![]() ![]() Gaelic music, songs and traditional ceilidh gatherings are still plentiful in Scotland and in other parts of the world that celebrate Scottish culture. For those interested in music, the fiddle was very popular in Gaelic communities. Gaelic is now being taught in schools again in various parts of Scotland and there are also some schools where all subjects are taught in Gaelic. Gaelic is spoken by around 57,000 people in the most beautiful parts of Scotland (mainly the Western Isles). Official documents now must be translated into Gaelic and this means more job opportunities for Gaelic speakers than before. Since then, the Scottish government has invested a lot of money in encouraging the teaching of Gaelic and as a result, many new courses and websites have appeared. Since the Gaelic Language Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005, Gaelic has become an official language in Scotland and now receives equal status with English. By learning Gaelic, you would be helping in sustaining the language, and become part of an important movement that’s placing Gaelic back at the centre of Scottish life. It has been a language in decline, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. It existed long before English, and nowadays many Scots are choosing to learn Gaelic as it is part of their Scottish heritage. Gaelic is a language rich in culture and history. But the damage was done, and Gaelic entered sharp decline. Thankfully, attitudes towards Gaelic began to change in the 20th century. They could face further physical punishment if they didn’t give up the names of other Gaelic speakers. In fact, children caught speaking Gaelic were often belted by their teachers, and interrogated about who they’d been talking to. Unfortunately, children who attended school were actively discouraged from speaking Gaelic. This should have been a good thing – and in many ways it was. In 1872, the British government introduced compulsory schooling for children in Scotland. This is what used to happen to children in Scotland, if they spoke Scottish Gaelic.
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