Dlùth is Inneach: Linguistic and Institutional Foundations for Gaelic Corpus Planning

This report presents the results of a one-year research project, commissioned by Bòrd na Gàidhlig BnG) and carried out by a Soillse Research team, whose goal was to answer the following question: What corpus planning principles are appropriate for the strengthening and promotion of Scottish Gaelic, and what effective coordination would result in their implementation? This report contains the following agreed outcomes: a clear and consistent linguistic foundation for Gaelic corpus planning, according with Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s acquisition, usage and status planning initiatives, and most likely to be supported by Gaelic users. a programme of priorities to be addressed by Gaelic corpus planning. recommendations on a means of coordination that will be effective in terms of cost and management (i.e. an institutional framework

Going native: long-running television serials in the UK

This article examines in detail the development of the long-running serial in the UK, from its beginnings on radio in the 1940s, through the move to television in the mid 1950s and then up to the present day. It pays particular attention to language use throughout this period, focusing on the move from Standard English to a wide range of regional dialects during the four decades when these serials were at the height of their popularity, routinely dominating the television ratings. It then examines the development of long-form serials in languages other than English, firstly Welsh from the mid 1970s on, and then Gaelic intermittently from the early 1990s to the present day, and finally Scots, a highly minoritised Germanic language spoken mostly in the Scottish Lowlands. It compares both the current health and the future prospects of Gaelic and Scots with a particular focus on the challenges faced by both. Additional insights into the particular case of Gaelic are provided via interviews with a number of stakeholders

Review of Gaelic medium early education and childcare

The National Plan for Gaelic 2007-2012 contains ambitious targets for the expansion of Gaelic medium (GM) primary school education, aiming for 4000 children enrolled in P1 by 2021. GM early years education and childcare plays a crucial role in attracting parents to the 'Gaelic system' and the great majority of children who enrol in GM primary have experienced GM preschool provision at nursery or playgroup. If the target numbers entering GM primary school are to be achieved then there will have to be a considerable expansion in the preschool sector too, given that there were just over 700 children enrolled in GM nurseries for session 2008-09. The National Plan includes a specific commitment to review GM early years education and childcare. The study reported here is a response to that call. It aims to clarify existing provision, identify gaps and make recommendations for changes or developments needed to ensure that the goals of the National Plan are achieved

Young children learning in Gaelic: Investigating children's learning experiences in Gaelic-medium pre-school. Research Briefing 6E. Stirling

Gaelic-medium (GM) education is an important part of current efforts to re-vitalise the language in Scotland. Beginning Gaelic-medium education in preschool is seen as a crucial entry point, enhancing the numbers entering GM primary education and facilitating transition to the school learning environment. However, it is essential that GM preschool is of high quality. Government-funded provision is expected to offer children the same learning opportunities as their peers who attend English-medium settings. Meeting these expectations is challenging because most children enter Gaelic-medium preschool from English-speaking homes so that the nursery or playgroup is their only exposure to Gaelic. Our earlier study mapped the range and extent of Gaelic-medium early education and childcare provision but in the research reported here our focus was on what happens within settings, the children’s activities in the playroom and the ways in which practitioners help them to learn Gaelic, as well as ensuring that national expectations about curriculum and learning outcomes are met

Learning to work as a Gaelic-medium teacher : the role of universities in developing skills in bilingual pedagogy and professional Gaelic

Teacher education courses for those wishing to work in Gaelic-medium education (GME) primary and secondary classrooms have been on offer in Scottish Schools of Education for some 25 years. However, the original model assumed that prospective teachers would already be fluent Gaelic speakers, and that their needs would differ little from those of others wishing to work in the English-medium sector: the curriculum is the same in both sectors, as are the regulations governing initial teacher education and (now) teachers’ career long professional development. However, over this period, the Gaelic-speaking population has changed significantly. Ongoing language shift means that fewer people consider themselves to be ‘fully fluent’ and ‘fully literate’ in Gaelic. Instead many – including those who are graduates of GME schools – describe themselves as ‘learners’ or ‘new speakers’ (McLeod et al, 2014) of Gaelic. They recognise that to become GME teachers they require a professional register, both spoken and written, and specialist pedagogical skills. These include the ability to support the Gaelic language development of both fluent and learner pupils, to develop literacy skills in Gaelic and English, and to enable children to reap the benefits of growing up bilingual. In addition, given the important strategic role now allocated to GME in national plans for Gaelic revitalisation, GME teachers need to be advocates for Gaelic, responsible not only for building capacity and providing opportunities for children to develop their Gaelic, but also for creating the desire to use it within and outwith the classroom (Lo Bianco & Peyton, 2013). This presentation outlines how these elements have been incorporated into the new Gaelic Immersion for Teachers (GIfT) course, developed jointly by the Universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh and running for the first time in 2014-15. It focuses in particular on the role that the university, the profession and the wider community of Gaelic speakers (learners and fluent) play in creating the next generation of GME teachers

The Celtic Languages in the Age of Globalisation: Problems and Possibilities [In Russian]

The article discusses the current state of Celtic languages ​​in the UK and Republic of Ireland, as affected by recent developments in globalization and devolution. After a brief history, the current position of the lanuages Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic is discussed. The importance of the influence of the media is considered, paricularly developments in ICT

Gaelic Learners in the Primary School (GLPS) in Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross and Stirling : Evaluation Report

For many years individual primary school teachers have no doubt sought to provide their pupils with a brief initial introduction to Gaelic language and culture. However, as a planned, systematic policy development across schools, backed by local authority and national support, GLPS (Gaelic learners in the primary school) has only come into being in the past three years. Thus far it has been taken up in a small number of local authorities, including the five which have commissioned the present evaluation (Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, Stirling), but it is attracting interest in a number of others

'Bochanan modhail foghlaimte': Tiree Gaelic, lexicology and Glasgow's historical dictionary of Scottish Gaelic

The present paper is intended as a modest contribution towards the study of Tiree Gaelic, particularly its lexicon, drawing on a small part of the archives of the Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic (HDSG) held in the Department of Celtic, University of Glasgow. In a volume celebrating the scholarship and career of Professor Donald E. Meek, one of Scotland’s most prolific Gaelic scholars, the present contribution can be seen to be appropriate from a number of perspectives. As a native of Tiree Professor Meek has a deep-rooted interest in Tiree Gaelic. As Assistant Editor of the Historical Dictionary from 1973 until 1979 (when he was appointed to a lectureship in Celtic at the University of Edinburgh) he had an intimate connection with HDSG