Language Planning as Regional Development? The growth of the Gaelic Economy

Bibliographic Data

ID12286705
AuthorsWilson Mcleod (0000-0003-2995-8485, corresponding author)
Year2002
Volume38 (First Serie
Issue1
Pages51-72
Publication date2002-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScottish Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0966-0356 • E-ISSN: 2053-888X
PublisherEdinburgh University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3366/scot.2002.0004
OpenAlexW2144727423
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited3

In recent years considerable emphasis has been placed on strengthening the so-called 'Gaelic economy' within the overall context of Gaelic language development in Scotland, Research suggests that there are now well in excess of a thousand jobs in this 'Gaelic economy', a large proportion of them concentrated in relatively peripheral areas of the Highlands and Islands where they make a useful contribution to the overall regional economy (Sproull and Ashcroft 1993, p.iii). Without question, the emergence of this Gaelic economy has been a significant development, for it challenges the long-standing perception that Gaelic has no practical economic value and that the world of employment requires the adoption and use of English — a perception that has been a prime factor in the language shift from Gaelic to English over recent centuries (Durkacz 1996; Withers 1984). Moreover, the understanding that the traditional language and culture of the region can serve as an engine for the promotion of regional economic development, rather than a brake or depressant, has been a new and exciting prospect for planners. Language development strategies in other jurisdictions, notably Wales and Catalonia, have long emphasized the importance of integrating the minority language into the world of employment and economic life. Doing so not only helps to 'normalize' the language, bringing it into the mainstream and working to ensure its use in the full range of human activity, but it also tends to boost the overall prestige of the language and the demand for its acquisition, particularly among the parents of school-age children (Williams

Context (archaeology · Economic growth · Economics · Economy · Geography · Linguistics · Mainstream · Political science · Politics · Prestige · Promotion (chess · Law · Political Systems and Governance · Scottish History and National Identity

Tools

Open DOI