Gaelic
Posted: Thursday, 15 March 2007 |
I am feeling a bit cross today. The reason is that I have just come off the phone to someone who demanded (in fairly challenging tones) to know when I am going to learn Gaelic. This is the second person in a week who has required this information.
It's a tricky issue. I am fully aware that I ought to make an effort, and indeed, would very much like to have an understanding of the language. Both sides of my family were native Gaelic speakers at one time, not so very long ago - my mother says she remembers her grandfather speaking it. My great great grandfather and grandmother came from Letterewe and Gairloch respectively, and on the other side, both great grandparents were from Tiree. So there's plenty of Highland and Island blood in me and mine.
My trouble is that I work 20 hours a week and have three children. Now that may sound like a lame excuse, but I genuinely don't have the mental energy to learn Gaelic in the evenings at the moment. Also I am completely inept in the linguistic field (Higher German-fail, Higher French-C on second sitting). I tried to explain this to both critics and got a lot of harrumphing.
What about your children? they asked. It would be good if you could bring them up with some Gaelic. Again, I wholeheartedly agree. When we moved to Uist from Rum, my daughter was too old to go into Gaelic medium education. My son had severe speech and language problems when he started school and struggled with one language, never mind two. With luck my third child will start in Gaelic medium in 2 years time, and I will be able to learn with him.
But the way that children are taught the two languages here in the Western Isles is fundamentally flawed. In my children's school, there is roughly an equal split between those learning in Gaelic and in English. My daughter is in a composite class and there are 3 others in her year group. There are more of that year group in the Gaelic class but never the twain shall meet. She was told (by another child) recently in the playground that Gaelic and English are not allowed to play together. Surely this is the worst possible thing! I can quite understand the argument that in order to preserve Gaelic then the children should be using it in their free time too, but surely the answer isn't segregation, but inclusion - let the English children do as much Gaelic as possible.
It's difficult for adults too. I know several people who have struggled long and hard to gain some proficiency in the language, and yet can't get native speakers to speak to them in Gaelic, or if they do, erode their confidence by constantly correcting them. One of the people I spoke to this week assured me that it was possible to become fluent in 6 months, but I just wonder how many of these people who are fortunate enough to have been brought up bilingual would take the trouble to practice what they preach if they didn't have any Gaelic.
I have also been presented with the argument that, in not speaking any Gaelic, I am being discourteous to my neighbours, and that, were I in France or Spain, I would learn the language out of courtesy. Of course I would, although more out of necessity. But this isn't France or Spain - it's Scotland, and it's my own country!
I realise that this is beginning to sound a bit anti-Gaelic and I hate that it is, because that is absolutely not my position. What I don't like is the assumption that because I am not from Lewis, complete strangers can (quite rudely) demand answers of me. I can quite honestly say that even though I have never felt as much of an outsider in my life as I have here in the Western Isles, despite being as highland/island as the best of them, I love living here and I intend to bring my family up here. It just might take me a while to get round to learning Gaelic. Anyone else got a problem with that?
It's a tricky issue. I am fully aware that I ought to make an effort, and indeed, would very much like to have an understanding of the language. Both sides of my family were native Gaelic speakers at one time, not so very long ago - my mother says she remembers her grandfather speaking it. My great great grandfather and grandmother came from Letterewe and Gairloch respectively, and on the other side, both great grandparents were from Tiree. So there's plenty of Highland and Island blood in me and mine.
My trouble is that I work 20 hours a week and have three children. Now that may sound like a lame excuse, but I genuinely don't have the mental energy to learn Gaelic in the evenings at the moment. Also I am completely inept in the linguistic field (Higher German-fail, Higher French-C on second sitting). I tried to explain this to both critics and got a lot of harrumphing.
What about your children? they asked. It would be good if you could bring them up with some Gaelic. Again, I wholeheartedly agree. When we moved to Uist from Rum, my daughter was too old to go into Gaelic medium education. My son had severe speech and language problems when he started school and struggled with one language, never mind two. With luck my third child will start in Gaelic medium in 2 years time, and I will be able to learn with him.
But the way that children are taught the two languages here in the Western Isles is fundamentally flawed. In my children's school, there is roughly an equal split between those learning in Gaelic and in English. My daughter is in a composite class and there are 3 others in her year group. There are more of that year group in the Gaelic class but never the twain shall meet. She was told (by another child) recently in the playground that Gaelic and English are not allowed to play together. Surely this is the worst possible thing! I can quite understand the argument that in order to preserve Gaelic then the children should be using it in their free time too, but surely the answer isn't segregation, but inclusion - let the English children do as much Gaelic as possible.
It's difficult for adults too. I know several people who have struggled long and hard to gain some proficiency in the language, and yet can't get native speakers to speak to them in Gaelic, or if they do, erode their confidence by constantly correcting them. One of the people I spoke to this week assured me that it was possible to become fluent in 6 months, but I just wonder how many of these people who are fortunate enough to have been brought up bilingual would take the trouble to practice what they preach if they didn't have any Gaelic.
I have also been presented with the argument that, in not speaking any Gaelic, I am being discourteous to my neighbours, and that, were I in France or Spain, I would learn the language out of courtesy. Of course I would, although more out of necessity. But this isn't France or Spain - it's Scotland, and it's my own country!
I realise that this is beginning to sound a bit anti-Gaelic and I hate that it is, because that is absolutely not my position. What I don't like is the assumption that because I am not from Lewis, complete strangers can (quite rudely) demand answers of me. I can quite honestly say that even though I have never felt as much of an outsider in my life as I have here in the Western Isles, despite being as highland/island as the best of them, I love living here and I intend to bring my family up here. It just might take me a while to get round to learning Gaelic. Anyone else got a problem with that?
Posted on Back of Beyond at 15:09
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