Advice for German Gaelic Learners
People are learning the Scottish Gaelic language all over the world. You might expect the countries to which Gaels emigrated in the 18th–20th centuries to be among the places where Gaelic language learning is the most popular. That is indeed the case, but another country where many people are studying Gaelic is Germany.
This post was inspired by a question that I received from a German blog reader. She was looking for advice because she was very interested in learning Gaelic, but had received negative reactions from some native Gaelic speakers and was not sure whether to pursue Gaelic. I’m sharing her question and my answer with her permission. “Sophie” (a pseudonym) wrote:
I am from Germany and quite fluent in English and on my way to be fluent in Spanish as well, I also had Latin lessons in school. My last English teacher (who is originally from Scotland) did something where she taught us some Gaelic in the last weeks before vacations began. I really started taking interest then and she suggested the book “Scottish Gaelic in twelve weeks” to everyone who voiced interest.
I had my first graduation that following year so I put it aside. (I am now 17 and working on my next graduation in two years). I picked up interest in this language again, since I am less stressed now and have a much better concept of how to study. I began talking to some people about it and I had some natives tell me that it is disrespectful that I want to learn to speak it. They asked me for my motives, which are that I love languages and want to go to university for linguistics or something similar and that I fell in love with Gaelic and Scotland. They just dropped the discussion then.
Now I am in serious doubt about whether or not I should learn it. I pick up grammar and vocabulary quite fast and never had trouble with learning any language at all but all the negativity made me think about it.
Here is the original advice I gave to Sophie, along with some extra details and encouragement. It’s important to encourage learners because every new speaker of the language can contribute to the language community in some way. In fact the “new speakers” of minority languages, defined by sociolinguists as “individuals with little or no home or community exposure to a minority language but who instead acquire it through immersion or bilingual educational programs, revitalization projects or as adult language learners” (O’Rourke et. al 2015), are among the groups who are helping to reverse the decline in numbers of Gaelic speakers in Scotland, to say nothing of Nova Scotia where they are the most numerous users of Gaelic.
I remember in my first Gaelic course at the University of Aberdeen about a million years ago, there were students from Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, and Iceland. We had a great time in class and at Celtic Society activities and learned so much together. It showed me that learning and using Gaelic doesn’t have to be about “blood” or where you were born. Everyone deserves to have a positive experience like that when learning Gaelic.
The Many Contributions of German Gaels
German students are a definite presence not only in the mainland university Gaelic programs, but also at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. In 2010, a SMO representative said “Germans tend to be exceptional students who continue to live and work in Scotland and remain very committed to the language.” in 2010-11, there were 3 German students on full-time courses at Sabhal Mòr, and in 2011-12 there were expected to be 3 full-time, 3 in distance learning courses, and 11 on short Gaelic courses.
German Gaels have made many contributions to contemporary Gaelic culture and institutions. For example:
Michael Bauer is a computer programmer and developer of iGàidhlig localization software for Scottish Gaelic-medium computer applications, as well as the co-creator of the online Gaelic-English dictionary Am Faclair Beag.
Janni Diez is the Language Development Officer of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
Michael Klevenhaus is the founder and director of Deutsches Zentrum für Gälische Sprache und Kultur in Bonn, Germany. He has created a Gaelic language coursebook and a Gaelic grammar for German speakers. His institute provides Gaelic evening classes, weekend classes and Skype courses through German.
Sìleas Landgraf NicLeòid is a postdoctoral researcher at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig who earned a PhD in Gaelic Sociolinguistics through SMO, University of the Highlands and Islands and University of Aberdeen.
Andreas Wolff is a BBC Alba correspondent and Gaelic teacher living in Scotland.
There are so many enthusiastic and successful German learners of Gaelic, in fact, that a Gaelic word has been coined to describe them: Gàidheileamailteach, or German Gael, a Gaelic portmanteau made by combining the Gaelic words Gàidheal (Gael) and Gearmailteach (German).
The Gaelic television channel BBC Alba aired a 2013 television documentary about German Gaels, “Na Gàidheileamailtich.” Sadly the program is no longer available online, but a short clip can still be viewed internationally.
The March 2016 launch in Bonn of Michael Klevenhaus’s Gaelic novel for young people, Uinneag don Iar (Window to the West), about the Berlin Wall and its aftermath. Photo credits: Michael Klevenhaus (L) and Heike Winter (R).
Why Were Some Gaelic Native Speakers Discouraging You?
Because the Gaelic language was dismissed, denigrated and attacked for so long in Scotland, over the past few centuries many native Gaelic speakers came to accept the majority Scottish culture’s negative view of their own language.
