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New study to investigate Gaelic use across Scotland



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Published Date: 10 March 2008
THE role of Gaelic in the economic growth of Scotland will be examined by a major new study launched this week.
The research will look at how many organisations across Scotland are employing staff in posts where Gaelic is a desirable or essential skill. It will also see how these organisations envisage the demand for Gaelic skills in the workplace in future.

The study is funded by Careers Scotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national Gaelic development agency, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Over the next few days, more than 250 organisations will receive a questionnaire, including questions on how many posts have Gaelic as an important skill, the level of fluency and where these posts are based.

The Gaelic Language Act, the imminent launch of a Gaelic digital TV service and a growing interest in the Gaelic language, heritage and culture has led to a growth in demand for individuals with skills in the language.

Posts include translators, teachers and in the broadcasting and creative industries sector.





The full article contains 177 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 09 March 2008 9:44 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Gaelic language
 
1

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 00:10:56
Just checked the net and 1.9% of Scots have 'some Gaelic ability'. So god knows how small the number is for people who actually speak it properly. Seems bizarre that we put shows on TV to cater for such a small fraction of people. Surely they can get their own form of entertainment like watching sheep?
2

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 00:12:10
They're getting their own TV channel now - http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=3488

Cost is £20.8million a year with the license payer contributing a cool £10.7million of that.

Viewing figures will be lucky to top a couple of hundred.
3

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 00:16:13
Not content with ruining the telly, they've got Gaelic on all the road signs up here. You cant drive anywhere north of Pitlochry without "am Blar" this and "inbhir" that, thousands of pounds wasted when everyone can read English anyway!

Ullapool in Gaelic is "Ullapul" so whats the point?
4

Suzi B,

10/03/2008 00:50:07
Maybe it's time you learned Gaelic then Ayrshire Scot, so that you can get true value from your television licence!
Joking aside, I come from a background where my great grandparents were the last gaelic speakers in my family. For those of us with this as a heritage, and I agree that a proportion of Scottish people don't, it is sad to think that without intervention and support the language would die out. It isn't just about the language, it is about the culture that goes with the language and it isn't good enough to endorse linguistic genocide by saying 'everyone can speak/read English anyway.' For many people on the west coast, particularly the islands, gaelic is fundimental, not only as the language they speak and how they connect with each other, but how they view themselves and their cultural background within its historical context.
Away and read 'Consider the Lilies' by Iain Crichton Smith and think more deeply about the significant place gaelic has in modern Scotland.
5

Beth Boyle,

USA 10/03/2008 01:14:32
I agree Suzi, I would love to be a Gaelic speaker myself. I so enjoyed being on Harris and hearing it spoken everywhere.
6

bill inch,

EDINBURGH 10/03/2008 01:30:34
4 What culture are you refering to. That of sponginig lazy idle, we excel in feeling sorry for ourselves, we live on an island, that allows us not to pay full road tax, what else can we state about our decision to live where we are.
7

Dboy,

Japan 10/03/2008 02:50:15
#1, 2, and 3 Arsehair Scot. You really are a numpty. Do you have any value for culture or are you happy being a clueless blockhead? You seem proud to call yourself a Scot but have no clue of your heritage.

I take it you can read, most shows have subtitles, and if you bothered to watch Gaelic broadcasts you would realise that they are generally a cut above most of the tripe on U.K t.v.

Trolls like you are easy targets for the well-informed. Everytime your xenephobia rears it's ugly head you draw attention to your extreme thicket-like mentality. You always seem to be the first poster. Do you have a life? Probably the 'up till all hours of the morning with a very strong right arm from over use' kind of life no doubt.
8

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 06:18:57
Tut Tut Dboy. So many personal insults in one post.

It is really quite sad that you cannot disagree with my posts without resorting to personal cause.

