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Scots language and culture – part 2

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Scots language and culture – part 2

About this course

  • 20 hours study
  • Level 2: Intermediate
  • Gain a digital badge

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5 out of 5 stars

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You can start learning at any time. By signing up and enrolling you can track your progress and earn a Statement of Participation upon completion, all for free.

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    • Welcome to the Scots language and culture course – part 2

      This second part of the course teaches aspects of Scots, one of the three indigenous languages spoken in Scotland alongside English and Scottish Gaelic.

      This is not a conventional language course – it teaches the Scots language through the culture where it is spoken, underlining the role of Scots in Scottish culture and society – past and present.

      Who is this course for?

      The course is written for a broad audience ranging from Scots speakers, to people who want to find out about and learn some Scots, as well as teachers and other educators. 

      • If you already speak Scots, you will be able to learn more about the role of the language in Scottish history and life in today’s Scotland, its importance for many Scottish people’s sense of identity, its prestige in some parts of society, and reasons for the lack of it in others.

      • If you speak little or no Scots, you will, in addition to the above, be able to develop your understanding of written and spoken Scots in different dialects, as well as the structure of the language. You will also be able to practise writing and speaking Scots and build your Scots vocabulary.

      Please note that you need to be enrolled on and complete both parts 1 and 2 in order to gain the course badge and statement of participation.

      This course is produced by The Open University in Scotland, the Open University’s Faculty of WELS, and Education Scotland.

      logos of OU Scotland and Education Scotland

    • Gain a digital badge

      Gain a digital badge

      By studying the course you will have the opportunity to gain a digital badge – you need to click on the ‘Enrol’ button to be able to do the quizzes and earn the badge.

    • This course is part of a collection

      This course is part of a collection

      This course is part of a collection of courses called Scots language and culture. There are 2 courses in this collection so you may find other courses here that maybe of interest to you.

      See this collection

    • Course learning outcomes

      Alongside recognising Scots as a living language, learners will develop an understanding of:

      • the use and recognition of Scots in Scotland past and present
      • the history and linguistic development of Scots
      • the links of Scots with other European languages
      • the use of Scots in different literary genres and other art forms.

      Learners will also have increased awareness of other, related resources and how to access them.


    • Course dates:

      First Published 17/01/2020.

      Updated 06/04/2023

    Course content

    Below is the course content. You can click on any section here and it will take you through to this section of the course.

    Course Reviews

    1 Ratings

    1 review for this course

    This course is rated 5

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    Course reviews

    • James Turbert

      Scots language and culture – part 2

      James Turbert27 February 2020 6:33

      This was a very interesting course. As a Scots speaker, what was of great interest was not just the new words that I hadn't heard before, but the number of words that I speak on a daily basis (entire sentences LOL!)

      What is fascinating, and something I hadn't really thought about until recently until I completed my Honours Degree through the OU in Scottish History, was that I spoke Scots; could code-switch between Scots and English while chatting; but wrote everything down in Standard English ...making me as the couse stated - bilingual - which I had never thought of before!

      This was a very good course and of great interest. I have downloaded the PDFs for each chapter and it now sits on my Hard Drive with all my coursework from my Honours Degree.

      Now on to studying Gaelic!

    About this course

    • 20 hours study
    • Level 2: Intermediate
    • Gain a digital badge

    Ratings

    5 out of 5 stars

    Sign up to get more

    You can start learning at any time. By signing up and enrolling you can track your progress and earn a Statement of Participation upon completion, all for free.

    View this course

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