Scots and literacy development
6. Research on teaching Scots
Activity 8
Throughout this course you are engaging with academic papers that explore aspects of Scots language and its use, especially in educational contexts.
In this unit you will work with the following article:
It provides an interesting summary of the role of Scots language in Scottish education and is an insightful study of a teacher’s attempts to raise the profile and use of the language in her classroom.
Although the article was published more than 10 years ago, many parallels can be seen to the situation teachers and pupils find themselves in today, when it comes to when and how Scots language features in the Scottish school education system. At the same time, you will be able to identify areas where things have evolved.
We are asking you to engage with Shoba’s well-written study, because we think this sets the tone and focus for your study of this CPD course well. Throughout the course, think back to reading Shoba’s article and reflect on developments and attitudes then and today.
Read Shoba’s text and highlight aspects you personally find interesting and important.
Now take notes to answer the following questions about the content of the article:
What does the quote from Macafee (2000, p. 5) that Scots is ‘not well-defined in the public mind’ indicate?
What have you learned about the use of the Scots language and people’s sense of identity through reading this article?
What does Shoba say about the use of Scots and Scottish English in the classroom?
How does Shoba explain that in Scottish education the appreciation of Scots language in the works of people like Robert Burns goes hand in hand with the rejection of the same language for day-to-day use in the classroom?
Why is the extension of pupils’ vocabulary 'seen as a ‘safe’, i.e. socially sanctioned, language learning activity’, and what effects, do teachers hope, can the intensified teaching of Scots words have in the development of the language?
How does Shoba answer the following question: ‘From prohibition to promotion: how far can we go’?
Which teaching strategies used by Mrs Reid in Shoba’s study would you like to try out in your own classroom and why? Take a note of the relevant examples for future use.
Finally, reflect on your own attitudes towards Scots being a central part of education in Scottish schools, and attitudes you have noticed in your professional context. What differences can you see between what Shoba describes and what you and your pupils are experiencing?
You may want to post your notes in your Learning log.