Scots language in literature and creative writing
6. Research
Activity 10
As the topic of this unit is writing in Scots, we want to introduce you to an area where Scots is thriving as a written language – social media. It is important to note that the younger generations are driving this movement and that the way in which Scots is used as a written language here is even driving wider changes in the language.
To start with, please read this article by Jamieson and Ryan in The Conversation on ‘How Twitter is helping the Scots language thrive in the 21st century’.
1. When reading the article, take notes on points covered in this piece which you consider important, especially on the areas identified by the article’s two sub-headings:
The private and the public voice
Writing like you speak
2. You may want to follow some of the links to other publications on the use of Scots on social media, for example Eve Livingston’s recent article for The Face or research showing that people are more likely to write in a minority language such as Scots in posts directed at a specific user. Another fascinating publication is Sadie Ryan’s research on the computer-mediated communication of Glaswegian pre-teens.
3. Once you have finished reading the article, consider what aspects are particularly pertinent when you think about writing in Scots in the context of formal education, again coming back to the aspects of private vs public language use and writing like one speaks (something pupils are normally told not to do!). Take some notes and make plans an what you need to be mindful of when teaching writing in Scots and encouraging pupils to overcome mental barriers they might have due to how they have been taught writing in English, where there is a formal standard they learned to adhere to.
Learning log