I guess however, the bile that you spout, tells everybody all they need to know about you.
9

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 06:20:59
#8 should have read 'personal abuse'.
10

Pilrig.,

Livingston 10/03/2008 06:22:00
AS - what's your beef ? the money spent on Gaelic is is microscopic compared to the money poured into Northewrn Rock or the Iraq fiasco.
11

Pilrig.,

Livingston 10/03/2008 06:24:01
6 - culture ? amazing word coming from an Embra philistine
12

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 06:44:26
#12 Dave, I can tell you here and now how important Gaelic is to the majority of Scots.

It is of no importance whatsoever.

We dont need to waste money on a study to find that out.

The money could be better spent on funding some overpaid Msps to go on an all expenses paid trip to New York for Tartan Week.
13

Dboy,

Japan 10/03/2008 07:12:09
Dear oh dear # 8 and 12. You talk about personal abuse/insults but you don't seem to realise that your derogatory comments concerning Gaelic are deeply offensive to the people who speak and care about the future of the language and culture.

Your opinion seems to be that because you cannot understand Gaelic that it should therefore be discarded. You also claim to know the entire population of Scotland as you seem quite confident that everyone agrees with you.

Gaelic broadcasting is educational in it's approach and open to all, even you. Just because you do not like it and seem to have an in-built knee-jerk reaction to anything pro-Scottish/educational, does not mean its a waste of time and money.

If you claim to be from Ayrshire what exactly is your problem with Gaelic anyway? Ayrshire has a very rich history and connection with Gaelic. What do you want to see on T.V? 'American Gladiators'? Re-runs of 'You've Been Framed'?

Everytime there is a story concerning Gaelic all the numpties jump in feet-first to tell everybody how much they hate it without thinking for a moment that perhaps most people do not care what you think. When people challenge your crud-like utterings you jump to your own defence claiming to be the victim.
14

Dboy,

Japan 10/03/2008 07:16:14
Dave fae Barra. Sorry, should have been # 8 and 13. Didn't mean to confuse with the self-haters.
15

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 10/03/2008 07:50:06
I'm with Ayrshire Scot on this one. Gaelic should be allowed to take its natural course. Why should the rest of us have to subsidise keeping it alive. As for road signs, has it never dawned on our numpty politicians that those who have the Gaelic probably know where they are going anyway. The foreign tourist who is highly unlikely to read Gaelic is going to be spending too much time looking at the roadsigns and will therefore be more likely to be involved in a road accident.
16

Guga II,

Rockall 10/03/2008 08:55:28
#17 nabodican. Your comment about foreign tourists presumably implies that every non-English speaking country should ban tourists from driving in their particular country as they will cause too many accidents by them looking at road signs to find out where they are. Moreover, in places like Russia or Thailand, they will be a positive danger as they won't be able to make head nor tail of the signs.

This could, of course, be overcome by selling them road maps with place names and street names in both the local language and English (or whatever language they speak).

As for Ayrshire Scot, I can see his point. As a Yorkshireman, he has no interest in Gaelic. He obviously would prefer one and a third times the entire Scottish budget to be spent on subsidising Northern Rock.
17

donald,

glasgow 10/03/2008 09:24:14
Of what use is "Ayrshire Scot" to Ayrshire or Scotland.

What use is the Labour Party to the working class, or Scotland?
18

Neanderthal75,

Rocky Mountains USA 10/03/2008 09:55:33
Hello Guga and Nabo,

I'd just like to say that though I speak German, and have a dictionary of Irish Gaelic, I can't speak or understand a word of it.

This did NOT dissuade me from tuning into Gaelic radio stations whilst driving around the Western Highlands (Oban, Fort William, Inverarry, etc.): I liked the cadence, the tones, and found it quite interesting, even though incomprehensible.

I also must disagree with Ayrshire in one sense: you strip a people of their language and you strip them of their culture!

I'm rather sensitive in this vein, being part Cherokee Indian (my dad's People): we Cherokee are the only Indian People and Nation, which had and have, our own written language. A rather melancholy historical note, is that when we were stripped from our lands, by President Andrew Jackson, and Forced Marched along the Trail of Tears (where fully a 1/3 of us died), 75% of all Cherokee could read and write, while the brutes in blue uniforms (but having both white and black skins), could only make their 'mark', which was an 'x' (only some 25% of European Americans at that time could read and write).

