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3 The Celtic fringe The Celtic fringe a) The Celtic fringe is an area of Europe where the local population keeps up Celtic customs and/or speaks Gaelic (also called Gaeltacht regions). With the help of the internet and an atlas, create a poster and mark all regions of the Celtic fringe. b) Choose one area and find out more about the customs and traditions there. Present your results. Reading: Only Gaelic? Read the fact file and the text. Underline arguments for and against the “Only Gaelic” movement. 1  2  Fact file Ireland When Ireland became independent in 1922, Irish Gaelic was introduced as a compulsory school subject for up to twelve years in an effort to revive the language. Nevertheless, the number of native speakers is declining. Speakers of Gaelic Ireland: 41.4% of the total population regard them- selves as competent Irish speakers (2011 census). Wales: 19% of the population are able to speak Welsh (2011 UK census). Scotland: On the Outer Hebrides, 52% are Scottish Gaelic speakers, in the Highlands about 5% and in the rest of Scotland the figure is less than 1% (2011 census of Scotland). F Can you imagine having to take an exam – or “The Exam”, as it’s ominously known around here – before you could buy a house? In this vibrant, friendly town on Galway Bay, Spiddal, potential homebuyers must submit to a rigorous oral test to see if they’re worthy of receiving the keys to a new home. They aren’t tested on housekeeping skills. Rather, they’re tested to see if they can speak Irish Gaelic. In order to protect the use of the Irish language – to “preserve the region’s cultural identity” – the Galway County Council enforces strict regulations about who can – and can’t – move in. “We’re discriminating against the rest of the world,” explains Tina Curran, an office worker. “We’re closing ourselves off to outside influences by only letting certain people in.” […] The number of people who speak Irish – the oldest vernacular language still spoken in Europe – is dwindling. The vast majority of the 350,000 who claim to speak Irish daily are children who only use it in compulsory Irish language classes. The number of “daily speakers” – those who, crucially, speak Irish in the home – is much lower. The combined population of the Gaeltacht regions is only 85,000. The people in Spiddal are proud of their linguistic heritage, but many believe the housing rules are isolating. “Areas benefit when new people move in, whether it’s because they bring more employment or new cultures,” she says. “I don’t think we should say to someone who can’t hold a conversation in Irish that they are less worthy of living in a beautiful area. If we do, we’re being unfair to them and to us, because we’re losing out from new experiences and ideas.” (Brendan O’Neill, The Christian Science Monitor , 6 February 2007; abridged) 5 10 15 20 25 30 Listening: Irish at schools in the past a) Listen to the Irishman John McLaughlin and find out what he thinks about compulsory Irish language classes in general. Take notes. b) Listen again and answer the following questions: • What subjects were taught in Irish when the speaker went to school? • What does the speaker say about his brother? Listening: Gaelic expressions Listen to the Scottish speakers of Gaelic and find out what the following Gaelic words mean in English: bodach cailleach galair 3  1.5 4  1.6 46 Regional identities Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv