George's Mingin Medicine as theclassreader - why, exactly??

[SirChenjin]

Apart from the SNP'S obsession with all things Scoa'ish obviously . We don't speak like that, none of our friends or family do, I don't understand the majority of the words and have no idea how to pronounce them - so when I listen to him reading I haver no idea of what he's saying is correct and then have to sign his readi g record. They would have been better giving him a book written in Mandarin - far more relevant and about as understandable to 99% of his class.

Well, whatever.

You are asking why this book is the class reading book. The only person who can answer that is the teacher. And you have your classified answer

Yep, whatever maw.

Thanks for that Francis - I thought neb was head, so every day really is a school day. Anyone want to enlighten me re the others (without looking hem up first, that is)?

them

I knew neb was nose. don't know the others.

Instead of "preserving our heritage" we are in danger of becoming a parochial wee back water. That's where you're wrong. Ordinary English people have no pride in their heritage. I've lived in SE England for over 30 years. People are fed up everywhere. I come back to Scotland and see a more confident nation. I don't vote SNP I don't have a vote here.

I'm glad I don't live in Edinburgh or Glasgow. What has happened?

Happened in what way?

Sirchenjin - from your list of words, neb = nose, and snocher = snuffling and snorting, like when you have a cold.

The others? I don't know. And I'm from Aberdeen. Lived in England for years, but they are not terms I'm familiar with from childhood.

That's where you're wrong

You are entitled to your view of course, but I'm not comparing us with England in particular.

There was a time when it was okay to feel proud to be a Scot and be proud about Scotland's interest and curiosity about the world and trying to make our mark upon it. Now we are drawing in upon ourselves and drawing lines and there is a smugness about it that I really hate. I'm fed up of the screaming of "it's no fair" everytime democracy delivers a result that the nats don't like, like petulant children fighting over who sooked the last of the coulter's candy.

Snocher = snuffling/snorting - yep, that fits.

A few others:
oobits
clockers
carline
unco
warlockry
dowper
rattons
golach

Any takers to save me looking them up?

Opening the book on one random page of 14 line and here are the following words we'll have to translate via a dictionary.

Presumably though, in the book they'll be in some sort of context? They also have a lovely sound to them when read aloud Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing for a child to come across unfamiliar needs in texts - means they can practice all sorts of skills like sounding out, inferring meaning from context, and of course how to use a dictionary

I think I would be pretty unhappy if the entire curriculum was taught in Scots, but it is not , it is a very small part of things, and it is important for kids to learn the history and culture of the country that they are in.

unco = overly (or the opposite, I get confused)

Warlockry = wizardry I think. Much easier in context.

A short poem to teach them how to sound out words, infer meaning and so on is fine. 100 pages full of unfamiliar words (which have little or no context unless you understand the rest of them) is not fine - it's hard going and uninspiring. Would you hand a 9 year old from the east end of Glasgow an old Cornish text and expect them to feel enthused by the process?

Unco - strange
Carline - an old woman
Golach - an insect, like a beetle
Dowp - a bottom
Rattons - rats

Thanks Cocktail - saves me looking them up . Oh hang on - unco doesn't mean overly as Wankers said?

Only another few hundred or so to go

I think Cocktail is right with unco :(

Would you hand a 9 year old from the east end of Glasgow an old Cornish text and expect them to feel enthused by the process?

No, but I might hand a modern text like George's Marvellous Medicine in Cornish to a Cornish 9 year old...

But you also dismissed Bairnsang - which was a short poem written in Scots alongside English providing context, comparison and contrast. It couldn't have been made easier, right there on a plate.

It's ok OP - you don't speak modern Scots. But many do - please be gracious to a language which you admit is not yours and stop sneering.

And if that Cornish child didn't speak the old Cornish dialect I don't imagine they would be particularly enthused either.

At this age, reading should be about inspiring their imagination with the plot and characters - rather than something which requires children to sit with a dictionary because they don't understand the majority of the book.

Excellent whirlie - in which case, can you translate the words I've posted upthread (and the many others which are as foreign to me as Farsi)? It will save me a huge amount of time that could be better spent reading books which interest my son.

At this age, reading should be about inspiring their imagination with the plot and characters

I disagree. It should also be about inspiring a love of the sound and shape of language. Look at a poem like the Jabberwocky - it has the most amazing sound, yet you won't find many of the words in the dictionary - and it doesn't matter because without a dictionary definition they still give the poem meaning and feel.

Scots is like that. Even if the all the words aren't recognised they still sound great, and most kids will still get the feel and meaning of the text without needing to understand all of the words.

Although as a PP said, that poem up thread is great as it compares and contrasts Scots and English in one short text.

It's not necessary to translate all the words to understand a text. Reading for gist is a useful comprehension skill to master.

I know "unco" from Tsm O'Shanter - the men in the pub are described as "unco fu" or something meaning very drunk. Think carline is in that poem too, no idea what it means though.