The Language of Reconciliation

Rudolph, John

Article on past prohibitions against French language usage in the schools of northern Maine's St. John River Valley, the lasting impacts of these prohibitions, and recent unique efforts to nurture and strengthen bilingualism in that region. Emphasis on the 1996-1997 program begun in the elementary schools of Madawaska, Maine. How this case is situated in the nationwide conversation on language and culture in US public education, in the context of national advances made in bilingual education in the 1960s and 1970s. Comments from the program's director, and reactions to the program from families in other towns in the St. John Valley. Subtitled, "Once, French-speaking students on the Canadian border were prohibited from speaking French at school. Today, an experiment at two of those schools is trying to bridge the French/English divide."

1997 May 4

English

Magazine Article

20th century; St. John River Valley, Maine

Boston Globe Magazine