How do You Save a Language?

Kaitlin Dryburgh

The Gaelic language has been officially classified as definitely endangered. With only around 20,000-30,000 individuals in Scotland with varying degrees of knowledge in the language. Those numbers are progressively growing smaller. Scotland is very much dancing with the reality of Gaelic dying out. The Scottish Government is aware of the predicament that we have on our hands, and the consultation for their proposed Scottish Languages Bill has just closed.

So what does it propose? Among other things it would provide Gaelic with official status in Scotland and require Scottish Ministers to implement a Gaelic strategy which would replace previous plans. Ministers would set education standards for local authorities, and provide further powers to promote and support the use of the Gaelic language. Perhaps one of the most unconventional, yet potentially helpful proposals is the ability to designate ‘areas of linguistic significance’. As proposed this could be given on historical grounds, due to large amount of speakers or just relating to cultural activity, such as a festival.

But why care, and invest in preserving a language that fewer and fewer rely on? Well languages are almost like living things that represent our culture and history, yet evolve and change. There is so much more wrapped up in our languages than just road signs or the sides of emergency vehicles. Linguistic diversity is something to be celebrated and encouraged, it shouldn’t be an issue simply brought down to expenditure. Language is one of the most direct expressions of culture and has the ability to represent so much about a area and community. Although many will argue that the horse has already bolted and why artificially keep a language alive when it’s slowly dying, but this completely disregards the man-made effort to ban and hinder the language through-out history. The decline in Gaelic has not happened naturally, we can track hundreds of years of oppressive events which have resulted in todays reality. The vulnerability of Gaelic and the culture of remote islands and communities’ culture cannot be overstated enough. To see something like Gaelic die would be like setting fire to all of Robert Burn’s works.

Robert Burns brings us on nicely to the second half of the Languages Bill, which looks to preserving Scots. The Bill also proposes that the Scots language be provided with official status, a Scots language strategy is also produced by ministers and progress is reported on. Local authorities are provided with guidance to promote the use of Scots and standards that must be met. Ministers again have further powers to facilitate its growth through-out the country. The details of those powers have not been released as of yet. The Scots language is not quite in the same position as Gaelic, 1.5 million people state they are able to speak it and a significant number of people say they are able to understand it. Scots language has perhaps not enjoyed the same status as Gaelic, with many people within and out with Scotland questioning its legitimacy as a language. Yet, this language is just as significant to our culture than Gaelic. A lot of literature, poetry and music in Scotland is centred around the Scots language, Burns is simply not as good spoken in Queens English. Of course Scots is for many the primary way in which they communicate, it’s the way in which they do business, express themselves and communicate with their families, so providing it with official status is fitting.

Overall the aims of the Languages Bill are admirable and do look to address the continuous decline in both languages. Yet there are still many unanswered questions. How will the Scottish government incorporate relevant parties such as the Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Scots Language centre in the strategy, as well as local authorities’ education providers. In their consultation response the Bòrd na Gàidhlig rightly pointed out that designating areas of linguistic significance is admirable yet there is a danger that some communities may disengage with the process unless there is concerted effort to underpin the process with funding and acknowledgement of the daily difficulties that these communities face. It’s a fair point. A community in the highlands and islands of Scotland having the title of ‘area of linguistic significance’ slapped on them by politicians in Edinburgh who aren’t willing to address significant issues such as failing and underfunded infrastructure, non-existence dental care, over-tourism  or even the effects of climate change on their area is not very likely to engage with this process. It leaves unanswered questions and a lack of clarification.

Another question that needs answered is how the Government plans on bolstering Gaelic education with such a lack of teachers. Scotland already faces problems with training enough Gaelic teachers to fill current posts, in some areas universities see a great interest but in comparison Aberdeen University had to lay-off staff due to a reduction in students wanting to study Gaelic. The Gaelic education community believes that over the next five years or so Scotland will require around 225 teachers just to fill current posts, keep up with growth and take-over from retired teachers. Yet to implement the Languages Bill Scotland would require a significantly larger amount. There is little clarification to suggest universities will be consulted in this skills/education gap and funding will be provided to overcome this problem. Funding is one big looming question when it comes to the safeguarding of our languages.

Unfortunately, while the consultation for a Bill the aims to promote Gaelic and Scots across Scotland is closing, the news that 27 Gaelic development officers across Scotland will be losing their jobs is circulating. Due to a lack of funding to the Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the network of officers whose main responsibility is to protect and promote the Gaelic language will be wiped out. For Hebridean islands such as Tiree, where at one point in time Gaelic was the primary language, this is absolutely devastating. Although this will effect the areas and communities we traditionally associate with Gaelic, Scottish cities like Edinburgh will also be effected as they too lose a development officer. It’s a short sighted move that in the long-run could seriously impact Scotland’s ability to safeguard our native language.

It is beyond apparent that without intervention we could at one point in time say goodbye to these languages, and it would be for no need. The proposed Languages Bill could help but is the Government willing to back the Bill with the sufficient funding and long-term planning? With the news of 27 Gaelic Development Officers losing their jobs it doesn't seem that long-term thinking is being applied. Just like with many other sectors skill gaps are appearing because dialogue between policymakers and universities is not working as it should. There are many other critical questions to be answered but hopefully this Bill will offer a lifeline to languages that have long been integral to Scottish life and culture.