Scots and literacy development
5. Community link
Shetland ForWirds: www.shetlanddialect.org.uk
We also suggest visiting the group ‘Wir Midder Tongue’ which is run by members of the Shetland public on Facebook.
Shetland ForWirds was formed in 2004 after a conference focussing on Shetland dialect was held by the local Arts Trust. Support for, as well as passion for, the dialect of Scots language unique to the isles was such that this voluntary group was created and registered with OSCR as a charity.
For
over 16 years now, the group has been active and responsive to the
cause of fostering and promoting the use of written and spoken
Shetland dialect. The central aim of the group is for the dialect to
be a valued and essential element of Shetland’s distinctive
heritage and culture. The group not only creates their own projects,
but also raises money to fund partnership projects and commission new
work.
Their website includes the entire Shetland Dictionary, complete with sound recordings of each word, as well as an extensive Learning section where education materials are available. These learning materials have all been printed and packaged by the group as resource boxes and given to every school in Shetland.