in your role as a parent who shares your child's daily life, with its ups and downs. Don't try to be a teacher. Speak, laugh, sing, do crafts, cook, read, tell stories, and watch documentaries in Alsatian. The resources of the OLCA (Alsatian Language and Culture Office) will be of great help to you. www.lehre.olcalsace.org


8) What advice would you give to people who would like to start learning Alsatian?
Of course, Alsatian courses are available, and you can also learn the language from a native speaker. Here are a few tips for beginners: we recommend choosing one variant to learn. Don't assume that learning one variant will prevent you from communicating with everyone; no Alsatian speaker is fluent in all the variants anyway! To learn the language, get some resources and listen to it: audio, video, etc. (Sàmmle). And above all, practice as soon as possible with someone supportive!
 
9) Chinese portrait in Alsatian (please answer in Alsatian):
– Your favorite place in Alsace:
Robertsawwerwàld, weil i ìn Strossbùrri gebore bìn ùn àseklein ìn dem Wàld mìtem Velo rùmgfàhre bìn.
– Your favorite Alsatian word:
It's so old. Ich hàb se àlli gern… Ich saa mol Fìrlefrànzle (fanfreluches) or Dìrlips (foraged turnip)
– Your favorite Alsatian dish:
Lëwwerknepfle mìt Kräscherle
– An Alsatian expression you like:
Wànn d'Sangessel strap wìll, sangelt se schùn àseklein.
If the nettle wants to sting, it stings even when it's young.
 
– And to finish, a little joke:
I'm terrible at jokes, I much prefer British dark humor, but I looked for one and here's one that makes me smile:
De Pfàrrer fröjt de klaan Albert üss: Duen ìhr dheim vorhem Z'mìddà-Esse bätte?
Ja, ja, saat de klaan Albert, sogàr de Bàbbe. Der saat àlle Dàà: Hergott wàs ìsch dìs fer e Gfräss!