Stripping the Indian Peoples of the Americas of their langauges, was the key factor in stripping us of our cultures.

Gaelic is a key factor in WHO a Scotsman is, then as now (our should be). I would however, make the broadcasting of Gaelic predominantly in the hands of the Free Market. But then again, I'd sack the Beeb of all public monies, force it to become a private company, and see if it survived.

Cheers from the Rockies
19

Over the Top,

10/03/2008 11:43:24
Has the time come to stop subsidising English in Scotland and leaving to the open market.
In which case everyone pays for their own education at every level, all government information to be paid at use of service, etc etc.

A good idea as I will not have to subsidise anything at any level.
20

psycho,

edinbra 10/03/2008 12:14:21
Ayrshire scot
It is my considered opinion that you are a Kilonney This condition can be coped with if you reduce communications to national newspapers which over exposes your pathology to a wider readership
You can,however,use local Ayrshire papers which should to some extent satisfy your most urgent need for attention
21

Calum Crubag,

10/03/2008 12:46:39
I knew an auld bigot like AS would surface here! He's just mad that the only 'culture' Ayrshire has is the Orange Order.

He wouldn't have the sense or courage to actually learn or find out about Gaelic. Gu dearbh, se amadan a chac a th'ann. Theirig is feuch, mas urrainn dhut!

Btw... what's the English for Ullapool? Seeing as 2/3 of English has French roots and the rest is mostly German, does an 'English' language actually exist?
22

wee one,

10/03/2008 12:47:28
I have no problem whatsoever with Gaelic programmes on TV and agree that their content is often excellent, but I fear that trying to keep this language alive is fighting a battle that's already been lost.

In Ireland, I am lead to believe that learning Irish gaelic is compulsory in schools up to a certain age. Without something similar here, Gaelic will continue to be the language of a tiny minority. The fact that there probably aren't enough people that would even be able to teach Gaelic in all primary schools in the country tells its own story.
23

Calum Crubag,

10/03/2008 12:47:56
Ironically, but AS probably doesn't know this, but 'Scot' means 'Gael'. Strange how bigots always contradict themselves and show off their ignorance.

24

C.,

10/03/2008 12:51:29
I think Gaelic should be set as a subject in school. Whilst at High School, a me and a group of mates asked the Head Teacher about running a Gaelic class. We were told that if we could get 8 people interested, they would run a Gaelic short course. We got 20 people interested and guess what, nothing happened..... I have looked locally to see if any Night School Classes are run, but have been told there is not enough interest. I would love to speak our native language, but seem unable to get any further than the basics that I have picked up of the Learning Our Language programme that was run television about 15 years ago.
25

Calum Crubag,

10/03/2008 13:31:14
Dave, recent archaelogical evidence points to Dal Riada being settled by the Gaels at roughly the same time as Ireland. Scot was used by the Romans to describe the Gaelic speaking peoples.

slainte mhath.
26

Over the Top,

10/03/2008 13:39:44
30
Since the Picts we are now told spoke Gaelic or a dialect of Gaelic, how could they be different.
27

Bob Fae Fife,

10/03/2008 15:17:55
Gaelic should be made part of the school curriculum. We should look to the Welch for direction on this and not let the language die out.
28

Calum Crubag,

Alba 10/03/2008 15:30:20
Some good use of Gaelic!
http://radgedug.blogspot.com/2008/03/s-trom-uallach-aineolais.html
29

bill-alba,

Fife 10/03/2008 16:09:28
The only posters on here who are against the promotion of our national language are the same people who are against anything that is specifically pro Scotland and doesnt involve the "wonderful" union...
30

Geoff,

sa 10/03/2008 16:11:54
Ayrshire Scot 1-3 :)

My intuition and heart tell me that Gaelic and other minority languages are worthy of protection and preservation but they will always need to be kept alive artificially in the face of almighty english.
31

Over the Top,

10/03/2008 16:54:09
35
Lhan- means Gleann Brid and is entirely an Angliscised Gaelic place-name.
32

Over the Top,

10/03/2008 17:50:31
36
If the Scots were that interested in Gaelic then clearly it would be spoken in many other areas of Scotland today.

