Scots Language & Poetry in the Classroom
A P3–P7 Language resource on using Scots language and poetry in the classroom — key Scots vocabulary, poems by Robert Burns and Hugh MacDiarmid, how to read Scots aloud, and links to CfE literacy.
Preview
Page count: 2. Print-ready PDF — letter / A4 friendly. Click image to see all pages.
Scots language in the classroom
- 1 Status of Scots Scots is recognised by the Scottish Government as a distinct language (not a dialect of English). Approximately 1.5 million Scots speakers. CfE explicitly values Scots language and literature.
- 2 Scots vocabulary — everyday words braw (fine/splendid), dreich (grey, wet, dismal), outwith (outside/beyond), wee (small), loch (lake), burn (stream), aye (yes), naw (no), och (exclamation), dinnae (don't), cannae (can't)
- 3 Robert Burns and Scots Burns wrote in Scots at a time when educated Scots wrote in English. His choice was deliberate and political — a celebration of Scottish vernacular language. 'To a Mouse' and 'Tam o' Shanter' are the most accessible classroom Scots poems.
- 4 Hugh MacDiarmid (1892–1978) Born Christopher Grieve in Langholm. Revived Scots as a literary language in the 20th century through 'Lallans' (literary Scots). His collection Sangschaw (1925) began the Scottish Renaissance.
- 5 Reading Scots aloud Scots should be read aloud — it comes alive when spoken. Key sounds: 'ch' = guttural LOCH sound; 'ae' = long A; 'ui' = OO sound (guid = GOOD, puir = POOR); 'oo' = OO in boon.
- 6 CfE link Scots literature is explicitly mentioned in CfE's Literacy and English experiences and outcomes. 'Reading, listening to and creating literature in Scots' is part of the First and Second Level requirements.
Learning objective
Read Scots vocabulary and simple poems aloud with correct pronunciation; describe the status of Scots in CfE; understand Burns's use of Scots as a political and cultural choice.
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