Does anyone know Scottish Gaelic?

Question

I would really like to learn Scottish Gaelic, and am wondering if anyone out there knows it. Is danns beatha!

Answer 1

The language has few native speakers left. It began declining rapidly after World War I (1914 - 1918) as radio, telephones and improved transportation brought Highlanders into closer contact with the rest of Scotland and with England too.

If you're very lucky, you might someday make contact with one of the few native speakers left. Until then, the best way to learn it is by listening to cassette or cd recordings and by reading as much material as you can on it. It's always easier to understand a foreign language through reading than by hearing it spoken.

There are specialty stores in some towns and cities that sell Irish and Scottish imports. These stores usually carry music in Gaelic and some language learning materials in Irish and / or Scottish Gaelic too. Check some of them out. Occasionally, the owners of these stores know a native speaking tutor or instructor of Gaelic, living in your community, whom they can refer you to.


There are some materials in Gaelic which can also be purchased over the internet through Amazon.com. I'm sure that the "Teach Yourself" series in Scottish Gaelic (book & cassette) can. Many of the better bookstores have the complete "Teach Yourself" series too.

John M. Paterson's "Gaelic Made Easy" (Published by The Gaelic League of Scotland) and Donald MacLennan's "Blasad Gaidhilig (A Taste of Gaelic)" (1972) are also worth buying and they come with recordings by native speakers too.

Answer 2

No, but I'm told there's a San Francisco Gaylick that's turning out to be pretty popular.