Language Revitalisation in Gaelic Scotland

Stuart S. Dunmore is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures at the University of Edinburgh.

With an eminently readable style, clear structure and judiciously used signposting, Dunmore’s book fills a gap in the literature of language revitalisation. It will both inspire and motivate scholars and researchers to undertake similar studies, especially in minority-language contexts where immersion education is seen as a beacon illuminating successful revitalisation.

• CH. 1. Gaelic Scotland: Bilingual life in the 21st century? A IntroductionA 1.1. Gaelic language and culture in ScotlandA 1.2. Theoretical foundations: Language revitalisation and the role of educationA 1.3. Concluding remarks and book structure CH. 2. Language, culture and identities: Theoretical perspectivesA 2.1. Theorising the relation of language, culture and identities B 2.1.1. Language and ethnic identity: (Socio)linguistic, anthropological and sociological perspectivesB 2.1.2. The symbolic value of languageB 2.1.3. Essentialist perspectives on language & identity A 2.2. Language IdeologiesA 2.3. Language SocialisationA 2.4. Education and the role of immersion schooling B 2.4.1. Language acquisition and immersion education B 2.4.2. Immersion education and language attritionB 2.4.3. Principles from overseas: Immersion revitalisation education in Europe, North America and AustralasiaC 2.4.3.1. European perspectives: The Celtic world and IberiaC 2.4.3.2. Indigenous language education in North America and Australasia A 2.5. Concluding remarks on language, culture and immersion educationCH. 3. Exploring outcomes of Gaelic-medium education: Research design and analysis A 3.1. GME: Past, present and prospects for revitalisation B 3.1.1. The development of GME in Scotland 1872-1985B 3.1.2. Expectations and experiences of GME: 1980-1990 B 3.1.3. Limitations of GME in Gaelic language revitalisation B 3.1.4. Concluding remarks on GME as education system and research site A 3.2. GME in its first decade: Sample design and analysisB 3.2.1. Defining the informant universeB 3.2.2. Questionnaire design and analysisB 3.2.3. Ethnographic interviews in the ‘field’A 3.3. Analytic methods B 3.3.1. Research design: Mixed methods and data triangulationB 3.3.2. Analysing language and culture in interaction: The ethnography of speakingB 3.3.3. Transcription: Approach and applicationB 3.3.4. Coding and analysis procedureA 3.4. Concluding remarksCH 4. Linguistic practice, Gaelic use and language socialisation: Findings from qualitative and quantitative analysesA 4.1. Gaelic language practices: Discourses of (dis)useB 4.1.1. ‘High’ reported use of Gaelic and the role of Gaelic employmentB 4.1.2. Intermediate to limited use: Family and peers?B 4.1.3. Low use of Gaelic B 4.1.4. Language practice I: Gaelic as a ‘secret code’B 4.1.5. Language practice II: Code-switching and ‘informal’ Gaelic A 4.2. Gaelic language socialisation B 4.2.1. Gaelic language socialisation at homeB 4.2.2. Socialisation at home by one Gaelic-speaking parent B 4.2.3. No Gaelic at home A 4.3. GME and Gaelic socialisationB 4.3.1. Role of GME in Gaelic language socialisation B 4.3.2. GME: Socialisation in Gaelic culture?B 4.3.3. Negative affect in school language socialisationB 4.3.4. Gaelic language socialisation experiences: Some conclusionsA 4.4. Language use, GME and Gaelic socialisation: Statistical analysis B 4.4.1. Social background variables B 4.4.2. Reported abilities in GaelicB 4.4.3. Overall Gaelic language useB 4.4.4. Family Gaelic use, socialisation and intergenerational transmissionB 4.4.5. Social use of Gaelic: Conversation, technology and (social) mediaA 4.5. Concluding remarks and data triangulationCH 5. Underlying language use: Gaelic language ideologies and attitudes A 5.1. Ideologies of Gaelic I: Language use B 5.1.1. Discourses of regret/‘guilt’B 5.1.2. Intergenerational transmission and Gaelic useB 5.1.3. ‘Judgement’ and ‘snobbery’ in the Gaelic communityB 5.1.4. Disuse, loss and ‘having’ GaelicB 5.1.5. ‘Opportunity’ and choice in Gaelic useA 5.2. Ideologies of Gaelic II: Language and identitiesB 5.2.1. Gaelic and personal identityB 5.2.2. Gaels? – Gàidheil? Gaelic identity, culture and heritageB 5.2.3. National or regional language: ‘Highlands and Islands’ identity?B 5.2.4. Albais/Scots language: A rival linguistic identity?B 5.2.5. Gaelic and Scottish identity: Language, nation and cultureA 5.3. Gaelic Language Attitudes B 5.3.1. Identities and attitudesB 5.3.2. Attitudes to Gaelic language and communityB 5.3.3. Attitudes to GMEA 5.4. Concluding remarks and triangulation of language ideologies and attitudesCH 6. Bilingual life after school? Linguistic practice and ideologies in actionA 6.1. Language use among Gaelic-medium educated adults: Past, present and future prospectsB 6.1.1. Present Gaelic language useB 6.1.2. Language abilitiesB 6.1.3. Language socialisationA 6.2. Language ideologies and attitudes: Factors underlying linguistic practiceB 6.2.1. Ideologies of Gaelic language useB 6.2.2. Gaelic and sociocultural identitiesB 6.2.3. Attitudes to GME A 6.3. Conclusions: On bilingual life and the relationship of linguistic practice and ideologyBibliographyTables and figures