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Gaelic


Should the government subsidise gaelic?  

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  1. 1. Should the government subsidise gaelic?

    • Yes
      12
    • No
      20


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Do you think tax payers should be paying for the upkeep and promotion of what is essentially a dead, or dying, language?

 

Should it be left to die a natural death?

 

Is there any future in gaelic?

 

When I was at school, we used to get into big trouble for using Shetland dialect or Norn words in the classroom, yet we throw millions of pounds at gaelic annually

 

Over to you.......

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Absolutley we should have been taught how to speak the "Queens English", over and above learning a dialect!

 

What use would any of us have been at Uni - or in the wider world doing anything had we not been able to talk fluent, proper "English"? Not much! We'd have been behind even foreign students !

 

A dialect is that - something that is taught through family, culture and your own specific society.

 

Not much to do with Gaelic .. but you got me on my high horse there!

 

See Gaelic .. I never understood why Gaelic programmes were ever screened on Grampian television since for the most part, 99% geographical area, of Grampian tv's screening is never historically ever had any Gealic speakers in it anyway ?!?

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See Gaelic .. I never understood why Gaelic programmes were ever screened on Grampian television since for the most part, 99% geographical area, of Grampian tv's screening is never historically ever had any Gealic speakers in it anyway ?!?

 

Yeah, i always thought that was a bit weird, something to do with not enough outlets for available cash methinks :wink:

 

AND (high horse too!) how dare they screen programs without subtitles! 25% of early evening terrestrial viewing temporarily exclusive!(in the true sense of the word)The cheek of it to a license paying audience! The only good thing about gaelic programs in our area at all was the revamped theme tune to "Donnie Murdo" :wink: Worth recording, i wish i had.

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Absolutley we should have been taught how to speak the "Queens English", over and above learning a dialect!

 

What use would any of us have been at Uni - or in the wider world doing anything had we not been able to talk fluent, proper "English"? Not much! We'd have been behind even foreign students !

 

A dialect is that - something that is taught through family, culture and your own specific society.

 

I was never discouraged from speaking dialect at school but there were always some kids and teachers from outwith Shetland so I was exposed to different accents and variations on 'the queens english' and therefore didn't grow up thinking the whole world spoke Shetland. Also, all written work and books we read were in plain english so there was no problem. I didn't have any problems comunicating when I went away to college. I find now that my accent changes depending on who I'm talking to and the more time I spend in one place, the more I pick up traces of whatever dialect or accent belongs to that place. I wasn't suggesting that Shetland kids should be taught in dialect but I think it's wrong to tell kids that the way they speak is wrong unless they're swearing or being rude.

This has nothing to do with Gaelic. Sorry.

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Gaelic TV......the bits I watch are subtitled Its the BBC ones that I watch. Gaelic on Grampian.....to be fair they do serve a large chunk of the Gaelic speaking parts of the highlands and islands. I guess that there would be a hown of protest from another minority area.....Shetland.....if the weather forecasts on tv no longer included us.

 

As for the dead language debate I confess that, at times, I do feel that far too much money is spent on Gaelic but at other times I consider that there is also Irish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, Breton and so on all alive (only just in the case of Cornish) and together they form part of the culture of western Europe and perhaps we need to hang on to that at a time of globalisation.

 

I promise to man the picket lines if ever the Gaelic mafia insist that Gaelic becomes the language in which lessons are taught in Shetland schools.

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See Gaelic .. I never understood why Gaelic programmes were ever screened on Grampian television since for the most part, 99% geographical area, of Grampian tv's screening is never historically ever had any Gealic speakers in it anyway ?!?

 

The vast majority of Gaelic speakers are in the Inner/Outer Hebrides which as an area is covered by Grampian.

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Now that is something that I didn't know!

 

I understood that Grampian tv had studios there .. but didn't think it was the same network - rather that they then showed those programs (the news one that i forget now?) on slotted times between STV, but not in say the same way that we flick between STV and Grampian .. if you get my gist...!

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It is a bit of a bummer for us non-gaelic speaking peeps. Then again think on the areas that do still have Gaelic tongue. The majority of it is kids programmes, Dottoman etc...

 

Would we be arguing if it was Shetlandic? spoken programmes?

 

I think that the least they should do is provide subtitles for the rest of us. Was it not Grampian that pioneered "Micro-Region" advertising allowing for the local areas to receive local advertising? If they can do this then why not have local programmes as well?? I can see it now. Live from the cross, local peoples opinions on local peoples needs! Avid viewing I am sure. 8O

 

Cheerio

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Gaelic should not be promoted on television in the way it is - and money directed to it - in the same way that the Shetland Dialect should not be actively pushed in schools.

 

It is a fact that language and dialect evolves naturally, and it should not be gerrymandered by people on their social, cultural and political high horse.

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Gaelic should not be promoted on television in the way it is - and money directed to it - in the same way that the Shetland Dialect should not be actively pushed in schools.

 

It is a fact that language and dialect evolves naturally, and it should not be gerrymandered by people on their social, cultural and political high horse.

 

Yes and we should all ask for fries and catsup and spend some time on the sidewalk....etc :roll:

 

That would be the kind of evolution you are advocating.

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