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FEATURES Gilbert MacMillan, a Gaelic language teacher at the University of Glasgow, also works as a translator and professional Gaelic singer. There has been a huge demand for his translation services since the 2005 Act, and he has carried out translation work for a variety of organisations, including the Prince���s Trust, the Highland Council, the Gaelic Books Council and St��rlann N��iseanta na G��idhlig, which coordinates the supply of Gaelic educational resources in Scotland. MacMillan has also noticed a particular need for literature translated from English into Gaelic in order to broaden the Gaelic literary corpus, and has worked, for example, on children���s translations of Romeo and Juliet and Dracula for the online Scottish book store, Giglets. Getting an education The creation of learning materials for students of Gaelic is a developing market. The language is used extensively in Scottish education, with more than 100 schools now teaching Gaelic as a second language, often through the medium of Gaelic. While general, Gaelic-medium education was established as far back as the 1980s, more recently the country has seen the opening of stand-alone Gaelic-medium schools. There is now one in Glasgow, one in Inverness, and further establishments are expected to open soon in Edinburgh, Fort William and Portree. Katherine Forsyth, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, sent her children to Glasgow���s Gaelic-medium school, Sgoil Gh��idhlig Ghlaschu, because she wanted them to gain an appreciation of the richness of Gaelic culture. She has been impressed with the language provision at the school, which embraces diversity and has strong links with the city���s Bangladeshi community. Dr Forsyth is learning Gaelic herself and, with the widelycited benefits of bilingualism in mind, she says it was a question of ���why not?��� when it came to sending her children to Gaelic school. Following the success of Gaelic education programmes further afield, with the introduction of Gaelic courses at Harvard, for instance, Scottish Higher Education institutions now are launching Gaelic language initiatives. The main aims of the programme at the University of Glasgow are to promote awareness of the language across the campus, to develop Gaelic degree programmes, and to work alongside related courses, such as the MSc in Translation Studies, to provide students with the linguistic skills they need to improve their employability. One of the most important aspects is to work with individuals who are fluent in Gaelic, in order to increase their confidence in using the language and to highlight the career opportunities available to them as young Gaelic speakers. Job opportunities There are growing chances of employment in the field of Gaelic translation. At present, there are approximately 20 individuals across Scotland involved in professional Gaelic translation work. Although few will be earning a full-time salary from this and most will combine it with other jobs, the pool of talent is small and the opportunities can be immense. Scottish translator Michael Bauer, for example, is leading a small team translating much of Microsoft���s software into Gaelic. Much of the translation work is from English into Gaelic and very rarely the other way around. (MacMillan, a native speaker of Gaelic, has also been asked to translate from Spanish.) Because there are so few translators, not all of them are native Gaelic speakers, which can make for a more challenging translation process, the results of which would be interesting to study in more depth. For translators wishing to add another language to their portfolio of skills, learning Gaelic to a high standard could provide a fascinating challenge and be a way of standing out from the pack professionally. According to MacMillan, the translation work is very varied and may include websites, educational resources, codes of conduct, advertising materials and dictionaries. He believes that the demand for Gaelic material will continue to grow as the number of people able to read and speak it increases. Evidence of this can already be seen, as public bodies in Scotland are obliged to make provision for Gaelic within their organisations under the terms and conditions of the 2005 Act. This has opened up further opportunities to use the language in planning and policy, as well as creating jobs that focus on improving awareness of Gaelic language and culture. This has had a profound effect on the Gaelic-speaking population of Scotland. It appears that there is a growing linguistic confidence building among Gaelic-speakers as a result of the investment and commitment being demonstrated by the Scottish Government. Such commitment is evidence of the value and contribution that Gaelic language and culture has to make to the multicultural landscape of Scotland. In the lead up to the vote for Scottish independence in 2014, this increased focus on Scottish Gaelic, as part of Scotland���s unique and individual cultural identity, may play a strategic role in reinforcing both historical and contemporary difference and diversity across the British Isles. For details of courses and initiatives at the University of Glasgow, email georgina.collins@glasgow.ac.uk. LEARNING RESOURCES �� ANDREW COWAN/SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ��� Learngaelic.net Online search engine for Gaelic courses and information. ��� Cl�� G��idhlig Runs Gaelic courses at a variety of levels, including awareness classes and taster sessions. ��� bbc.co.uk/alba/foghlam/learngaelic Portal for speakers and learners of Gaelic. ��� gaelic4parents.com Interactive site for Gaelic-speaking children and their parents. ��� foramnagaidhlig.net Open forum for discussing Gaelic language issues. ON THE PAGE: Launch of the Scottish Gaelic Thesaurus in 2011 Vol/51 No/6 2012 DECEMBER/JANUARY The Linguist 23