Language Project
At the end of 2003 Andrea Gilbert and Jim Millar of the Ulster Scots Curriculum Development Unit began the development of an adult language course. In September 2005 we had completed an Adult Language Course for Beginners but Jim our Language Project Officer, left the Language Project to take up a post with the Ulster-Scots Agency. There was a gap in the Project while a new Language Officer was recruited, but as of January 2006, we have a new member of staff in place who is taking up the responsibilities and making plans to deliver the new course as soon as possible.
A course for adult learners will be offered through the QUB Open Learning Spring Programme.
Our new Language Officer is Mrs Jackie Reid who has been seconded to us from her post as Head of a Modern Languages Department where she has been teaching French and Spanish.
The Unit's main aim has been to develop a conversational language course that will allow interested adults the opportunity to develop their confidence in the language by creating opportunities for them to speak Ulster-Scots. This course is taught as a foreign language course. It is structured, dealing with both grammar and vocabulary in a systematic way. It focuses on a series of topics and realistic situations and teaching is based on encouraging conversational exchanges. These develop in complexity as the course progresses.
We are grateful to the Ulster Scots Language Society for their continued support during the development of this programme. There has been collaboration with Dr Philip Robinson of the Ulster-Scots Language Society who has selected materials from Language Society archives and enabled them to be included in the course for beginners.
In addition to developing the language course, both Andrea and Jim, and now Jackie, have been actively involved in spreading the Ulster Scots message and have addressed audiences at education and language conferences at home and abroad.
Jim Millar, Director of Language and Education has noted
'This is a vital part of creating a niche for Ulster Scots in the European context. With so much support coming from the European Union we need to inform as many as possible about what is happening in Northern Ireland to deliver the requirements of European legislation in regard to minority languages.'
It is planned that the language course will also include some aspects of Ulster Scots literature and culture and should provide further evidence of the growing recognition of Ulster Scots within the European wide movement to revive lesser used languages. It is hoped that in the longer term this project may be extended to develop an Introductory Course on Ulster-Scots Literature.
If calling from the Republic of Ireland dial (048) 9038 1271.
