An Innovative Learning Week (ILW) event:
14:00 - 15:00 Antonella Sorace, LEL, Edinburgh: "Why Gaelic matters: the view from bilingualism"
Short abstract: Bilingualism is essential to the maintenance and survival of Gaelic, and Gaelic is an opportunity to raise children bilingual and give them the linguistic and cognitive benefits of growing up with two languages. I will first discuss the importance of Gaelic from the point of view of the bilingual mind. I will then show our commitment to raising public awareness about these issues in through the information service Bilingualism Matters.

15:00 - 16:00 Wilson McLeod, Celtic & Scottish Studies, Edinburgh: "Gaelic development in Scotland and problems of capacity"
Short abstract: Over the course of the last decade, efforts to sustain and develop the Gaelic language in Scotland have entered a new phase, partly as a result of the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Key developments include the passage of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which, among other things, requires public bodies to put in place Gaelic language plans, and the establishment of the dedicated Gaelic television service BBC ALBA in 2008. It has become increasingly questionable, however, whether the Gaelic language community and indeed the language itself have the capacity to allow for successful implementation of these initiatives. This problem of capacity is apparent in a number of different ways, which will be considered in this talk.

Target audience: All UG and PG students
Also of interest: Gaelic Language Plan events

Innovative Learning Week timetable