Opportunity for islanders to learn Guernésiais

People in Guernsey can now sign up for classes to learn their native language.

A 6 week beginner's course in Guernésiais is being run by Guernsey Museums - a start date will be confirmed once enough people have enrolled.

Attendees will also be taught how the language has shaped the island's street names and surnames.

Also known as patois on the island, Guernésiais is a form of Norman French which has traditionally just been a spoken language. This has led to debates over its grammar and how words should be spelled.

While the number of people who can actually speak and understand it are low, Jo Dowding from Guernsey Museums says it is an "integral part of our cultural heritage" and by learning bits of it, islanders can "bring it alive again."

She describes the classes as a "very, very friendly community" and a "lovely group of people."