GAELIC IN PRIJ(ARY EDUCATION: A STUDY OF ThE DEVELOPXENT OF GAELIC BILINGUAL ...

641 Pages·2008·21.53 MB·English

GAELIC IN PRIJ(ARY EDUCATION: A STUDY OF ThE
DEVELOPXENT OF GAELIC BILINGUAL EDUCATION
IN URBAN CONTEXTS
by
AWE FRASER
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Ph. D. in the University of
Glasgow
November 1989
1.
FORE frVRD
i. In August 1985 two small-scale Gaelic Units were opened by Strathclyde
and Highland Regional Councils, situated within urban primary schools in
Glasgow and Inverness respectively. Their purpose was to develop the use of
Gaelic as a medium of education for children to the majority of whom it is
not the mother tongue - creating a new, protected and prestigious domain
for the language in contexts where its speakers are nowadays scattered and
its use almost entirely confined to Isolated intra-familial exchange.
Evidence suggests that the establishment of these Units has already had
political, cultural and educational repercussions far in excess of their
direct effect on the lives of the individual city-dwelling families
invol wed.
ii. This thesis describes developments in Scottish Gaelic primary-school
education during the period 1985 - 1989, places them in their historical,
socio-linguistic and educational contexts, and attempts to extrapolate from
the findings some pointers of practical utility for future development.
Though due attention Is paid to comparative evidence from other countries
the central thesis is firmly rooted within Scottish experience, for the
following reasons: (a) there has been a general dearth of recorded data
relating specifically to Scottish Gaelic education, a situation which must
be urgently addressed in support of prese'nt initiatives and to facilitate
future development; and (b) circumstances have given the researcher access
to unusually detailed local evidence, both longitudinal and latitudinal,
ii.
prior to and during the period under discussion, as will be seen below
(iii).
iii. Throughout the 1980's the researcher has been personally involved in
the promotion of Gaelic in education - observing (and hopefully assisting)
its progress from within as activist, teacher and, latterly, education
officer. Such pragmatic experience has inevitably amplified the response to
available published data, given direction and purpose to the research
methods employed, and inspired further lines of enquiry since formally
embarking on the research.
iv. The researcher trained and 8ained experienced as a secondary school
teacher in the '1960's, thea, in preparation to embarking upon this study,
attended a full-time Priry Conversion Course at Jordanhill College of
Education, Glasgow. This provided invaluable theoretic and practical
experience of modern methodology and classroom organisation, as did serving
a teaching apprenticeship (1985-86) within Sir John Maxwell Primary,
Glas8ow, host school to the newly opened Gaelic Unit. Throughout 1986-88
(the first two years of the present part-time research) a close
relationship was maintained with the Gaelic Unit, including regular service
as supply teacher. Working closely with the children during this period
allowed observation - informal but in depth (perhaps, one might argue, in
greater depth than formal assessment procedures would have allowed) - of
children's general progress since the inception of the Unit. It should
nevertheless be noted that it is not within the remit of this thesis to
assess the educational and/or linguistic success of this or any other
Gaelic Unit, except in the most general terms: the close relationship with
111.
Sir John Xaxwell Gaelic Unit might render objectivity difficult, if not
impossible, for the foreseeable future.
v. At national level the researcher has gained first-hand experience of
almost a decade of Gaelic initiatives as active Patron of Combairle nan
Sgoiltean Araich (the Gaelic Play-group Association) and, since 1988, in
the full-time employ of Coijnn na Gaidhllg (the official Gaelic language
promotion agency) as Education Officer with a national remit covering all
aspects of Gaelic education. The relationship with Sir John Kaxwell Gaelic
Unit has continued, though in less depth, and to it has been added access
to similar Gaelic Units throughout Scotland, attendance at national prim2ry
Gaelic INSET courses, constant dialogue with parents, teachers,
educationists and officials throughout Scotland and beyond, participation
In planning-zveetings concerned with inter-authority resource production,
linguistic and educational philosophy and funding, and in meetings with
parents, activists and officials to review present measures and extend
their remit.
vi. Awareness of the international dimension was heightened and given focus
by attendance (1986-87) of Glasgow University's Nulticultural Education
course and through the ongoing input provided by seminars and conferences
on various aspects of education, language and culture - a process which has
continued throughout the duration of the research period.
vii. Though much of the above experience cannot be used as an explicit
source of specified data, its cumulative influence cannot be dismissed as
wholly impressionistic or subjective for the purposes of this thesis: it
iv.
is implicit within case-studies, personal observation and analysis, etc,
amplified by published comparative and historical sources where
appropriate. Further original evidence has been established using the
following methods:
vii.i questionnaires: two separately designed and administered
questionnaires were circulated and analysed as follows:
vii.i.i to Gaelic speakers and learners aged 16+ throughout
Scotland, to establish their awareness of recent Gaelic
initiatives and their attitudes towards them, and
vii.i.ii to the families of all children currently attending
Gaelic Primary Units in Scotland, to establish the extent of
linguistic usage and exposure in the child's present extra-mural
environment
vii.ii interviews: in-depth personal interviews were conducted to
establish detailed follow-up to data emerging from questionnaires;
findings are both (a) incorporated into the text and (b) separately
presented as case studies, both for descriptive and for comparative
purposes. Although such data does not pretend to be scientifically
controlled it contains much that is of interest, especially taken in
conjunction with questionnaire results. Two different types of case-
study are presented:
V.
vii.ii.i school studies: using classroom observation, in
conjunction with the comments of parents and practitioners
involved in Gaelic-medium education, to define and illustrate key
aspects of representative urban Gaelic Primary Units, contrasting
these with observations made in rural situations and in Vales and
iVorthern Ireland and
viii.ii family studies: using longitudinal observation, in
conjunction with interviews with parents, to describe and
illustrate educational affect in terms of the consumer.
ix. Thanks are due to many people, without whom this thesis would not have
been possible, especially:
The Director, Officers and Board of Camunn na Gàidhlig
The Director and Officers of Combairle nan Sgoiltean Araich
The staff of the Gaelic and Primary Departments, Jordanhill College of
Education
The staff of the Institute of Education of Glasgow University
The Directorate of Education and Advisory Services of Combairle nan
Eilean and Strathclyde, Highland and Lothian Regional Councils
vi.
