Disgrace

[Alex MacLeod]

Okay, my tax pounds should go elsewhere.

Learning a second language is a highly useful and the skills required can be applied when learning other languages. I personally would love to be able to speak Gaelic. My grandfather from skye was fluent but my father didn't pick it up.

There's a lot of career opportunities within Scotland for young people who can speak the language. I'm not going to get in to a debate with you on how taxes should and shouldn't be spent. I disagree with you. That's all.

Aye....theres a lot of overpayed jobs conjoured out of nowhere for "Jobs For The Boys" Gaelic Self Preservation Society. Really USELESSS positions, like people to take minutes of Highland Council meetings in Gaelic, even tho im pretty sure 100% of councillors speak english, probably as their main language.

There are numerous other languages that are more widely used in Scotland, Polish, Urdu, things like that....but we dont get them shoved down our throats or money thrown at them by the Scottish Govt. Why?? Because there isnt the same Mafia who have weaseled their way into the corridoors of power...making such demands, for their own gain!

As i have sed before....the language is dying on its arse...for ONE reason only.....LACK OF INTREST! And its things like the above AND the prefferential treatment the language and its users gets that really hacks me AND many others off!

SMEE, I think if you delve deep enough you'll find that money is spent on other languages, especially Polish and Hindi and Urdu etc. We train interpretors, we give social workers the opportunity to learn some of these languages, we provide various types of documentation in all languages, we employ translators to prepare and edit such publications. Check the forms next time the census comes around and I'll bet there's the opportunity for those with limited english to get assistance and forms for the language they speak.

[TheKnowledge]

There is sooooooooooooooooooo much money swooshing about in the pot (that's crappy red case the chancellor carries, duh) that it's not worth arguing about. The world would be cheaper to run if we all spoke the same language, used the same currency and moved left handed people to their own colony, but we don't do that. Why pick on Gaelic all the time? There are many other things, that cost a lot more that we should worry about. How many kids up and down the UK learn History? Whats the point on that? Why do they need to know whats happened? How many learn music? There's LOADS of musicians already, so we don't need to waste money on that. If we are to get absolute value for every education pound spent, students just need to learn to count to 1'000'000, learn the oxford dictionary, and maybe driving lessons. No one needs anything else, as they can learn it on the job. Anyway, why should MY taxes get spent on teaching people to be a better employment prospect than me? That's backwards.

[SMEE]

Okay, my tax pounds should go elsewhere.

Learning a second language is a highly useful and the skills required can be applied when learning other languages. I personally would love to be able to speak Gaelic. My grandfather from skye was fluent but my father didn't pick it up.

There's a lot of career opportunities within Scotland for young people who can speak the language. I'm not going to get in to a debate with you on how taxes should and shouldn't be spent. I disagree with you. That's all.

Aye....theres a lot of overpayed jobs conjoured out of nowhere for "Jobs For The Boys" Gaelic Self Preservation Society. Really USELESSS positions, like people to take minutes of Highland Council meetings in Gaelic, even tho im pretty sure 100% of councillors speak english, probably as their main language.

There are numerous other languages that are more widely used in Scotland, Polish, Urdu, things like that....but we dont get them shoved down our throats or money thrown at them by the Scottish Govt. Why?? Because there isnt the same Mafia who have weaseled their way into the corridoors of power...making such demands, for their own gain!

As i have sed before....the language is dying on its arse...for ONE reason only.....LACK OF INTREST! And its things like the above AND the prefferential treatment the language and its users gets that really hacks me AND many others off!

SMEE, I think if you delve deep enough you'll find that money is spent on other languages, especially Polish and Hindi and Urdu etc. We train interpretors, we give social workers the opportunity to learn some of these languages, we provide various types of documentation in all languages, we employ translators to prepare and edit such publications. Check the forms next time the census comes around and I'll bet there's the opportunity for those with limited english to get assistance and forms for the language they speak.

Thing is tho Alex...none of them languages are dying on its arse like Gaelic.There is PLENTY of requirement for these languages to be catred for. None of them languages has powerful cliquies, who have blagged their way into the corridoors of power, making demands which are totally self serving!

Here is a fact. I could go into Inverness City centre on monday, and hear more conversations being carried out casually in the street, in Polish, than i have heard being conducted in everyday life, these last 40 yrs, in the capital of the gaelic heartland! That sums up how popular Gaelic is!

Edited January 29, 2011 by SMEE

[TopSix]

I beg you there's more Gaelic speakers in the Inverness area than say Mandarin and Urdu speakers put together. The new Equality Act 2010 would probably cover Gaelic tbh.

[SMEE]

I hope Gaelic DOES come under the equality act. Coz some things are more equal than others. Its the fact that Gaelic gets prefferential treatment and money thrown at it, when the rest of us suffer cuts, that grates on people so much

[TopSix]

This isn't just about Inverness and the Highlands. The SNP Government is keen to have the language spread right through Scotland. The SNP are also trying to push 'scots language' and has been putting money in to that. Dinnae ken much about it though.