Some native speakers may also see the language not as a means of universal communication that can be learned and used by anyone, but rather as an in-group language that properly belongs only to them. (I have written an academic article relating to this.)
A bharrachd air a sin (in addition to that), some native speakers are not literate in Gaelic — they cannot read and write it — and when people like this meet students who are interested in learning Gaelic through reading and writing, or Gaelic learners who can read and write the language easily, they may feel threatened or defensive. (I have written an academic article about this phenomenon too. It was my own negative experiences that led me to want to understand these kinds of reactions better.)
Reflecting on my own Gaelic learning efforts, I have met many more positive people than negative people, although the discouraging people and trolls are strong in my memory and have hurt me deeply. But “negativity bias” seems to be a human trait. We recall our negative experiences in better detail than positive ones. My advice would be to disregard the discouraging people. Thank them politely for their input and then move on and forget about them if you can. Instead, consciously dwell on the positive encouragement that you received from your first Gaelic teacher. Seek out teachers and fellow students with a positive attitude, learn Gaelic to the best of your ability (which sounds very great indeed!), and enjoy. I should take my own advice more often; thank you for reminding me of this with your question!
Resources for Gaelic Learners in Germany
Fortunately there are many good resources available to support your Gaelic learning in Germany. I asked Davine Sutherland, a Scottish Gaelic teacher living in Germany, about your situation. Davine encourages you to continue learning Gaelic, and suggests some resources to support your learning journey:
The German Gaelic Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inagg/
Michael Klevenhaus’s German forum in Bonn: http://www.schottisch-gaelisch.de/phpBB2/
A coursebook by Michael Klevenhaus that comes with answers and audio CDs: http://www.schottisch-gaelisch.de/Lehrmaterial_-_Stuth-teagaisg.html
Deutsches Zentrum für Gälische Sprache und Kultur – Acadamaidh na Gàidhlig: night classes, weekend classes, and Skype courses: http://www.schottisch-gaelisch.de
Runrig’s album launch for “The Story” in Bochum, Germany, January 2016. Photo courtesy of Davine Sutherland.
Words of Encouragement to German Gaelic Learners
I asked some German Gaels and a German-speaking Gael if they could provide advice to Sophie and other German-speaking people who are interested in learning Gaelic. Here are their words of advice and encouragement:
Janni Diez, Language Planning officer at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, says:
“You should definitely continue to learn Gaelic. Although you will come across Gaelic speakers who don’t approve of your efforts to learn what they feel is their language, there are also many who will support and encourage you. Learning Gaelic will open doors to another culture and world which needs every single speaker of Gaelic. It will broaden your linguistic and cultural horizon and might give you great job opportunities. Don’t give up!”
Fearchar MacIllfhinnein, a fluent speaker of Gaelic and German who works in a Gaelic-related job in Scotland, offers this advice:
“Emily hat eigentlich alles gesagt, was nötig ist, aber in Deutschland lohnt es sich bestimmt, sich in Verbindung mit Michael Klevenhaus zu setzen. Es gibt noch mehrere Gälischlerner unter den Deutschen, aber ab und zu mal gibt es Wochenendkursen in Bonn. Man kann auch die Webseite www.learngaelic.net gebrauchen, um weitere Informationen und Lernmaterialien zu bekommen. Man soll auch in Kauf nehmen, dass die moisten Gälischsprecher weder auf dem schottishen Inseln noch auf dem Hochlandsgebiet wohnen sondern in den Ballungsgebieten, aber Gälischsprecher in ländlichen Gegenden sind leichter zu finden. Wir haben keine Merkmale wie grüne Hautfarbe oder Schwänze, obwohl man manchmal etwas Akzent auf Englisch erkennen kann.
BBC Radio nan Gaidheal ist leicht zu empfangen und zwar in der ganzen Welt (na ja, wo es Internetverbindung gibt), und viele hören Sendungen in ganz fernen Ländern wie Australien oder Canada zu.”
Finally, Michael Klevenhaus, founder of Deutsches Zentrum für Gälische Sprache und Kultur – Acadamaidh na Gàidhlig, advises:
Dear Sophie, if you want to learn Gaelic, do it and let nobody keep you from doing it. I can tell you from my own experience that the overwhelming majority of Gaelic speakers will appreciate your efforts and will support you. It will be different from learning French or another “big” language but worth it. If you need some advice about how and where to start don’t hesitate to ask me.
Liebe Sophie, wenn Du Gälisch lernen möchtest, dann mach es und lass Dich von niemandem abhalten. Aus meiner eigenen Erfahrung kann ich Dir sagen, dass die überwiegende Mehrheit der Gälischsprecher Dich dabei unterstützen wird. Es wird anders sein, als würdest Du Französisch oder eine andere “große” Sprache lernen, aber es lohnt sich. Wenn Du eine Rat brauchst, wie und wo Du am besten anfängst, kannst Du mich gerne fragen. Viel Glück!
