Weel duin tae The Open University and Education Scotland: Scots language and culture teacher professional learning programme wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Educational Project o the Year 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 Sylvia Warnecke o The Open University and Bruce Eunson o Education Scotland: Scots language and culture teacher professional learning programme thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
The Open University’s mission is tae be open tae aa people, places, methods an ideas, an ir prood ta say this includes Scots language an culture, baith fir the public an specifically fir teachers in schools. We offer owre 500 accredited modules an oor OpenLearn platform offers free, first-class, non-accredited online courses that hiv been studied bi owre 1.2 Million people fae aa owre the wirld.
Education Scotland is the national body fir supportin quality an improvement o lairnin an teachin in Scottish education. We ir driven bi the shared ambitions o supportin the development an wellbein o aa wha wirk in education an ensurin positive experiences an ootcomes fir aa lairners.
Thegither we launched oor Scots language an culture MOOC (https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=382) wi owre 21,000 students fae 129 countries studyin the coorse sae far. Fae that we wir then able tae create the first ivver Scots Language an Culture CPD coorse fir teachers in Scotland. Developed in pairtnership bi The Open University an Education Scotland, the programme wis successfully piloted at Banff Academy in 2023, an officially launched by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, in February 2024.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
Trainin fir teachers on usin Scots in schools is been a request fae teachers aa owre the country fir generations. Open University an Education Scotland ir delighted tae mak that a reality – an tae offer the trainin free tae ony teacher in Scotland, thanks tae fundin support fae the Scottish Government.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
We strangly believe that Scots is a significant pairt o Scotland’s culture, heritage an people’s sense o identity. This applies tae heritage spaekers o Scots as weel as tae new Scots spaekers wha hiv migrated tae Scotland an want tae lairn Scots ta be able tae fully participate in Scottish society. Knowledge o an skills in the Scots language enables spaekers tae access important aspects o Scottish culture an Scotland’s cultural heritage, fosterin a mair in-depth unnerstaunin o the roots o the Scotland we byde in today. And… importantly, bein able tae spaek yir mither tongue in aa aspects o Scottish life, no juist at hame, fosters positive social cohesion an helps remove the stigma that’s been haudin back Scots spaekers fir far owre lang.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
We ir aafil taen wi the wird “handsel” that we use aa thru wir public coorse on Scots Language an Culture whaar ivry unit begins wi an introductory wird or handsel tae set the scene.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Baith the OU an Education Scotland will be ivver grateful tae the Scots spaekers wha ir helped wis bi scrievin material fir wir coorsewark: Michael Dempster, Graeme Armstrong, Len Pennie, Billy Kay, Gerda Stevenson, James Robertson, Matthew Fitt, Laura Green, Diane Anderson, Simon Hall, Annie Mattheson, Liz Niven, Ged O’Brien, Ian Brown, Steve Byrn, Donald Smith, Pauline Turner, Alan Riach, Chris Robinson, Jeremy Smith an Jamie Fairbairn.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Sae muckle o the wark we ir been daein involves readin an writin Scots. We finn it fascinatin tae see the changes that ir on the pages o Scottish literature – fae Robert Burns, William Dunbar an Robert Ferguson tae Len Pennie, Shane Strachan an Graeme Armstrong. We also love that we ir seein mair an mair new spaekers o Scots emergin, wha ir people wha grew up in Scotland nivver lairnin the leid whin they wir young, or people fae a wide range o migrant communities – a lot o wha ir said they want tae lairn Scots tae help shape thir sense o identity an belongin in Scotland.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
The successful pilot o the teacher CPD coorse wi teachers fae a wide range o subjects at Banff Academy wis right braw. The successful pilot o the teacher CPD coorse wi teachers fae a wide range o subjects at Banff Academy wis right braw. An so wis the fact that ower 200 teachers awready joined us on wir CPD coorse this year!
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
When wirkin on wir CPD coorse, the Open University an Education Scotland realised hoo little research haes been done on Scots in school an ithin language education. We ir wirkin on changin that, an hiv started gaitherin evidence fir in-depth research in the equality, diversity an inclusion impact o Scots in schools, Scots as pairt o the language education fir refugees an migrants, an Scots as a driver for multilingual pedagogies fir 21st century education in Scotland.
Scots language and culture MOOC (https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=382)
Read more about The Open University and Education Scotland: Scots language and culture teacher professional learning programme
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=458
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpenUniversityinScotland/?locale=en_GB
Twitter: https://x.com/OUScotland
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.
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians please consider supporting our Patreon campaign. We have 3 tiers starting at $1 a month and everything helps support us in our work. Read more at www.patreon.com/handsupfortrad