The Scots often talk the good talk but rarely ever walk the good and profitable talk.

Good intentions are simply not good enough.
33

Aýrshire Scot™,

10/03/2008 18:20:16
A study is a waste of money. What can it possibly tell us that we dont know?
34

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 10/03/2008 18:58:38
#18 Guga - what I meant was that with English foreign tourists have a fighting chance, especially as the chances are that the map they are using has English language place names. With Gaelic they have very little chance, and with both on the same signpost their attention will be off the road for too long.
As the vast majority of Scots do not speak it and never have, it is time to let nature take its course.
35

Hunky Dorey,

Glasgow 10/03/2008 19:30:27
#26 Calum......... Good post! However I am inclined to think that the orange order is far from being a "culture" Most people would view the orange order as a backward divisive,sectarian cult.The whole ethos of this cult is to keep Scotland under English rule. Their loyalty to the queen of England is based purely on bigotted and sectarian principals,it is also a conditional loyalty. Phoblacht na Alba go brugh. Alba abhu!
36

Geoff,

sa 10/03/2008 20:24:26
26 Callum-does an English language exist? Most languages-even 'ancient' ones develop from a variety of influences. There are no 'pure' languages any more than there are 'pure' ethnic races. The ability of the english laanguage to absorb and adapt plus the powerful influence of the Brits and yanks in world history has made English the universal language of choice.
As opposed to Scots Gaelic.
37

Over the Top,

10/03/2008 22:31:48
47
Like all Empire languages those who speak rarely ever see anything other than it will last forever; just like Latin.
38

Calum Crubag,

10/03/2008 22:44:05
Ayrshire Gael- there's a lot you don't know Orange County boy.

#44 - you serious. If many places in Europe can handle 2 or 3 language on roadsigns, i think we can. Can you prove there are more accidents in Ireland, Wales, Belgium. Switzerland, Finland or the Basque Country?

47 - put these English words together.... in tongue cheek...
39

cuthbert,

Barabhas 10/03/2008 22:44:48
"Ullapool in Gaelic is "Ullapul" so whats the point?"

Exactly - why bother with mispelt English versions of most placenames when the correct Gaelic version is fairly easily recognisable even to the most determined English monoglot?
40

cuthbert,

Barabhas 10/03/2008 22:46:37
"Like all Empire languages those who speak rarely ever see anything other than it will last forever; just like Latin."

Err well so far Latin has lasted 'forever'. The Latin language is still spoken albeit we nowadays refer to its various dialects as French/Portugese/Romanian/Italian/Catalan etc etc.
41

cuthbert,

Barabhas 10/03/2008 22:52:54
Just a quick question for Ayrshire Scot: As someone who is openly hostile to Gaelic, and yet still refers to themselves as a 'Scot', how do you reconcile your claimed identity with the fact that you are hostile to the very thing that defined Scotland as Scotland and upon which the Scottish identity and nation were founded? 'Gaelic' and 'Scottish'/'Gael' and 'Scot' mean exactly the same thing historically and 'Scotland' basically means 'Gael-land'. But for Gaelic you would be terming yourself "Ayrshire Englishman" - a nickname which would certainly more accurately reflect your lingusitic and cultural heritage if not the Gaelic heritage you are claiming when you refer to yourself as a 'Scot'.

The only reason we dont still refer to the Gaelic language as Scottish is because the English population of Scotland (historically rooted in the Lothians or as it was known "the Land of the English in the Kingdom of the Scots") very belatedly decided they would identify themselves as Scots and (even more belaatedly) then decided they would also call their version of English "Scottish" - of course for most of history the English speaking population of Scotland referred to both themselves and their language as 'English'.

 

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