Scots dialect plan for courts attacked as a waste of money

[Gràisg]

The Telegraph:

'Alex Salmond and his ministers have been urged to encourage the use of traditional Scots dialects in courts as part of their campaign to revive the language. '

Richard Cook, director of the Campaign Against Political Correctness in Scotland, added: "It's sheer stupidity putting the taxpayer to unnecessary expense.
"Scots and Gaelic speakers speak English and understand that our judicial system is conducted in English."

Gheibhear tuilleadh an seo:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... money.html

'Campaign Against Political Correctness' nach e ainm snog ann an siud gus sgailc a thoirt don Bheurl Ghallta agus don Ghàidhlig

[Níall Beag]

'Alex Salmond and his ministers have been urged to encourage the use of traditional Scots dialects in courts as part of their campaign to revive the language. '

The tone of the article made abundantly clear by the word in bold (my emphasis).

[Gràisg]

Chan eil mise airson a bhith ceart gu poilitigeach idir agus leis a sin 'thalla is cac' don 'Campaign Against Political Correctness'

[Seonaidh]

There is one very compelling reason why Scots literature ('s e "Albais" a th' ann) etc. should not be available in, e.g. courts of law. It is the same reason that would once have applied to Welsh or Gaelic, but no longer does. And that is that most speakers of Scots are illiterate in that language.

When there is actually a significant number of schools in an area teaching Scots orthography, so that people can actually read and write Scots with reasonable competence, then it will be a different matter.

As for the coupling of Gaelic onto their criticism of the Scots plan, all this shows is that the Cramp-pain for Political Korrektness people are not only blinkered and prejudiced but also ignorant. Indeed, if it weren't for such folk, I doubt we'd need so much "political correctness". Very sad.

[akerbeltz]

Tha seo annasach... chan obraicheadh seo, cànan a brosnachadh tro chleachdadh sna cùirtean. Co-dhiù, bidh na daoine a' bruidhinn Beurla Albannach ann mu thràth (feumaidh sinn cuimhneachadh nach eil ann ach glé bheag de dhaoine aig a bheil fìor Albais an-diugh)... is chan eil seo dèanamh cialla idir mar sin.

Saoil an deach cunntas cearr a thoirt air beachd Mac a' Bhradain? Cha bhi e cho amaideach ri sin mar is trice...

[faoileag]

Chòrd sin rium, fiu 's nach eil díreach airson Gàidhlig...

The Herald, 29 Jan.2009

Burns’s anniversary celebration misses what the bard represented

This weeken, on the 250th anniversary o his birth, oor Furst Meenister struntit aboot in Allowa, threipin on aboot Robert Burns an oor heritage o literature an Scots language. Yet neither he - nor thaim afore him in Scottish Government - had even the mense or gumption tae caa the ither big event o the year the "Hamecomin" 2009. While tae the herts an minds o maist Scots, aither at hame or faur awa Scotland is still "hame" - not home - oor patriotic mim-moued politicians juist had tae caa it the "Homecoming". That's awfy English, awfy Embro! Hame is whaur the hert is. Hame haes the warmth tae draw folk hame.
On Setterday, I read wi interest a piece by Kirsty Budd anent the plan by Chambers Dictionary tae stert up an online dictionary tae help folk wi the richt pronunciation o their ain Scots language. While this is maist commendable, an micht gang some wey tae teachin actors an ithers no weel-aquaint wi the Scots idiom hou tae speik the screivit word, it is nae substitute for lang owerdue support an encouragement for spoken Scots on radio an TV; an for guid screivit Scots in buiks an magazines.
True, The Herald's Scots Word o the Week gies a wee taster of the virr an richness o oor Scots tongue, but at a rate o fifty-twa a year, it'll tak five-hunner years juist tae gang throu the Scots Concise Dictionary - an we'll aa be deid gin then.
While oor Furst Meenister sees "a truly exciting time for the language (Gaelic, that is) and for Scottish broadcasting", an gied ower £25m in autumn 2008 tae BBC Alba for up tae seiven hours a day o Gaelic programmes on TV - plus 45 hours a week on Radio nan Gaidheal (plus anither £2.5m for Gaelic education) - for 40,000 Gaelic speikers, juist whit similar largesse haes been haundit doun by oor Scottish Government tae their 1,500,000 Scots speikers? Apairt frae lip service, not a haet!
The promise o a question in the 2011 census anent Scots speakers, an a hauf-hertit policy in schules o allouin bairns tae speik in their ain hame tongue athoot ower muckle a flytin frae their teachers. That's aa. If there's muckle mair I'd be gled tae hear o it.
The media are nae better. Apairt frae the usual reportage last week, the BBC gied us twa hauf-hour mensefou radio programmes by Billy Kay an a wheen o guid Scots speikers no blate tae express themsels weel in their Ayrshire tongue; an three fine TV pieces on Burns by Andrew O'Hagan. We had nocht at aa frae STV. When the Burns Nichts are by, nae dout that'll be it by as weel for Scots braidcasts for anither year.
This weeken, I've been tae a fine Burns Supper whaur aa the ongauns were in guid Scots; an attendit I, Robert Burns in the Ayr Gaiety Theatre (anither endangered species), whaur the rich Scots dialogue wis fair enjoyed by the audience. The Scots language is alive an weel, but guid dae wi a wee haun.
Come on, BBC. Whit aboot five or 10 or 20 hours a week on radio and TV o short stories, commissioned plays, local history, sangs, discussions an even news? Gin ye can gie the Gaels near on a hunner hours a week, ye can shuirly spare the Scots mair nor juist a crumb frae yer government subsidy. Hou aboot hauf o BBC Alba's programme time for a stert?
Mebbe oor Furst Meenister cuid pit awa his Hielan kilt an claymore for a while an gie oor Lowlan hodden grey a chance.
Dr Jimmy Begg, Ayr.

[GunChleoc]

Bhiodh e math prògraman san Albais fhaicinn cuideachd.

True, The Herald's Scots Word o the Week gies a wee taster of the virr an richness o oor Scots tongue, but at a rate o fifty-twa a year, it'll tak five-hunner years juist tae gang throu the Scots Concise Dictionary - an we'll aa be deid gin then.

Nach e an fhirinn a th' ann