GAELIC `EXTINCT IN 40 YEARS' (fwd)

[Matthew Ward]

I've read a lot about the situation with various forms of Gaelic as
spoken throughout Britain and Ireland, and I have a close friend who was
involved with the political movement which revived Welsh.  This is my
impression:

Welsh is doing very well--it is being passed on to the young, it is
being used in all levels of society, even as the medium of instruction
for university programs, and the number of native speakers is actually
increasing.  It is often cited as one of the greatest success stories in
terms of revitalizing an indigenous language.  Of course, there are
still questions as to its long-term survival, but, at this point, there
is no possibility that it will be extinct in 40 years, and it is
reasonably possible that it will actually be doing better in 40 years.
 There are generations of children growing up as native speakers of
Welsh--even if it suddenly stopped being passed on to children tomorrow,
(unlikely considering the currently situation) it would not become
extinct for quite a bit longer than 40 years.  David Crystal, one of the
best-known and most respected linguists in the world, is from Wales, and
he, among many others, reports the reality that Welsh is being passed on
to the younger generations.  He often cites Welsh as an example of how a
traditional language can remain viable in the modern world.

The situation with Irish and Scottish Gaelic is much less secure.  It is
my impression that many in Ireland are able to speak Irish Gaelic to
some level, as it is a required subject for all in school, but I believe
that it is still declining as a native language, and that, at any rate,
the situation is not nearly as good as that of Welsh.

Scottish Gaelic has an even weaker position, since it is not required
that everybody in Scotland study it.  The reason for this is that, in
much of Scotland, the traditional language was/is Scots, an
English-related language, and not Gaelic, which was historically mostly
spoken in the Highlands.

If the article in question was about Scottish Gaelic, I would find it
believable, if it was about Irish Gaelic, less so, and if it was about
Welsh, then the writer has been misinformed.


Keola Donaghy wrote:

>Mahalo David, yes it appears that is where the article is, and apparently
>they were referring to Scottish and Welsh Gaelic, not Irish. It is on the
>nature.com website, but requires a subscription for access to the full
>article.
>
>There is a short piece on the Cornell website on the report, but still not
>the whole report:
>
>http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/03/9.11.03/language_death.html
>
>Keola
>
>
>Indigenous Languages and Technology <ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> writes:
>
>
>>It appears the report might be in the journal "Nature." Probably the
>>current issue. Although there might be another report behind that one.
>>
>>
>
>
>=======================================================================
>Keola Donaghy
>Hawaiian Language Curriculum and Technology Coordinator
>Native Hawaiian Serving Institution Program
>University of Hawai'i at Hilo
>
>keola at leoki.uhh.hawaii.edu        http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~nhsi
>Kualono                           http://www.olelo.hawaii.edu/
>=======================================================================
>
>
>

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