The Headteachers and staff of Sir John Maxwell and Keadowburn
Primaries (Glasgow); Tollcross Primary (Edinburgh); Central School
(Inverness); Craighill Primary (Thin); Breascielt and Shawbost
Primaries (Lewis); Stoneybridge School (S. Uist); and Pox-tree, Sleat,
Broadford and Staffin Primaries (Skye)
The parents and children of all the above schools and of the Gaelic
play-groups; parents of children in more recently-opened Gaelic Units
with whom the researcher met and talked during 1989
The Directorate and Advisory Services of Gwynedd County Council, West
dnd South Glamorgan, and all staff and pupils in schools visited in
Wales
The Directorate, staff and pupils in Gaelic schools visited in Belfast
and Derry; parents and leaders involved in pre-school initiatives
Gaelic Department staff, St Mary's Teacher Training College, Belfast
The following have given special personal support:
Prof. Nigel Grant, Glasgow University
Kurdo NwLeod, ex-HI Inspector of Schools
John Angus MacKay, Director, and
Jack MacArthur, Vice-chairman, Comunn na Gaidhlig
Fionniagh XacLeôid, Director, and
Keith Scammell, Administrator, CNSA
vii.
J. Boyd Robertson and
Chrissie Bannerrnan, Gaelic Department, Jardanhill Col2e8e of Education
Danny Clelland, ex-Strathclyde University Dept. of Information
Technology
John Fex-gusson, Adviser in Nodern Languages, Strathclyde Region
Donald John KacLeod, Gaelic Adviser, Highland Region
Anne Campbell, Primary Adviser, Lothian Region
Christina MacKenzie, Primary Adviser, Coinhairle van Eilean
Elfyn Pritchard, Primary Adviser, Gwvnedd
Henry KcRory, H/f Inspector of Schools, N. Ireland
David Betteridge, HT, Polloksbields Primary School
Janet Morrison, Comann naiv Pàrant, Glasgow
Karsaili and Rachel Fraser, Gaelic Unit pupils and long-suffering
victims of maternal obsession
COJTEJTS
1. Foreword. 1.
1.HISTORICAL OVERVIEV:
1.1 Gaelic in Scotland........................................1
1.2 Gaelic in Education......................................29
2. LIIGUISTIC BACKGROURD;
2.1 Language teaching: historical overview
(a) The rule of gram1r..................................62
2.2 (b) Towards a re communicative approach................73
2.3 Communicative Language Teaching..........................92
2.4 Gaelic Teaching.........................................101
2.5 Bilingual Education.....................................112
3.GAELIC PRIXARY EDIJCATIOI II THE 1980's:
3.1 General Background......................................145
3.2 Gaelic Priry Units in Scotland:
3.2.1 Introduction......................................158
3.2.2 Sir John Jaxwell Priry, Glasgow.................159
3.2.3 Central Priry School, Inverness.................186
3.2.4 Thumbnail sketches of ten Bilingual
Units in Scotland.................................199
3.2.5 Conclusions.......................................208
3.3 Children's linguistic experience outwith the school:
3.3.1 Introduction and Global Frequencies...............212
3.3.2 Comparison between Urban and Gàidhealtachd........234
3.4 Case Studies............................................269
4. POPULAR ATTITUDES TOVARDS GAELIC IJ EDUCATIOJ
4.1ff Introductory.......................................... 328
4.12 Suimry and general discussion
offindings........................................... 346
4.13 Discussion of findings:
(a)Language and Culture . 355
4.14 Results (a) Language and Culture......................362
4.15 Discussion of findings:
(b)Gaelic in pre-school education....................368
4.16 Results (b) Pre-school................................379
4.17 Discussion of findings:
(c)Gaelic in prinry education.......................383
4.18 Results (c) Priry education.........................392
4.19 Discussion of findings:
(d)Gaelic in secondary education.....................39?
4.20 Attitudes of educationists............................405
4.21 Results (d) Secondary education.......................406
4.22 Discussion and findings:
(f) educational constructs............................410
4.23 General Swiry.......................................419
4.24 Respondents' Comnts.................................422
5. StJl(J(ART All) REC011(EIDATIOJS FOR F1JTIJRE RESEARCH
AIDDEVELOPXEJT................................................425
APPEIDII 1: Correspondence and questionnaire:
Chlldren's extra-scholastic experience...............433
APPELDIX 2: Correspondence and questionnaires (Gaelic and English):
Gaelic in Education:
A Survey into Popular Attltudes....................... 443
APPEIDIX 3: Study Visit to Vales: A Report........................499
APPELDIX 4: Study Visit to lorthern Ireland:
AReport..............................................555
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................577
APPEIDII 5: The Parent's Perspective:
Transcript of a conference speech
Sabhal Nor Ostaig, December 1987......................603