Scotland's Languages
There are plenty other languages spoken in Scotland but we have 3 native languages: Scots, Gaelic and English. It would be no great loss if English wasn't a native language in Scotland any more.We'd still have two native languages. They are 'native' languages because, by and large, they can't be learned or spoken anywhere else.
I've been trying to think of another European country lucky enough to be in our position. Switzerland has 4 recognised languages. Belgium has 3, as does Luxembourg. I say 'lucky' because I think having more than one language is a blessing - and a tremendous advantage not just when it comes to going on your holidays but in education, in understanding other people's cultures and in creating a kind of empathy for other speakers.
In the Scottish Parliament the other day, the Scottish Tory spokesperson for education, Liz Smith, had a go at Western Isles Council (the Comhairle, as the rest of us call it) and its new policy of making Gaelic the automatic first language of the council's schools - at least in the early years.
The irony of this politician's comments isn't lost on Gaelic speakers or anyone who has been involved in Scottish education over the past 30 years. That's how long the rest of us have been wondering why the Comhairle has been dragging its heels, apparently leaving it to other Scottish councils to promote Gaelic education. Allowing a whole generation, now in their 50s, to arise - in one of the few areas where Gaelic is widely spoken - who were born and bred there but don't have the language and are, in effect, cut off from the generation older than theirs who are native speakers (and are dying out) and the generation younger then theirs who have learned Gaelic at school.
(I've been in the amazing situation of finding myself in a shop in the Western Isles where a wee boy spoke Gaelic to his granny but had to speak English to his mum who had rejected the language in her teens).
So I saw the Comhairle's decision to go for Gaelic as a major breakthrough for the community. Not as a problem.
That's me done with defending Gaelic, by the way.
We spend too much time defending our own culture. So I don't plan to defend Gaelic road signs or the Alba Channel (except to say it's ok but should be on for longer each day and should have more original programming, more young presenters - and fewer repeats!) And no, I don't think Scotland spends too much money on Gaelic. (I know exactly how much we do spend, by the way, and it's nothing like the Tories' fantasy sums). On my travels round Scotland I am aware that Gaelic was a strong linguistic influence up till fairly recently so the 'it was never spoken here' argument is out. And no, I don't feel in any way threatened by the current revival of Gaelic. In fact, I'm quite jealous: if only this was happening in Scots too...
What I want to do here is to have a go at the anti-Gaelic lobby, especially the English-speaking, Tory lobby. We've let these people attack our cultures, hide our history and deny our ability to run the country for too long. And you'll notice they always do it without any kind of plan of their own to make things better.
The English-speaking lobby have been attacking both Gaelic and Scots more or less since the Union was put in place. Forget all the claptrap about banning the kilt or the language or destroying the clans (the feudal clan system was on its way out long before the Union appeared). The single biggest problem that Gaelic and Scots have ever faced was the Education Act of 1872. The Welsh Education Act of 1870 didn't ban the use of Welsh, but the Scottish version made English alone the language of education. Thus teachers in Scottish schools had to be English speakers. If you as a parent wanted your children to get on, you had to make them speak English - at least in the classroom. Communication in the playground in Gaelic or Scots became a secretive thing, that teachers disapproved of - and we know how kids want their teachers' approval. Sadly, some teachers also had to deny their knowledge of Gaelic and Scots to keep their jobs.
Neither Scots nor Gaelic died out after 1872. But somehow our cultures got hijacked: we found ourselves saving our native languages for out-of-education experiences. The important events were in English.
And, maybe worse than that, a new version of our cultures arose, designed by people who knew nothing about us. So we ended up with full kilt outfits, carefully designed Highland dancing, sentimental Highland and Lowland songs by gowks like Harry Lauder, Scottish grouse estates mostly closed to the Scots and a precise small number of dates when Scottishness could be celebrated - Burns' Night, St Andrew's Day - and ignored the rest of the time.
Usually the celebrations of our culture were led by people by folk with little understanding of what it was about. If you have time, try finding a Highland celebration on Youtube which depicts the British aristocracy enjoying a ceilidh. Ladies (including Princess Anne) in pristine white frocks with tartan sashes and men looking awkward in full kilt outfits. Or have a look at any BBC New Year celebration from the 1980s.
If you want to see anything like Gaelic culture, go local - go to a village ceilidh (the home baking is great and your kids get an introduction to their native songs and dances), shop in the Co and talk to your neighbours or join the people enjoying a night at Peat & Diesel or just having a pint in the pub.
Forget people like Liz Smith. She's a politician stuck in the past. She also clearly knows nothing about education. I have an idea where she got the idea that bilingual education is bad for you and it's a discredited idea. We've now had 60 years of research on bilingual education in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Scotland etc and frankly I'm more likely to believe the people there than people like her.
I've been trying to think of another European country lucky enough to be in our position. Switzerland has 4 recognised languages. Belgium has 3, as does Luxembourg. I say 'lucky' because I think having more than one language is a blessing - and a tremendous advantage not just when it comes to going on your holidays but in education, in understanding other people's cultures and in creating a kind of empathy for other speakers.
In the Scottish Parliament the other day, the Scottish Tory spokesperson for education, Liz Smith, had a go at Western Isles Council (the Comhairle, as the rest of us call it) and its new policy of making Gaelic the automatic first language of the council's schools - at least in the early years.
The irony of this politician's comments isn't lost on Gaelic speakers or anyone who has been involved in Scottish education over the past 30 years. That's how long the rest of us have been wondering why the Comhairle has been dragging its heels, apparently leaving it to other Scottish councils to promote Gaelic education. Allowing a whole generation, now in their 50s, to arise - in one of the few areas where Gaelic is widely spoken - who were born and bred there but don't have the language and are, in effect, cut off from the generation older than theirs who are native speakers (and are dying out) and the generation younger then theirs who have learned Gaelic at school.
(I've been in the amazing situation of finding myself in a shop in the Western Isles where a wee boy spoke Gaelic to his granny but had to speak English to his mum who had rejected the language in her teens).
So I saw the Comhairle's decision to go for Gaelic as a major breakthrough for the community. Not as a problem.
That's me done with defending Gaelic, by the way.
We spend too much time defending our own culture. So I don't plan to defend Gaelic road signs or the Alba Channel (except to say it's ok but should be on for longer each day and should have more original programming, more young presenters - and fewer repeats!) And no, I don't think Scotland spends too much money on Gaelic. (I know exactly how much we do spend, by the way, and it's nothing like the Tories' fantasy sums). On my travels round Scotland I am aware that Gaelic was a strong linguistic influence up till fairly recently so the 'it was never spoken here' argument is out. And no, I don't feel in any way threatened by the current revival of Gaelic. In fact, I'm quite jealous: if only this was happening in Scots too...
What I want to do here is to have a go at the anti-Gaelic lobby, especially the English-speaking, Tory lobby. We've let these people attack our cultures, hide our history and deny our ability to run the country for too long. And you'll notice they always do it without any kind of plan of their own to make things better.
The English-speaking lobby have been attacking both Gaelic and Scots more or less since the Union was put in place. Forget all the claptrap about banning the kilt or the language or destroying the clans (the feudal clan system was on its way out long before the Union appeared). The single biggest problem that Gaelic and Scots have ever faced was the Education Act of 1872. The Welsh Education Act of 1870 didn't ban the use of Welsh, but the Scottish version made English alone the language of education. Thus teachers in Scottish schools had to be English speakers. If you as a parent wanted your children to get on, you had to make them speak English - at least in the classroom. Communication in the playground in Gaelic or Scots became a secretive thing, that teachers disapproved of - and we know how kids want their teachers' approval. Sadly, some teachers also had to deny their knowledge of Gaelic and Scots to keep their jobs.
Neither Scots nor Gaelic died out after 1872. But somehow our cultures got hijacked: we found ourselves saving our native languages for out-of-education experiences. The important events were in English.
And, maybe worse than that, a new version of our cultures arose, designed by people who knew nothing about us. So we ended up with full kilt outfits, carefully designed Highland dancing, sentimental Highland and Lowland songs by gowks like Harry Lauder, Scottish grouse estates mostly closed to the Scots and a precise small number of dates when Scottishness could be celebrated - Burns' Night, St Andrew's Day - and ignored the rest of the time.
Usually the celebrations of our culture were led by people by folk with little understanding of what it was about. If you have time, try finding a Highland celebration on Youtube which depicts the British aristocracy enjoying a ceilidh. Ladies (including Princess Anne) in pristine white frocks with tartan sashes and men looking awkward in full kilt outfits. Or have a look at any BBC New Year celebration from the 1980s.
If you want to see anything like Gaelic culture, go local - go to a village ceilidh (the home baking is great and your kids get an introduction to their native songs and dances), shop in the Co and talk to your neighbours or join the people enjoying a night at Peat & Diesel or just having a pint in the pub.
Forget people like Liz Smith. She's a politician stuck in the past. She also clearly knows nothing about education. I have an idea where she got the idea that bilingual education is bad for you and it's a discredited idea. We've now had 60 years of research on bilingual education in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Scotland etc and frankly I'm more likely to believe the people there than people like her.
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