National tongues

Published on Wednesday 9 November 2011 00:00

MR WILLIAM Groves (Letters, 8 November) points out that Gaelic is very difficult for non-native speakers to spell and pronounce correctly. That is certainly true, but it is at least equally true of French; would he have our schoolchildren stop learning French for that reason?

He argues that Gaelic is commercially useless.

He states that Scots and not Gaelic was declared by “the monarch” to be the national language of Scotland. I don’t know which monarch he is thinking of, but the fact is that no monarch ever made an official policy declaration on the subject of a national language.

Both Scots and Gaelic are national languages of Scotland; neither was ever “the” national language if that is taken to mean the sole language of the entire kingdom.

Most other European countries give active support to their indigenous languages as a matter of course. The fact that it has taken us this long to approach the level of enlightenment which elsewhere is taken for granted is a disgrace; and it is sad to see people in Scotland still whingeing about the progress that is at last being made.

Derrick McClure

Rosehill Terrace

Aberdeen

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Taigh na Croiche

Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 12:58 PM

Alastair Scott - linguistics argue that learning any language is of benefit to children. Learning Gaelic not only helps children understand Scotland - many if not most of Edinburgh's placenames for a start - but it facilitates the learning of a 3rd or 4th tongue. Using your argument, even the Dutch and Danish would give up their national tongues as they already speak excellent English. I use Gaelic everyday as do thousands of others in education, the arts, some businesses and traditional industries such as crofting and fishing. As to education, let me remind you that Gaelic-medium primaries are there at the demand of tax-payers. If you're happy to finance ignorance (and teaching only one language to kids is a gross waste of their potential) then fine. Like I said, mine speak 3 languages and I fail to see how that cannot but improve their prospects and potential for life.

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Cait Mac

Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 08:03 AM

It's interesting to note the false dichotomy that some people want to create with respect to Gaelic and foreign languages. If funding from Gaelic was removed and put into learning foreign languages there would literally be no change in the number of speakers of those languages. The situation of Gaelic is fundamentally different from French or German or Chinese. It is a Scottish language, and it is entirely appropriate that the government of Scotland which is charged with safeguarding the language fund and promote it. And if those people complaining about Gaelic really want to learn foreign languages they have ample opportunities to do so at home and abroad. They could even fund it themselves if they are so sure of the benefits they and their children will derive. The promotion of Gaelic and the still comparatively meagre sums put into the language these days, is simply due to the fact that Gaelic has been ignored for so long. Why should Gaels, and those wanting the language to flourish, expect anything less than equitable consideration? It is really the least, the very least, Scotland can do.

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Alastair Scott

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 11:00 PM

Taigh na Croiche - I don't have a problem with bilingualism or multilingualism - I am just questioning whether it is worth teaching children to be fluent in a language which has a very limited audience (around 1% of the population - down from its high in 1755 of ...24% of the population). Nowhere in my comment do I suggest that children do not learn another language. I just question which will be of more benefit to them in their later life.

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nott-hamishh

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 07:36 PM

ENGLISH is our national language that's why it costs so much whether you like it or not. Gaelic is a pointless, insular language of no value whatever other than as a literary history-piece that only 6 folk in stornoway are interested in and children should not be misused to keep it alive - forced at a cost of £40 million p.a. to learn it when they should be learning something useful. I believe chinese is 'a very difficult language to learn' but it's a damned sight more useful than pointless gaelic. As are other real languages.

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Finlay Macleoid

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 05:56 PM

A very good letter. Since the Gaelic language, culture and heritage products make Billions of £££'s for the Taxman each year I fail to see how anyone could even carp about such small sums. Plus of course English language education in Scotland gets over £6 Billion each year, yes £6Billion each year with the Gaelic education system getting only £12 Million. I am of the opinion that the Gaelic language, its culture, heritage, and its dress the Kilt needs to be re-united very soon as the Scots in general have no real appreciation for it . As regards to Gaelic being spoken in various parts of Scotland especially in the Lowlands all one has to do is read a real history of Scotland like George Buchanans and you will see that Gaelic was spoken as the common language of the people from the Clde to the Solway.

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Taigh na Croiche

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 04:22 PM

Lastly... Quote - I would have to question the merits of my children learning a language which has very limited geographical appeal over having a good grasp of English and a foreign language, such as French or German. --- Maybe the problems in attitudes to bilingualism are yours and not the kids. My kids speak 3 languages, including Gaelic. Even in Edinburgh, Gaelic gives them a greater awareness of their local environment and culture. They also speak English and another European tongue. No problem at all. I fail to see what could be wrong with this? Imagine if we were to apply the same close-minded attitude to food or clothes. 'I only eat Italian food', 'I only wear one colour of Tshirt'...

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Taigh na Croiche

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 04:18 PM

Alastair Scott - the benefits of learning more than one language - kids can easily learn 3 or 4 in childhood - are well documented. Try the work of Chomsky, Sorace, Baker, MacLeod and more. Further to your point about commercial use - using that argument, half of Europe should give up their indigenous tongues too. In the Netherlands virtually everyone speaks perfect English - why persist with Dutch then? Maybe there are more than just 'commercial' reasons for speaking languages. However, studies in recent years have shown the value of Gaelic in tourism, education and even in shop signage - not to mention various aspects of Gaelic culture from the Mod to the Beltane Festival and arguably to Halloween which is 'Gaelic' in origin.

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Alastair Scott

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 12:55 PM

Mr McClure's letter criticises Mr Grove for stating that Gaelic is commercially useless, but I am unable to find anything in his letter which gives any evidence of the commercial benefit of being able to speak Gaelic. I would have to question the merits of my children learning a language which has very limited geographical appeal over having a good grasp of English and a foreign language, such as French or German.

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Ron Greer

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 11:26 AM

Aye indeed Sam, what is the English for hydro-electric pylon?

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samcoldstream

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 09:53 AM

According to the online Oxford English Dictionary, the modern English language contains over 183,000 words and phrases the meanings of which are derived from Greek, Latin, French, and Germanic languages, along with another 33 worldwide languages, including Irish and Scots Gaelic, and the Welsh language, all of which everyone seems capable of learning and understanding.

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drumminor

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 08:57 AM

Gaelic contains sounds which don't exist in English and the Gaelic alphabet-though it might seem the same- is also quite different. When the Gaelic alphabet and phonetic system are properly explained and learned they are found to be, like Gaelic grammar, highly regulated and consistent. Gaelic is not always well taught and the grammar and phonetic system not always well understood. When these basics are well understood most learners are able to make as good a job of pronouncing and spelling the language as learners of other languages. I agree with Derrick McClure that attitudes towards our indigenous languages have been a disgrace. We have too readily assimilated the arrogance of the cultural imperialism of English.

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