Cinzia's Testimonial
My mother’s maternal family were all first language Gaelic speakers, but my mother and her siblings were not brought up with the language due to the social and political climate at the time. My father was Italian and we were brought up bilingual, which allowed me the freedom to travel in Italy and to study a language academically that I was already fluent in, ensuring me at least one A grade!
When we moved back North temporarily after becoming pregnant with our first child nine years ago, I wasn’t thinking about education; I fully believed that I would be back at work in the South of England after six months and back on my career path, but island life changed my mind as I looked at it as a mother. When it came to register our first child at nursery, I didn’t think twice about English or Gaelic because I knew how important a second language had been to me (although I probably didn’t realise it at the time). I have just registered my third child to start school in August and opting out to English didn’t cross my mind as I am now learning Gaelic too as I do homework with my children. It isn’t always easy. My oldest child is now in P4 and I am finding the reading more difficult, but there are resources out there to help and my wonderful friends and neighbours are always on hand when it gets too much. My husband has started Duolingo so that he can help with the homework when he is home, and having tried it, it does help to get the basics. However, it alone won’t allow us to keep up with the children who can now talk to each other in Gaelic leaving us hoping that it isn’t something we should know!
I believe that learning a second language in an environment where it is a living language, including among native, first-language speakers, as is the case in the Western Isles, carries an additional benefit to our children. Meanwhile they are able to grow stronger roots and a sense of belonging as they are linguistically and culturally growing up in the communities of their ancestors.
I don’t know what the long term benefits are of learning a second or subsequent language, but I know that it helped me to study other languages with more ease, and that it helped me to be more independent abroad as a teenager / young adult – not only in Italy, and afforded me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had with only one language. I was also able to chat with my sister without others understanding, and I enjoyed learning my father’s dialect (Neapolitan) as I grew too – allowing us freedom to chat freely in Scotland and like a local in Naples.
Our children are enjoying GM education, the oldest has now started formally learning English at school as well as her Gaelic, and we all enjoy using whatever Gaelic we can to immerse ourselves in the culture and community of the Isle of Lewis – sometimes to hilarious effect when we get it wrong!
Bha Gàidhlig mar chiad chànan aig teaghlach màthar mo mhàthar, ach cha deach mo mhàthair agus a peathraichean a thogail leis a’ chànan air sgàth na gnàth-shìde shòisealta agus phoilitigeach aig an àm. Bha Eadailtis aig m’ athair agus chaidh ar togail dà-chànanach, rud a thug saorsa dhomh siubhal san Eadailt agus cànan a sgrùdadh gu h-acadaimigeach anns an robh mi fileanta mar-thà, a’ dèanamh cinnteach gu robh co-dhiù aon ìre A agam!
Nuair a ghluais sinn air ais gu tuath airson ùine às deidh dhuinn a bhith trom leis a’ chiad leanabh againn o chionn naoi bliadhna, cha robh mi a’ smaoineachadh air foghlam; Bha mi gu tur a’ creidsinn gum bithinn air ais aig obair ann an ceann a deas Shasainn às deidh sia mìosan agus air ais air mo chùrsa-beatha, ach dh’atharraich beatha eileanach m’ inntinn fhad ‘s a bha mi a’ coimhead air mar mhàthair.
Nuair a thàinig e gu bhith a’ clàradh a’ chiad leanabh againn san sgoil-àraich, cha do smaoinich mi dà uair air Beurla no Gàidhlig oir bha fios agam cho cudromach sa bha dàrna cànan dhomh (ged is dòcha nach do thuig mi sin aig an àm). Tha mi dìreach air an treas leanabh agam a chlàradh airson tòiseachadh san sgoil san Lùnastal agus cha do chuir a bhith a’ roghnachadh a-mach gu Beurla a-steach m’ inntinn oir tha mi a-nis ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig cuideachd agus mi a’ dèanamh obair-dachaigh le mo chlann. Chan eil e an-còmhnaidh furasta. Tha an leanabh as sine agam a-nis ann am P4 agus tha an leughadh nas duilghe dhomh, ach tha goireasan a-muigh an sin airson cuideachadh agus tha mo charaidean agus mo nàbaidhean sgoinneil an-còmhnaidh ri làimh nuair a dh’ fhàsas e cus.
Tha an duine agam air Duolingo a thòiseachadh gus an urrainn dha cuideachadh leis an obair-dachaigh nuair a tha e aig an taigh, agus an dèidh dha feuchainn, cuidichidh e gus na bunaitean fhaighinn. Ach, cha leig e leinn a bhith a’ cumail suas ris a’ chloinn a tha a-nis comasach air bruidhinn ri chèile ann an Gàidhlig a’ fàgail sinn an dòchas nach e rud air am bu chòir fios a th’ ann!
Tha mi a’ creidsinn gu bheil a bhith ag ionnsachadh dàrna cànan ann an àrainneachd far a bheil i na cànan beò, a’ gabhail a-steach am measg luchd-labhairt dùthchasach,
ciad chànan, mar a tha anns na h-Eileanan Siar, na bhuannachd a bharrachd don chloinn againn. Aig an aon àm tha e comasach dhaibh freumhan nas làidire fhàs agus faireachdainn de bhuinteanas leis gu bheil iad a’ fàs suas gu cànanach agus gu cultarail ann an coimhearsnachdan an sinnsirean.
Chan eil fios agam dè na buannachdan fad-ùine a tha an lùib a bhith ag ionnsachadh dàrna cànan neo cànan às a dhèidh, ach tha fios agam gun do chuidich e mi cànanan eile ionnsachadh nas fhasa, agus gun do chuidich e mi a bhith nas neo-eisimeiliche thall thairis mar dheugaire / inbheach òg – chan ann a-mhàin san Eadailt, agus thug e cothroman dhomh nach biodh agam ach le aon chànan. Bha e comasach dhomh cabadaich le mo phiuthar cuideachd gun tuigse eile, agus chòrd e rium a bhith ag ionnsachadh dualchainnt m’ athar (Neapolitan) mar a dh’ fhàs mi cuideachd – a’ toirt dhuinn saorsa a bhith a’ cabadaich gu saor ann an Alba agus mar neach ionadail ann an Naples.
Tha ar clann a’ faighinn tlachd à foghlam MG, tha am fear as sine a-nis air tòiseachadh ag ionnsachadh Beurla gu foirmeil san sgoil cho math ris a’ Ghàidhlig aice, agus tha e a’ còrdadh rinn uile a bhith a’ cleachdadh na Gàidhlig as urrainn dhuinn gus sinn fhèin a bhogadh ann an cultar is coimhearsnachd Eilean Leòdhais – uaireannan gu h-èibhinn nuair a gheibh sinn ceàrr e!
