Gaelic jargon lessons for civil servants 5/8/11
Civil servants in three government agencies in the Highlands and Islands are being encouraged to learn a smattering of Gaelic to communicate better with fluent speakers .
A new online Gaelic “toolkit” has been launched to provide lessons and give useful phrases in the language and and jargon specific to each organisation.
The initiative, by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) and Crofters Commission, received funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Gaelic Language Act Implementation Fund.
Users get introductory lessons, useful phrases, Minister for Gaelic Alasdair Allan
said: “I am very pleased to see bodies which are key to Scotland’s rural infrastructure
working alongside Bòrd na Gàidhlig to widen opportunities to learn the language and
about how it relates to the day-
“We are determined to secure a sustainable future for Gaelic, and the involvement of public bodies with a strong presence in rural Scotland, particularly the North East, is key to moving forward.”
Andrew Thin, SNH chairman, said: “I’m sure the toolkit will prove invaluable to many of SNH’s staff. It’s another building block to make sure Gaelic not only survives but thrives in Scotland. This is so important for our culture and history – as well as practical for those working in the Highlands and Western Isles.”
John Angus Mackay, Bòrd na Gàidhlig chief executive, said: “This is a truly innovative initiative and Bòrd na Gàidhlig congratulates the partner organisations on planning and implementing it. Its objectives, scope and scale are commendable. As well as the benefits the individual themselves will see both culturally and linguistically, each organisation is also investing in cultural diversity which better reflects today’s business environments, as well as raising the profile of our own national language.”
Simon Hodge, Forest Enterprise Scotland chief executive, said: "Gaelic is an integral part of Scotland's heritage and national identity. We want to continue promoting the language externally but also internally to our own staff. The new online toolkit is a great interactive resource for staff which will help them build up a better knowledge