We all encourage German people who are interested in Gaelic and Scottish culture to take up the study of Scottish Gaelic language, wherever you are!
This post ends with a 1993 song by the Scottish Gaelic band Runrig, “Sràidean Na Roinn Eòrpa” (Streets Of Europe), which contains an emotional and encouraging acknowledgement of the band’s strong German fan base and the possibilities of cultural exchange.
Perhaps some clarification about TV broadcasting would help.
BBC ALBA is only a TV channel, run as a partnership between BBC Scotland and the funding body MG ALBA, but it does not produce programmes.
BBC Scotland’s Gaelic Department and a range of independent production companies produce programmes for the channel.
Tapadh leat, Fhearchair, I’ll edit my post later today to reflect that.
EDIT: Done!
There is a proverb here: “God protect me from my friends, and I will handle my enemies.” If one learns a foreign language, there are some people, from time to time, who say negative things. But there are also people who speak it fluently and say negative things. One likes to think that these people would be happy when one learns their language, but no – they are really totally unhelpful! When I learned german, I thought that every native german speaker would be helpful, but I found that some german speakers would only speak english with me. I talked to them in german but they replied only in english.
There is already good advice for Sophie here, but I want to add one more thing. Every language plays a role in society and that role changes over time. Just think of latin. In c.300AD it was the common language of Europe, but in c.600 it was much more just the language of official documents.
There is a lot of research about the completely similar patterns of change in the popular languages, young or old. For instance, Ancient Egyptian follows a very similar pattern to Latin.
Therefore, it is completely natural that Scottish Gaelic finds itself in a transition period. From a minority language on the verge of dying, to a revitalized international language. Completely natural (Sanskrit was also such a language) but many in society are against change. They are Reactionaries; they want that some or other thing remains totally the same as it was, and how it feels comfortable to them. Are they wrong? Perhaps, perhaps not. No one knows for certain. But WE don’t agree. WE want it that such a culturally rich and historical language as Gaelic grows thru new speakers everywhere. So….in life, be passionate! Stand up for what you believe in! Don’t let the Reactionaries win!
Seo rud a thachair dhomhsa: an latha a bha seo, bha mi ann am Port Rìgh còmhla ri caraid a’ ceannach aran aig a’ mhargaid. Bha deagh thaghadh ann agus bha sinn a’ bruidhinn ri chèile sa Ghearmailtis air dè an seòrsa arain a bha sinn airson ceannach. Thòisich an reiceadair a’ bruidhinn sa Ghearmailtis rinn on a bha deagh Ghearmailtis aice. An uairsin nuair a phàigh mi, thuirt mi “Mòran taing” sa Ghàidhlig rithe agus abair thusa gun robh a’ Ghàidhlig aice cuideachd! Bha i air a dòigh ghlan is thuirt i: “Tha deagh Ghàidhlig air na Gearmailtich an-còmhnaidh!” Mar sin, cum ort ag ionnsachadh!
Mir ist folgendes passiert: ich war mit einer Freundin in Portree, Brot am Markt kaufen. Die hatten eine gute Auswahl, und wir haben auf Deutsch miteinander besprochen, welche Sorte Brot wir kaufen wollen. Die Verkäuferin fing an, Deutsch mir uns zu sprechen, da sie gut Deutsch konnte. Als ich dann bezahlte, habe ich “Mòran taing” gesagt und es stellte sich heraus, daß sie auch Gälisch sprach! Sie hat sich echt gefreut und gesagt: „Die Deutschen können immer so gut Gälisch!“ Bleib also beim Lernen dabei!
P.S. There’s a link collection for learning Gaelic on my homepage too. You don’t nnecessarily have to stick to 1 resource only – pick whatever works best for you personally.
Great article. Thank you. I am still very much at the beginning and have been learning Gaelic for aobut a year now. I myself had no bad experiences, unless I had no oppotunity to try it yet… but I heard from other learners.I think, it is just good to know about this phenomenon in advance, for not to be too disappointed when it happens.
You have to realise that Scots Gaels and Irish are, by nature, “clannish”. To be Irish, to be Gaelic, is to be the language. I am 2nd generation Irish und 3rd Generation Scots Gaelic, which is enough for me to be “out” in some circumstances and “in” in others. Pure lovers of the language with no family links would be looked on suspiciously (Queen Elizabeth 1 had her own Irish dictionary, and look what happened in Ireland under her reign!). But that is their opinion and perfectly entitled to feel so, because it’s their culture.