Supporting Scots teaching, literature and media
Eleven organisations are set to share £650,000 as part of a drive to grow the Scots language across the country.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced the funding on a visit to Bill and Bain printworks in Glasgow where she unveiled a new Scots language children’s book. The Auchtermichty Aw-Stars is being produced by Scots Hoose Yaldi and features three Scots language plays about a youth football club.
It is part of a series of Scots books and comics which will be printed and distributed to hundreds of schools and nurseries through the investment.
Census figures published last year found that 35% of people aged 15 or under had some Scots skills, an increase of 6% from 2011.
Other initiatives receiving support include:
- new Open University courses to help teachers introduce Scots into their lessons
- the Dictionaries of the Scots Language project, which aims to detail the origins and meanings of every known Scots word
- Doric Film and Scots Radio, which promote the broadcast of Doric, a form of Scots spoken in North East Scotland, across television, film and radio
Ms Forbes said: “These plays are part of a series of free Scots books, comics and poems which aim to provide young people with a better understanding of the language so that it can continue to grow.
“Scots is a treasured part of our history, heritage and culture. It enriches communities and research shows that learning the language benefits young people’s literacy skills and confidence.
“The funding represents a £150,000 uplift compared to last year. To grow Gaelic and Scots, we also brought forward the Scottish Languages Act to establish Scots and Gaelic as official languages and introduce teaching standards for Scots.”
Matthew Fitt, a co-owner of Scots Hoose Yaldi, said: “For many children and young people, reading a story or comic in Scots for the first time can be a transformative learning experience.
“We work very hard to improve Scots language provision for young Scots speakers in Scotland’s schools.
“It’s good to be recognised by the Scottish Government for our efforts, especially if it means we can help more young Scots speakers enjoy and learn about their own Scots language.”
