Emmett McIntyre's blog

The recent growth in the number of Scottish Gaelic Medium schools has resulted in a shortage of qualified Gaelic language teaching staff. The dearth of qualified Gaelic speaking teachers has prompted action by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland).

The organization recently unveiled a three-year plan to address the shortage of qualified Gaelic Medium teaching staff

Misneachd, a group supporting Scots Gaelic, is launching its new manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election in May with hopes to influence party policies. Misneachid is dedicated to the promotion of the use of Gaelic in all aspects of daily life.  

The group are calling for controls on second homes and consideration of Gaelic-speaking housing developments alongside a raft of other proposals.

Linking the economic viability of the Gaeltacht to the advancement of the Irish language, the Language interest group “Cill Dara le Gaeilge” is leading efforts in County Kildare to support businesses that operate in Gaelic.

Linguists have long recognized the importance of the use of threatened languages in commerce as one of the elements leading to language revitalization.

The struggle to protect Welsh from the adverse effects of continued migration into Wales is reaching a boiling point. Concerns steadily mount over the threat posed to the Welsh tongue by property development in Welsh speaking areas. For years the danger posed to the Celtic language of Wales wrought by property development in Welsh speaking areas has been a principle concern to language activists and is again in the forefront of news on the Welsh language.

Julian German, the Leader of the Cornwall Council, has condemned the British Government for slashing funding for Cornish Language initiatives. The latest move by London against the Cornish Language is in violation of the UK commitment to minority languages under the "Framework Convention for Minority Languages". 

The Gaelic Rights group Misneach have mounted a campaign to pressure the Scottish Government to classify discrimination against Gaelic and Gaelic Speakers as a “Hate Crime”.

The group submitted a response to the “Hate Crime and Public Order Bill, calling for the term “Minority Language” to be included in the text of the legislation.

The Gaelic Language group Misneachid is dedicated to the promotion of the use of Gaelic in all aspects of daily life.

The Welsh Governmnent have launched a survey to identify which groups are volunteering in the wake of the Coronavirus shutdowns and which are using the Welsh language in these efforts.

Eluned Morgan, Minister for the Welsh Language, said: "Volunteering through the medium of Welsh and the resulting opportunities to use Welsh in the community has been the backbone of the Welsh language and also play a vitally important role in promoting it."

From the Welsh Government's Web Page:

Excerpts from an article at Nation.Cymru:

The lockdown crisis of the past few months has accelerated a huge social and economic revolution that is taking place before our eyes.

Second homes in rural Wales have rightly become a source of much anger since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.

Many of us have been outraged at the behaviour of some owners during the lockdown, such as those who were, according to police, trying to outwit them.

Cape Breton Island is today home to world’s only Gaelic speaking population outside of Europe. The 2011 Canadian census reported 1,300 Gaelic speakers, with an additional 2,000 enrolled in Gaelic language programs around the province. The Celtic tongue of Nova Scotia is experiencing a remarkable comeback and the credit in large part can be attributed to role played by the by the Gaelic College in nurturing a culture and language which has made its way back from the precipice.

The Masks, offered in Nova Scotia and Capre Breton Tartan, are made at the Collegee by Gaelic Speakers. 

An issue common to both the Irish and Welsh tongues, which has gotten attention recently, is the erosion of traditionally stable linguistic zones as the result of property development.