LL-L: "Events" LOWLANDS-L, 21.JAN.2001 (03) [E/S]

[Lowlands-L]

 ======================================================================
  L O W L A N D S - L * 21.JAN.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
  Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
  Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
  User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
  Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
  =======================================================================
  A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
  LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
  =======================================================================

From: Colin Wilson [lcwilson at starmail.com]
Subject: Lecture in Aiberdein

Here a cuttie pirlicue o some o the main pints fae this lecture (alow)
o 16 Januar, that wis propaled aerlier throu this list. Scots is first,
English follaes efter.

Here is a brief resumé of some of the main points from this lecture
of 16th January, which was publicised previously through this list.
Scots is first, English follows afterwards.

>ELPHINSTONE INSTITUTE PUBLIC LECTURES
>
> The next Elphinstone Institute Public Lecture will be held
> on Tuesday 16 January at 7.30 p.m. in the auditorium of
> Marischal Musuem.
>
> Ian Hendry, Banchory Primary School/Grampian Enterprise
> will give a lecture entitled:
>
> 'Foo Muckle's Left an for foo Lang?  Prospects for the
> Survival of North-East Scots'

[SCOTS]
The backgrund tae this wis some research that Ian Hendry did ower
a spell as Depute Heidmaister at Banchory Primary Scuil in the first
hauf o the 1990s. The research tuik the form o a questionaire that
he sent oot tae ninetie-odd primary scuils ower the haill o Graumpian
Region, as it wis in thon days, tae be answert by the bairns themsels.
He follaed this wi veisits tae some o the same scuils, tae meet wi the
bairns himsel.

The maist important ane o his findins is that there's places whaur Scots
is haudin up weel an nae bein tint awa. The places that he gied the names
o wis Banff & Buchan, an Gordon, as they wis kent aforetimes. This is
the pairts o the North-East that's haen the least monie incomers tae tak
in efter the ile-boom o the seiventies an echties. Whaur Scots vocabular
is bein tint in thon places, it's maistlie vocabular tae dae wi things
that fowk disna hae onie mair - "gird" an "peerie" (auld-farrant bairns'
playocks) wis the examples he gied.

Scots IS bein worn awa, though nae sae muckle as fowk micht think, in
Aiberdein, an in Kincardine & Deeside, whaur the feck o the incomers
his settle't. Even there, Hendry fund that bairns fae hames whaur nae
Scots wis spoken, gey aften lairns it in the playgrund an he fund that, on
the haill, the younger the bairns whan they come intae contact wi Scots,
the likelier they are tae lairn it fae the ither bairns.

Moray, the ither district o the auld Graumpian Region, wis "in atween"
in hoo weel Scots is haudin up there.

Oweraw, aboot a quarter o bairns come fae hames whaur NAE Scots is spoken,
aboot a quarter fae hames whaur naething ither is spoken, an aboot a hauf
is fae hames whaur the tongue is whiles Scots an whiles English. Hendry
met wi a guid monie bairns that tellt him that, though they didna yuise
Scots wi their parents, they DID yuise it wi grandparents an wi ither
bairns in the playgrund.

Forby he fund that, on the haill, the bairns wis keen tae hae Scots
as pairt o their lessons at the scuil, an the teachers wisna faur ahint
in bein wullin tae teach them. The wey that there's sae pickle Scots
taucht is maistlie cause the pattrens o wirkin dinna alloo for't, an
cause the siller isna there tae pey for materials. For this, Hendry
pintit oot scuil management an national government as bein tae wyte.

The audience for the lecture wis aboot fortie-five fowk.

[ENGLISH]
The background to this was some research that Ian Hendry did over
a period as Deputy Headmaster at Banchory Primary School in the first
half of the 1990s. The research took the form of a questionaire that
he sent out to some ninety primary schools over the whole of the former
Grampian Region, to be answered by the children themselves. He followed
this by visits to some of the same schools, to meet with the children
himself.

The most important of his findings is that there are places where Scots
is holding up well and not being eroded. The places whose names he gave
were Banff & Buchan, and Gordon, as they were previously known. These are
the parts of the North-East that have had the fewest incomers to absorb
after the oil boom of the seventies and eighties. Where Scots vocabulary
is being lost in these places, it is mostly vocabulary for things
that people no longer have - "gird" and "peerie" (obsolete types of
childrens' toy) were the examples he gave.

Scots IS being eroded, although not as much as people might think, in
Aberdeen, and in Kincardine and Deeside, where the majority of incomers
have settled. Even there, Hendry found that children from homes where no
Scots was spoken, quite often learn it in the playground and he found that
in general, the younger the children when they come into contact with Scots

the more likely they are to learn it from the other children.

Moray, the other district of the former Grampian Region, was "in between"
in how well Scots is holding up there.

Overall, about a quarter of children come from homes where NO Scots is
spoken, about a quarter from homes where nothing else is spoken, and about
a half are from homes where the tongue is sometimes Scots and sometimes
English. Hendry met with a good number of children who told him that,
although they did not use Scots with their parents, they DID use it with
grandparents and with other children in the playground.

He also found that, on the whole, the children were keen to have Scots
as part of their lessons at school, and the teachers weren't far behind
in being willing to teach them. The reason for there being so little Scots
taught is mainly because the patterns of work do not allow for it, and
because the finance is not there to pay for materials. For this
Hendry identified school management and national government as being
responsible.

The audience for the lecture was around forty-five people.

Colin Wilson.

*********************************************************************
                               the graip wis tint, the besom wis duin
Colin Wilson                   the barra wadna row its lane
writin fae Aiberdein           an sicna soss it nivver wis seen
                               lik the muckin o Geordie's byre
**********************************************************************

==================================END===================================
  You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
  request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
  as message text from the same account to
  <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
  <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
  =======================================================================
  * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
  * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
  * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
  * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
    to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
    <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
  * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
    type of format, in your submissions
  =====================================================================