Njugle Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Do you think that Shetland dialect should be encouraged or even taught in our local schools? Or should schools be entirely concerned with the teaching of standardized English? I had one treacher in primary school who went out of her way for at least afternoon each week to teach us Shetland dialect, folklore and field studies, of all the things i was taught at primary school those lessons are undoubtedly the most memorable. Good onya Mrs Priest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reesie Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Njugle, du read me towts!! Mrs Priest is a legend! She totally brought our imaginations and sense of history alive. I think it's really important to have an understanding of your dialect, folklore and literature. I'll never forget reading about 'Terry Mittens, Peestre Leetie, and Truncher Face'. Ah, Vagaland. Superb. Mmeorable indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolHaddock Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I'll never forget reading about 'Terry Mittens, Peestre Leetie, and Truncher Face'.Oh my god! I did dat poem in primary school AND I was tinkin aboot it dis moning! Spooooooky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I too was taught lessons once a week on dialect studies and the culture of Shetland .. and yes they were excellent .. and very memorable. There should probably have been more .. but they were'nt in the curriculum as such! I do agree we should be taught our heritage in the schools .. but we should also stick with the UK curriculum to the letter .. and beyond to give Shetlands youth the greatest future possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudias Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 If you four,who all had dialect lessons at scholl,are typical o the modern society,how come only 50 people complete the Shetland Life crossword? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudias Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 That should be school not shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Jimson Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Maybe cos I went to a Lerwick school and didn't have a Shetland accent, but if I'd been forced to do dialect every week I'd instinctively wanted to punch the teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I canna mind being taught ony Shetland dialect. Which schools did, and when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFly Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 We didna get taught any at da Ness. I wish we had. I think it's great for children to have an understanding of their cultural heritage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Did you guys never have to read Shetland poems and or stories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFly Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I don't remember doing any dialect stuff at all at primary school (that could be my memory not serving me perfectly though). Fortunately, my grandfather loved poetry and could recite most of Vagalands work, so I used to hear a lot from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Maybe cos I went to a Lerwick school and didn't have a Shetland accent, but if I'd been forced to do dialect every week I'd instinctively wanted to punch the teacher. It wasn't forced down your throat like French....Ecoute et Repeatez and all that. She read us stories, and gave us sort of dictionaries of dialect names for things so, as often happenned in the company of the older and wiser, when references to shalders, dunters and cock-a-loorie's came up you knew what they were speaking about and didn't just glaze over and switch off. It was a rather balanced thing to be taught really. And you can rest assured, there were plenty of non-shetland accented people in my class and they seemed, on the whole, to enjoy the rustic or whimsical nature of learning something totally different. We also got to go out on fine days and see the things we were being taught the names of, which was an excellent skive for everybody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooks Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I personally think it should be taught...perhaps not taught but referred to. I think the problem lies within the school structure. The Shetland schools are all abiding by the Scottish curriculum which, in one way or another, is referring back to the English/UK track of learning. How many teachers in Shetland are actually from Shetland? How many know enough of the Shetland dialect to have the ability to teach it? It could never be a 'Subject' as such because of this. If there are any Shetlandy teachers out there...take note...teach dee bairns sumthin doo kens. Shetland is a very distinct place, as are many other 'outlying' areas in the UK and that distinction should not be lost. I am sure that there are many Shetlanders reading this now that have had a look through John J Graham's dictionary and realised that they have a very limited knowledge of the Shetland tongue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turrifield Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 When we were at bells brae we wirna allowed tae spik wir native tung id da class. Dunna ken if its still da sam bit if it is it shood stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 I was telt about an alleged incident dat happened in a Shetland school no dat lang ago. Apparently da head teacher "reminded" da idder teachers "not to let the children speak Shetland". So I'm afraid dis rascism is obviously still wi wis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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