Scots Language

**Master Boid** · 9th May 06, 11:35 AM

Now PM, ye gotta get to learning Gaidhlig! An as fer ye Scots...well ye seem a master at that already...better than these Sassenachs!

**An t-Ileach** · 9th May 06, 01:14 PM

The Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - Colaiste Ghàidhlig na h-Alba runs staged short courses, I believe, as well as a distance learning programme.

I'm told that the distance learning course Beul an Tobair run by the Gaelic College in Cape Breton Island is very good (costs around CDN$300).

**highlander_Daz** · 9th May 06, 01:53 PM

Yould be very very lucky to meet a Gaidhlig speaker even in scotland! the island folk use it especially on Skye - they tried to teach it in schools recently but the parents brought up a petition to get it stopped ! this was in the Highlands !!

**Valencian Kilted** · 9th May 06, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by highlander_Daz

Yould be very very lucky to meet a Gaidhlig speaker even in scotland! the island folk use it especially on Skye - they tried to teach it in schools recently but the parents brought up a petition to get it stopped ! this was in the Highlands !!

Here in Valencia all kids are taught valencian at schools. At the beginning (more or less when I was 10) many people protested and rejected it, and even I as a kid and being just an only-spanish speaker rejected the compulsory classes, but....

-I learned a lot about my own region's culture, history, traditions and heritage.
-I was capable to mix and get involved with many valencian speakers that before were out of my contact.
- Learning a second language and being used to hear it daily, even without using it properly till 15 years old helped me to learn my english,.... but I also studied french, latin and some greek at high school, and it was more or less easy to start communication in other "latin rooted" languages as portuguese and italian, so, it was a great tool for my brain to be trained from tender age for future languages acquisition.
- It increased the pride for my country and my origins. I am now fully conscient of my valencianity and I'll be capable to defend this with words and reasons in front of any aggressive comment or action against my land.

...On the other side, the only danger I see in this could be the intromission of politics in the education. In our case the politics are related with the catalan question, as many of the valencian teachers are close to the idea that Valencia is Catalonia, and because of that, more or less against Spain. In my case I felt more or less attacked by such kind of subtile way to spread "propaganda" and always tried to separate what was true and what was not, so I consider myself Spanish because I'm Valencian, and I can feel myself as that,... but I never could consider myself catalan as much as they tried to convince me!

If this programs are able to separate properly the politics from the teaching of such an important part of the scottish culture and heritage they will be successful... but if they let the devil of politics come into the classrooms,... they will be doing a bad favour to Alba.

I hope they can success in keeping those schools open!

....le deagh dhùrachd !!!!!

¡Salud!

T O N O

**An t-Ileach** · 9th May 06, 07:30 PM

If only the Scots had as much sense as the Valencians and Catalans...

**mrpharr** · 9th May 06, 07:38 PM

it reminds me of reading How Late it was, How Late by James Kelman. a good book about a grittier side of Glasgow. it was also the Booker Prize winner in 1994.

**Pour1Malt** · 9th May 06, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by highlander_Daz

Yould be very very lucky to meet a Gaidhlig speaker even in scotland! the island folk use it especially on Skye - they tried to teach it in schools recently but the parents brought up a petition to get it stopped ! this was in the Highlands !!

oor tour guide a' Oban Distillery gave the tour in baith English an Gaidhlig....

ai think he said he was fraim Skye...

**highlander_Daz** · 10th May 06, 02:52 AM

Donnie Munroe (former Runrig singer) is a native of Skye, his grasp of the language is superb, listening to him sing in the language is like listning to a throng of angels. Last time I visted Stirling castle, the signs in the army museum were dual language. nice.

**Valencian Kilted** · 10th May 06, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by An t-Ileach

If only the Scots had as much sense as the Valencians and Catalans...

hahaha... I'm afraid to say that valencians and catalans have not too much sense, as we feel as fightin' bros, where the one supposed to be older wants to rule over the younger... and the younger says he's big enough to know what he wants

.... of course we valencians are the young brother!!!!

¡Salud!

T O N O