Languages are more than just words; they are the essence of a culture, a history, and an identity. As a passionate lover of Romance languages, I’ve always been fascinated by linguistic diversity. Living in Chambéry, the heart of Savoie, I’ve had the chance to be surrounded by a region rich in history and traditions. Recently, I was given an incredible opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the Savoyard language—also known as Arpitan or Francoprovençal—through my work with the Institut de la Langue Savoyarde.
How It All Started
Five months ago, I received an unexpected message on LinkedIn from Franck, the Responsable des Opérations at the Institut de la Langue Savoyarde. He reached out to see if I would be interested in volunteering to help the association. Given my background in digital marketing, SEO, and email marketing (Brevo), I immediately saw how I could help bring more visibility to their work. Without hesitation, I agreed to join the team!
What Is the Institut de la Langue Savoyarde?
The Institut de la Langue Savoyarde is dedicated to promoting and preserving the Savoyard language, a regional Romance language spoken historically in Savoie, Haute-Savoie, parts of Switzerland, and northern Italy. Their mission is to ensure that this unique linguistic heritage does not disappear.
Their work focuses on three key areas:
📌 Teaching – Offering online courses for adults who want to learn and practice the Savoyard language.
📌 Literature – Managing the La Bouteca online bookshop, a major reference for Savoyard literary works, from medieval texts to modern publications.
📌 Translation & Modernization – Helping businesses, associations, and local governments integrate Savoyard into daily communication while developing new linguistic tools, such as an automatic online translator.
My Contribution: How I Am Helping
As a digital marketing and SEO specialist, my role is to increase the online presence of the Institut. Along with another volunteer, I am working on:
✔ Optimizing SEO – Improving their website’s ranking so that more people can discover and learn about Savoyard.
✔ Creating backlinks – Writing this article and linking to their site to boost traffic.
✔ Raising awareness – Helping more people engage with Savoyard and support the Institut’s mission.
Why This Work Matters
Language loss is a global issue, with many dialects and minority languages disappearing each year. Protecting a language means keeping a culture alive, preserving history, and ensuring that future generations can continue to connect with their heritage. I am incredibly proud to be part of this project, helping to bring more attention to Savoyard and Francoprovençal, and encouraging people to join the movement!
In Savoyard (Arpitan), some common phrases that resemble French but with a unique twist are:
- Thank you (merci) – “Marci ou grant-marci”
- Good morning (bonjour) – “Bonjorn”
- Good afternoon (bon après-midi) – “Bon aprés mi-jorn”
- Good evening (bonsoir) – “Bôna véprenâ”
- Goodbye (au revoir) – “A revêre”
- Please (s’il vous plaît) – “Se il vos plét”
