Time to appreciate the power of language

She spoke well and fluently, with every sentence properly constructed, every conditional clause with its subjunctive verb, and perfect grammar and diction throughout. She has a wide command of the English language and uses it as a powerful tool to communicate her ideas. So do most of us.

By and large we Scots can cope with various dialects. I do not say we are multilingual, which is something different. Gaelic is a language – Scots, be it Lallans, Doric or whatever, is not.

Personally, I view it as an increasingly debased dialect, over-rich in glottal stops these days. I think Ms Riddoch is simply wrong to suggest that what she calls "street literacy" is enough, and that to learn to "speak proper" will dangerously alienate children from their community (Comment, 1 March).

What of their future? And what of that community's future? Does she really want all of us Scots to be a sub-class of semi-literate, grunting, incoherent people?

NORMAN DH MURPHY

Middlemains,

East Saltoun

Lesley Riddoch and Bill Jamieson have been playing verbal footsie, Ms Riddoch on the use of language and literacy while mentioning Mr Jamieson's bte noir, speaking in sentences, and Mr Jamieson wondering why many business cannot cut their "behemoth" annual reports down to 30 pages (Comment, 1 March). Perhaps both commentators may care to address the teaching of English in schools.

If students were taught at an early age how to parse and analyse sentences they would be better equipped to make sense of the streams of words coming at them in later life from politicians and businesses. This would arm them to hold their public servants to account.

TOM REILLY

Esslemont Road

Edinburgh