Articles categorised as Language Strategy

Government publishes languages strategy

The Scottish Executive is asking for interested individuals and organisations to respond to its recently published Strategy for Scotland's Languages. According to the Executive the strategy...

Parliamentary Questions about the National Language Strategy (Session 3)

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found here. S3W-8784 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive...

Shetland Times bookshop

Books in and about the Shetland dialect. This site also has more general material about Shetland. www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/ Childrens books Books for kids in Shetlandic and English.

Parliamentary Motions and Questions from Sessions 1 and 2

Motions S2M-4940 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): Congratulations to Eejits That the Parliament congratulates Itchy Coo publications on the success of its book, Eejits, a best selling...

Government resolve to audit Scots language

The Scottish Government has now announced its intention to hold an audit into the state of provision for the Scots language in accordance with its election manifesto pledge. The audit is needed to...

MSP insists on help for Scottish Dictionaries

On 9 April Dr Bill Wilson, MSP for the West of Scotland, lodged a Scottish Parliamentary motion calling for a stamp to be issued to commemorate the 200 anniversary of the first Scots language...

Parliamentary Motions on the National Languages Strategy

S3M-1768.1 Hugh O’Donnell: International Education—As an amendment to motion (S3M-1768) in the name of Maureen Watt, insert at end "and calls for the Scottish Government to bring forward a...

MSP calls for national company

A Highland MSP has called for the establishment of a new ‘national company’ to co-ordinate strategy and funding for traditional arts organisations in the wake of Scottish Arts Council cuts. This...

Aboot the Ainu

Whit d'ye mak o this? - http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/03/asia/03ainu.php Thir's ae braw line, juist at the end, that gar me lauch out loud: "It's not healthy to keep blaming...

Register now for Government Conference

The Scottish Government is planning to hold a one-day conference at Stirling University on Monday 9 February 2009. The conference is aimed at organisations or individuals with an interest in the...

Government Announces Support For Scots

At a government-organised conference at Stirling University, held on Monday 9 February, Linda Fabiani, Minister for Culture, announced that the Scottish Government would take over the current...

Kay and Riddoch on Scots

This week (Saturday 14 February) Scots language activist, broadcaster and writer Billy Kay was speaking with Lesley Riddoch on her radio programme ‘Aftermath’. Billy began by speaking about...

Scots language on 2011 census

The General Register Office for Scotland has revealed in its report 'Scotland's Census 2011 Recommendations on Content' that the Scots language will be included on a census of Scotland for the...

Concerns grow over 2011 census

In recent weeks Scots language users, campaigners and organisations have contacted the General Register Office for Scotland, and the relevant minister, Jim Mather, to express their concerns about...

Scottish Newspapers Becoming Less Scottish

A new and fascinating book by Dr Fiona Douglas suggests that home-grown Scottish newspapers have become much less Scottish since the advent of devolution while English-based papers are growing in...

Third European Charter Report Released

The Third periodical report relating to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has been released in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter. This Report, which relates to...

Government to set up Scots advisory group

Further to the government conference held on the Scots language, at the University of Stirling on 9 February 2009, and the publication of those proceedings, the Scottish Government is now seeking...

MSP's controversy in the aisles

Dr Bill Wilson, MSP for West of Scotland, has proposed that supermarkets and other shops in Scotland should label produce with their Scots names as well as the English equivalents. In response to...

SLD seeks Outreach Assistant

Scots Language Dictionaries have advertised the post of Outreach/education assistant (3 days a week), £18,000 (pro rata). The successful candidate will assist in a number of important areas...

More from the Markets

Once again Dr Bill Wilson, MSP for West of Scotland, had laid down a challenge to the Scottish Retail Consortium regarding the campaign to make use of the Scots language in public life. Dr Wilson...

Northern Ireland Census and the Scots Language

The proposals for the Northern Ireland census – which will be tested on 11 October 2009 – have been published online. It is currently the intention of the Northern Irish census office to ask...

Scots Language Classes

Registration for Scots language classes, taught by Margery Strattan, will be at 6.45pm in the Community Centre, Caerlaverock Road, Prestwick, KA9 1HR. Registration is £40 though there is also a...

Centre meets Committee of Experts

The Scots Language Centre met on Wednesday 23 September 2009 at the Jurys Inn Hotel, Edinburgh, with the Committee of Experts from the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Dr...

Census 2011

Here you will find information and links about the inclusion of Scots in the questions for the 2011 census. Oral Questions Maureen Watt and Fiona Hyslop discussed the census in the answers to a...

Research on Public Attitudes to the Scots Language

The results of a government funded survey show a huge level of support for the Scots language along with widespread usage. Launched at the 2010 Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow the survey...

Iseabail's list of resources about Scots language policy and attitudes

Aitken, A. J. (1981, 1990) 'The good old Scots tongue: does Scots have an identity?' in Einar Haugen et al. eds. Minority Languages Today, Edinburgh University Press, 72-90. Aitken, A. J. (1982)...

Census - nou the wark ralley stairts

Weil, first I’d lik tae say walcome tae Margaret Tong – I’m ralley luikin forrit tae readi mair o yer blogs, Margaret.   The muckle news for Scots raicently haes been the 2011 Census.  Efter a...

No Ulster Scots Academy yet

Blogger, Scots Anorak, reports in the Blether Region, on evidence given to the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly on plans to set up an Ulster Scots Academy. The...

Rab Wilson - Tradition of Scots language

BBC Scotland has produced a range of new Scots language resources. Check them out at the BBC Learning Zone.

Place names

Over the next few months the Scots Language Centre will be encouraging debate and discussion about Scotland’s place names. In the first of a series of papers from experts and commentators, SLC...

Place-Names on Record

Dr Alison Grant of Scottish Language Dictionaries explores the origins of Scotland's place names. The place-names of Scotland were formed in many different languages, including Pictish, Cumbric,...

Sauchs, Scaurs and Signage

I want them back, the written-over names that gentrifying fashion anglicised, that bland or blind tuition vandalised. I want the stories that the map disclaims. the Brig o Allan, Corntoun, Chuckie...

"A Language Strategy for Scots"

The following paper was given by Andy Eagle at a conference on 'Strategies for Minority Languages, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland' held at Queens University Belfast...

Alasdair Allan's Presentation to the Cross-Party Group

At the cross-party group meeting on 13 December 2011, Dr Alastair Allan, the Minister for Learning and Skills, gave CPG members an update on progress on the Scottish Government's policy on Scots....

Scots place names online

This article first appeared in Lallans Nummer 79 and is republished here with the kind permission of the author. Scotland, wi its mony-leedit history, haes a fouth o place an topographic names...