Saoghal Thormoid: Dihaoine – Gàidhlig

Air an latha mu dheireadh, thathar ag iarraidh air Tormod meòrachadh air a’ Ghàidhlig, air a’ bheachd aig daoine oirre, agus air iomairtean leasachaidh a’ chànain. Tha e ag aideachadh gu bheil dùbhlanan ann an saoghal an latha an-diugh, agus a’ beachdachadh air a’ chàirdeas iom-fhillte eadar a’ Ghàidhlig is a’ Bheurla, agus air dòighean diofraichte airson coimhead air dà-chànanas. Tha e a’ moladh nam buannachdan na chois, agus a’ toirt sùil air na cunnartan an lùib ‘ghetto Beurla’ aon-chànanach, cuideachd a’ toirt a-staigh a bheachdan fhèin air an iomairt taghaidh airson Ceann-suidhe nan Stàitean Aonaichte. Tha e a’ bruidhinn air na dùbhlanan an lùib dà-chànanachas dà-thaobhach, agus a’ toirt seachad a chomhairle fhèin air ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig agus, gu h-àraid, air suidheachadh litreachais. Aig an deireadh, tha e a’ ceangal suidheachadh a’ chànain air ais ris an dualchas às an tig e, agus a’ cur a chuid bheachdan fhèin an cèill air ciamar a tha a bhuntanas fhèin a’ daingneachadh na fèin-aithne aige, agus mar a tha e fhèin deònach agus dìoghrasach airson a chuid eòlais a thoirt do dhaoine eile.

On the last day, Norman is invited to turn his thoughts specifically to Gaelic and its place in people’s hearts and minds, and to Gaelic development efforts. Acknowledging the challenges the language faces in today’s world, he reflects on the complex interplay and relationships between Gaelic and English, and on various ways in which bilingualism can be viewed. In emphasising its benefits he counsels against the dangers of a monolingual “English ghetto”, colourfully invoking his own observations on the nomination campaign for the American presidential election. In contemplating bi-directional bilingualism he discusses the challenges of, and offers his own advice on, the learning of Gaelic and, in particular, the place of literacy. Finally, he relates the language issue back to the culture from which it springs, sharing personal thoughts on how his sense of belonging reinforces his sense of identity, and emphasising his own willingness and commitment to pass on his knowledge to others.

A full transcript of this conversation is available here on Clilstore. (The Unit Info tab also enables access to Google Translate.)

The “Saoghal Thormoid” project is a collaboration between Soillse, the inter-university research partnership which funded the recordings through its Small Research Fund, and Guthan nan Eilean (Island Voices).

Update: All recordings in both the “Saoghal Thormoid” and “Sgeulachdan Thormoid” collections are now available on the “Norman Maclean” page.

Chan eil na beachdan aig com-pàirtichean ann an rannsachadh Shoillse a’ comharrachadh beachd oifigeil sam bith aig Soillse fhèin.

Views expressed by participants in Soillse research do not reflect any official opinion of the Soillse partnership.