In English please?

[Peter C.]

Send your children to a school in Scotland and encourage them to use Lallans or Broad Scots when communicating with their teachers. Then you will understand to what I was referring.

My brother went to school in Scotland.

If I sent kids to any school, I would insist that the main language they are taught is the one that will enable them to:-

1) Understand all the other subjects they will learn.

2) Be understood by all the teachers.

3) To have a good and prosporous life.

Any foreign or ancient languages would be of secondary importance to subjects which would empower them in their future lives.

In other words I would want what is best for the kids not what is best for the language of my ancesters. If they were taught Lallans (which I believe means lowland Scots) at school all well and good, if not, and if I wanted them to learn it. I would teach them at home.

Peter

[macwilkin]

My brother went to school in Scotland.

If I sent kids to any school, I would insist that the main language they are taught is the one that will enable them to:-

1) Understand all the other subjects they will learn.

2) Be understood by all the teachers.

3) To have a good and prosporous life.

Any foreign or ancient languages would be of secondary importance to subjects which would empower them in their future lives.

In other words I would want what is best for the kids not what is best for the language of my ancesters. If they were taught Lallans (which I believe means lowland Scots) at school all well and good, if not, and if I wanted them to learn it. I would teach them at home.

Peter

Peter,

I respectfully disagree. While it is good that students are proficient in a language that will benefit them in their studies as well as their future life, there is also value to studying traditional or "ancient" language to appreciate their heritage and culture. After all, to know where you are going, you must know where you have been.

As a devotee of the works of Burns, it saddens me that many young people in Scotland today are not more familiar with his timeless works, save a few oft-used quotes and New Year's Eve. An understanding of Burns's poetry and song will not only preserve traditional Scottish culture, but also spread his timeless message of understanding and brotherhood.

That is certainly empowering as well.

Regards,

Todd

[mbhandy]

This post is full of haver

Go figure

And I read it all.

MrBill

[ardchoille]

Please keep in mind that I never said I didn't want to see the Scots being written.. rather I said "can someone please translate into English so we can all understand what's being said".

It seems that many of you replied as if you needed to "defend" the use of the Scots language, which wasn't necessary, rather than actually reading the parent post.

[porrick]

Please keep in mind that I never said I didn't want to see the Scots being written.. rather I said "can someone please translate into English so we can all understand what's being said".

It seems that many of you replied as if you needed to "defend" the use of the Scots language, which wasn't necessary, rather than actually reading the parent post.

True, true

But, as we know, when people become interested and engaged the topic develops.

I see you have edited your initial post as " waste of time".
Hmm, maybe if on the surface of having the simple question answered - but you have certainly put your finger on something that engages - and in that aspect is certsinly not a waste of time.
I thank you for (unintendingly) bringing up the issue

[Peter C.]

Peter,

I respectfully disagree. While it is good that students are proficient in a language that will benefit them in their studies as well as their future life, there is also value to studying traditional or "ancient" language to appreciate their heritage and culture. After all, to know where you are going, you must know where you have been.

As a devotee of the works of Burns, it saddens me that many young people in Scotland today are not more familiar with his timeless works, save a few oft-used quotes and New Year's Eve. An understanding of Burns's poetry and song will not only preserve traditional Scottish culture, but also spread his timeless message of understanding and brotherhood.

That is certainly empowering as well.

Regards,

Todd

Todd,

Of course I'm with you on most of this with slight differences. I would say it is not just good to be proficient at your main language, it is essential.

I do agree with what you say about heritage and of course if there are teachers to teach the ancient languages and time to do it, then what a facinating subject.

I must also agree with you about Burns. People are not even familiar with the abridged writings of Burns, which are sold in most book shops, let alone his works where he uses words which are still used and frowned upon in modern English.

Peter

[macwilkin]

Todd,

Of course I'm with you on most of this with slight differences. I would say it is not just good to be proficient at your main language, it is essential.

I do agree with what you say about heritage and of course if there are teachers to teach the ancient languages and time to do it, then what a facinating subject.

I must also agree with you about Burns. People are not even familiar with the abridged writings of Burns, which are sold in most book shops, let alone his works where he uses words which are still used and frowned upon in modern English.

Peter

Peter,

As a teacher, I'll not argue with you on your first point.

T.

[slohairt]

Lallans IS a living language. However, like the other tongues of the British Isles, it is fighting for its very survival against English. (Like many others around the world.)
It is also beset with an additional hurdle (boon?) of being mutually intelligible with English. Thus, it is often discarded or "watered-down" when one is conversing with an English-speaker.
Claiming that Lallans is a dialect, phonetic rendering, or an accent is mistaken. It IS a separate language. It meets all of the "qualifications." It is the TRUE sister language to English.
Claiming it is a dialect would be like Irish speakers claiming that Scottish Gaelic and Manx are mere dialects! Imagine the uproar!
I applaud efforts to restore and reinvigorate the language, but I regard it as somewhat bittersweet. It still needs to be done, but ultimately, it is too little too late. I have watched firsthand the stagnant "revival" of the Irish language. It will remain a part of society, but will never regain status as the everyday language of the majority of people. English, like it or not, is the de facto business language of the world.

[slohairt]

Anglia Canadiana:

I'm wearing a toque, drinking my pop sitting on the chesterfield, and eating a chocolate bar!

[ronstew]

Anglia Canadiana:

I'm wearing a toque, drinking my pop sitting on the chesterfield, and eating a chocolate bar!

The swamper was hucking skookum rocks at a toboggan from the bathroom.

(The truck-driver's assistant was throwing large stones at a flat-bottomed sled from the restroom.)

But chesterfield, hucking and skookum are vanishing words. I haven't heard any of them in years except in conversations like this.