Edited January 30, 2011 by Top Six Next Year

[Sorted]

SMEE is correct that there are numerous languages more commonly spoken in Scotland than Gaelic. Perhaps he should ask himself why?

For me, this is the only country in the world that would debate whether to support a language which is part and parcel of our heriatge. I'm not that old and now that 3 out of four of my grandparents had no English when they went to school. Gaelic is alive (just!) because of the actions and inactions of successive governments. Frohm outlawing the speaking of the language (along with the wearing of tartan) to refusing to invest in it's revival, successive UK governments, of all colours, have persecuted the Gael. Contrast that with the behaviour of the Canadian and Nova Scotia governments!

There are many things I have a problem with my tax being spend on. Start with illegal wars that cost billions or our own weapons of mass destruction before worrying about giving kids a lift to school!

[Yngwie]

refusing to invest in it's revival

Can I put it to you that you can't revive an old regional language, all you can do is slow down its inevitable decline.

[Sorted]

refusing to invest in it's revival

Can I put it to you that you can't revive an old regional language, all you can do is slow down its inevitable decline.

My eldest daughter was in a class of 5 when she started Gaelic Medium. My youngest started in a class of 18. I think your point is pretty fair and accept there is a battle to be had to revive but I feel it's worth it.

The interesting part of this whole debate is the fact we have one. It really should be a "no brainer" that you support you culture. It is in most other parts of the world, why is it problematic here? We find money to kill people without difficulty!

[SMEE]

I tried to let go...but Gaelic is such a bugbear for me :P

Gaelic is not "our culture"....it came over with the Irish. As i have sed numerous times....Pictish, Nordic,Old English and Cumbric ALL predate Gaelic in Scotlands history, but we dont see money being thrown at them or demands being made left right and centre in support of them languages...yet they are every bit as relevant in Scotlands history.

[Sorted]

I tried to let go...but Gaelic is such a bugbear for me :P

Gaelic is not "our culture"....it came over with the Irish. As i have sed numerous times....Pictish, Nordic,Old English and Cumbric ALL predate Gaelic in Scotlands history, but we dont see money being thrown at them or demands being made left right and centre in support of them languages...yet they are every bit as relevant in Scotlands history.

I have been in many households over the years where Gaelic is being spoken or sung. As yet I have to experience anywhere in the Highlands or Islands where I can enjoy a crack or a tune in Pictish, Nordic, Old English or Cumbric. If we hadn't treated these cultures/dialects/languages with such disregard then maybe I would have. It is fair to say that we can't make the same with mistake with Gaelic!

Edited February 4, 2011 by Sorted

[PullMyFinger]

You want it, you pay for it.

[SMEE]

I tried to let go...but Gaelic is such a bugbear for me :P

Gaelic is not "our culture"....it came over with the Irish. As i have sed numerous times....Pictish, Nordic,Old English and Cumbric ALL predate Gaelic in Scotlands history, but we dont see money being thrown at them or demands being made left right and centre in support of them languages...yet they are every bit as relevant in Scotlands history.

I have been in many households over the years where Gaelic is being spoken or sung. As yet I have to experience anywhere in the Highlands or Islands where I can enjoy a crack or a tune in Pictish, Nordic, Old English or Cumbric. If we hadn't treated these cultures/dialects/languages with such disregard then maybe I would have. It is fair to say that we can't make the same with mistake with Gaelic!

Thats the point tho....people ARE showing disregard for gaelic....hence the dramatic and continual decline in numbers of speakers, over the last 200 yrs!

I liken the Scottish govts continual willingness to throw good money of to bad, as like a horse trainer, with an old race horse, continuing to throw money at it....by training it etc, even tho it has no chance of ever winnning a race again. its time for the glue factory

Edited February 4, 2011 by SMEE

[SMEE]

They are at it again

[PullMyFinger]

I'm affronted. :irritated:

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

They are at it again

i wouldn't believe a thing thats reported in that rag .

[Johnboy]

Wouldnt be much fun if we all agreed top 6 would it? However personally I feel that Gaelic should have to tighten their belts like the rest of us. In normal schools belts are really having to be tightened and there is a question of fairness here.Investment should be made in all our children no matter what language they speak imho.

And that really is the nub of the matter, is it not?

[TopSix]

The story in the paper is a pretty distorted I would say.

[SMEE]

The story in the paper is a pretty distorted I would say.

Care to throw some evidence our way in support of your statement?

[Alex MacLeod]

SMEE, the link you provided is not a news story. It's an opinion on a story. Perhaps it would have made more sense to provide a link to the actual story which is here One thing that both the article and the opinion fail to mention is that the funds for this will already have been budgeted within this current financial year. I have no doubt that Bord na Gaidhlig will have to tighten their spending, just like everyone else, in the coming financial years but that wouldn't be good to report now would it? No sensationalism in that story.

[TopSix]

The story in the paper is a pretty distorted I would say.

Care to throw some evidence our way in support of your statement?

SMEE, I'm referring to this article. Apologies if I didn't make it clear. All this article is is someone's opinion, hence why I said it was pretty distorted.