Weel duin tae Laura Green wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Bairns Book o the Year sponsored by Scottish Government in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock in pairtnership wi East Ayrshire Cooncil on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/.
We askit Laura Green o Laura Green thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Ah’m a wife an mither, an Ah hae twa big bonnie dugs that keep me gey busy. Ah come fae a faimly o Scots speakers. Ah bide in West Lothian, whaur ah taught English in secondary schuils fir 13 year. While Ah was teachin Ah was the Scots Language Development Officer fir West Lothian, an Ah did a sma amount o work fir Education Scotland an Dictionaries o the Scots Leid as weel. Ah noo wirk fir the Scots Language Centre as their Education Officer.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
When folk ask me how it is that Ah’m sae interestit in Scots, Ah aye tell thaim aboot the time that a teacher gied me a row fir yaisin the wird, ‘Aye’. Ah couldnae believe that the wirds Ah yaised – they same wirds that my faimly, freens an hale community yaised – wid get me intae bother.
Ower time, I came tae ken that Ah could help Scots-speakin weans lairn that their vyce an leid ir jist as valid as onybody else’s.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Dae ye ken that, accordin tae UNESCO, Scots is vulnerable tae becomin endangered? The ainly wey that the leid will thole the next few hunner year is if folk continue to yaise it. Tak tent ir it’s tint.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
Ah dae lik the sayin, ‘A bairn maun creep afore it gangs’. A direct translation intae English wid be, ‘A child must crawl before it goes’, but it means that abody must stert somewhaur an abody’s got tae lairn. It’s a mindin tae hae patience wi yersel – an ithers.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
As an English teacher, Ah’m aye interestit in writers wha write an speak Scots. Jackie Kay is a favourite – Ah particularly like ‘Old Tongue’. Thon poem is guid fir stertin bletherins wi the weans regairdin how we associate oor leid, accent an vyce wi oor identity, and how chyngin the leid we speak ir the accent we yaise micht feel lik a betrayal.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Ah hear Scots spoken in ma toon every day. Ah sometimes hink tae masel that Ah should stert keepin a record o it, tae prove tae folk that Scots really is aw aboot us – ye jist need tae open yer lugs! Fae wee weans askin tae clap ma dugs, tae aulder yins girnin aboot the sma rain – it’s everywhere. Wirkin wi young folk aw the time, Ah notice frequent chynge acause o the influences they hae fae Youtubers an the like, but every leid evolves. The ainly leids that dinnae chynge ir deid yins.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Through Scottish Book Trust, Ah became a trained Bookbug Session leader a few year ago. Ah noo spend some o ma time wi babies, toddlers an their grown-ups in libraries an nurseries daein Scots sang, rhyme an story sessions. There is nothin better than kennin that the wide smile across a bairn’s face is acause Ah’m singin a sang tae thaim an shooglin a wee puppet. Ma experience wirkin wi wee weans gied me the confidence Ah needit tae translate the bairns’ book, ‘Let’s Explore Our Rights’ (in Scots, it’s ‘Let’s Explore Oor Richts’). Ah’m gratefu tae the team at ‘The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland’ fir speirin at me tae dae it, as weel as aw the folk that gied me a haun in gettin the wirds richt.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
As aye, a fair nummer o ma Seturdays are taen up wi Scots Bookbug sessions ower the next few months. Also, yin o the projects that is the maist fun tae work oan is the series o animations we creatit fir https://www.scotslanguage.com/learning. We’ve a new yin comin oot in October an Ah’m sure it will be popular!
Read more about Laura Green
https://www.scotslanguage.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scotslanguage
Twitter: https://x.com/LairnScots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotslanguage/
The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/ There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Billy Kay, Susie Briggs, alang wi musical performances fae Claire Hastings an Sèan Gray.
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