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disseminated chiefly by the efforts of the CathoUc Church ~ through the weekly
sermon, the teachings in Christian Doctrine schools and in parish schools^* ~ aided by
the migratory habits of the people.^' A Tuscan model had been in evidence from as
early as the 1500s m Biasca (Ticino).^" In the 1800s, when politicians assumed control
of public education and standardised the curriculum and teaching practices, literacy
rates had further improved^^ (more so in Ticino than in Italy^^) this despite the schools
often being poorly mn and resourced, parents keeping their children home to work the
family farm and girls being excluded.^ By the nineteenth century, most peasants had,
at least, a 'passive' understanding of 'popular Italian' (the men more so than the
women) and could speak using a cmde form of the language with local expressions and
write sufficiently weU to make themselves understood.^"* Indeed the Italian used by
Pedroia above is essentially Tuscan-based Italian ~ limited in punctuation as 'popular
Italian' did not always respect literary traditions^* ~ but, nevertheless, evidence of a
national language. Despite the mix of dialects in common use among them, Italian
speakers Uke Pedroia, in crossing to the ports, would have clung closely to their village
companions for mutual support in face of the language barriers which they inevitably
encountered. Later, in confronting similar barriers on the Victorian goldfields, the
Italian speakers would similarly support each other ~ a phenomenon which would find
expression in the settlement pattems at Jim Crow.
Given their dependence on one another because of the language difficulties, an
even stronger sense of comradeship emerged among the Italian speakers than had been
the case 'at home'. As weU as being 'stronger', the emerging bonds also, in many
respects, went beyond what was traditionally sanctioned within their home villages.
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