Any online Scots courses?

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:37 am

Hi all,

I've spent years trying to get up to speed with Scots Gaelic, but can anyone recommend a good beginners course for Scots (i.e. Lallans and/or Ullans), preferably online?! I can only seem to find online dictionaries!

Cheers

Chris

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:15 am

No courses that I'm aware of, but see http://www.scots-online.org/ and second box down on left, only now do I see that there's a clickable link to http://www.scots-online.org/learner/index.htm .

"Wir Ain Leid" is very worthwhile, http://www.scots-online.org/grammar/index.asp , but it's a history of the language, dialects, pronunciation, orthography, grammar, idioms and proverbs, rather than a course.

A good portal to the subject is http://thecapitalscot.com/pastfeatures/ ... guage.html .

You might have to go back to the University of Ulster for their Ulster-Scots course, as I don't know of anything in Scotland

David

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:32 am

Cheers David,

Whilst I am interested in Ullans, I'm actually more interested in the Perthshire dialect, as that's where my Scottish lot come from!

Thanks

Chris

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:48 am

As far as I recall, "Wir Ain Leid" has decent coverage of most dialects.

David

Post by **emanday** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:01 pm

I don't know of any online courses, but WH Smith used to do a set of learning tapes with accompanying wee books.

It might be worth a try speaking to them or one of the other big bookstores.

Post by **emanday** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:08 pm

Me again

An Cùrsa Inntrigidh ~ Access to Gaelic Course...
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/en/cursaichean ... /index.php

Another one...
http://www.geocities.com/dan_tender_blu ... lcome.html

Or on Amazon...
Teach Yourself Gaelic Complete Course (Book + CD Pack)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yourself-Gaelic ... 0071418849

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:19 pm

Hi emanday,

Thanks - but I should point out Scots Gaelic (Gaidhlig) and Scots are different languages...!

I did the Teach Yourself Gaelic course when I lived in Bristol ten years ago, and got myself fluent enough to do a stint as a researcher on the BBC Scotland Gaelic series "Eorpa", the first job I had when I moved to Scotland! Thoroughly recommended.

Chris

Post by **emanday** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:35 pm

Now you've confused me (not difficult

)

So the fact that these are titled Gaelic courses doesn't mean they are Gaelic courses? I certainly never saw any mention of "Scots language" which I know is different, anywhere...

...but, as I said, I'm easily confused

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:51 pm

Hi Mary,

There are three dialects of Gaelic - Manx, Scottish and Irish - all derive from Ireland, and from the 'Celtic' group of languages, which includes Welsh and Breton as cousin languages.

Manx Gaelic is all but extint, though some revivalists on the Isle of Man are trying to get it up and running again. usually referred to as 'Manx' or (and I think this is right) 'Galik'.

Irish Gaelic is more commonly referred to as 'Irish', 'Gaelic' (pronounced 'Gaylick') or 'Gaeilge'.

Scots Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic is more commonly referred to as 'Gaelic' (pronounced 'Gallic'), or 'Gaidhlig'.

Gets a bit more confusing than that though! There's other lesser dialects, so Irish Gaelic on Rathlin Island (north of Antrim), is almost like Scots Gaelic with some words spelt in Irish; Ulster Gaelic is very similar to Scots Gaelic as well, whilst Manx Gaelic looks like Gaelic that would be written down by a Welshman! lol

The language of 'Scots' though is a cousin to the English language, being of the 'Germanic' language group. It's also known as Lallans (Lowlands), Doric (in the east of Scotland), and others such as Ullans (Ulster Lallans - taken to Ireland by Scottish lowlanders in the 17th C plantations). Words like 'kirk', Scots for a church, can be found in other Germanic languages - for example 'kirche' in German itself, but in Gaelic it would be a completely different word - 'eaglais' (pronounced 'eglish').

Bottom line though is that with a good stiff whisky or three, you can easily become fluent in any of them!!!

Chris

Post by **emanday** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:07 pm

Aye Chris,

I know there are many flavours of Gaelic, then there is the Scots language.

However, in response to your comment

but I should point out Scots Gaelic (Gaidhlig) and Scots are different languages...!

I asked

So the fact that these are titled Gaelic courses doesn't mean they are Gaelic courses? I certainly never saw any mention of "Scots language" which I know is different, anywhere...

What my question may not have made clear was; Are the courses I gave links for NOT Scots Gaelic courses?

I'd not wish to mislead other readers, you understand.