Speaking our language
January 28, 2022
Host: Iain MacLeod
Guests: Leanne Hinton and Bernard Cameron
We heard two perspectives on language revitalization—from Nova Scotia Gaelic teacher Bernard Cameron, and from author, advocate and practicing trainer Leanne Hinton, who has led workshops on this topic for indigenous communities all over the world. Together they shared their thoughts on language and cultural reclamation, and what they’ve discovered is "enough" for individuals and communities wanting to use Gaelic in their everyday lives.
What we heard
Leanne Hinton' s interest in language revitalization began as a student with the Havasupai Tribe in Arizona and continued in California as a founder for Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS). She spoke about successes with the Yurok language in Northern California and with Hawaiian.
The Advocates group was called in to help the Yurok Tribe when they realized that although Elders were teaching the language in the school, few children could speak the language fluently. They also noticed missing generations of adults. Who would replace the Elders? Leanne trained adults through the Advocates' Master-Apprentice Program, in which adult learners work with Elders. Eventually they developed a whole cadre of teachers.
Leanne emphasized that more than formal language learning at school is needed. Children also need to be immersed in the language of everyday life. In Hawaii, which now has a large language revitalization community, precedence in language learning programs is given to children who are already using the language at home. (Similar to the CSAP French language schools in Nova Scotia.) This helps with transmission in the home.
“You aren’t going to make it the language of your daily life unless you make a decision to,” she said. And often that decision is made in the young adult years.
She said parents play a role by raising kids to understand the importance of the heritage language.
“I used to get invited to Hawaii to tell the students that they are doing something that the whole world is honouring. So many people appreciate that they are bringing their language back. And how hard it is to do that, but how important it is as a way of reclaiming your identity, heritage and culture."
Iain asked Leanne about her experience training Gaelic teams in the Master-Apprentice Program in Novas Scotia in 2011.
“Well the importance of music was one thing that was big,” she said. “When I was at the workshop people were singing all the time. The other thing I learned about Gaelicis that conversation is an artform. Someone said, ‘conversation is education.’ When people tell stories they learn things. The joy of dancing and singing and listening to stories and hearing stories, that is something that seems very big in Gaelic culture and it makes a great format for language learning and language revitalization.”
Her observation gels with Bernard Cameron’s experience as a language learner and teacher in his home community of Mabou, N.S.
Although Bernard grew up with parents who were Gaelic speakers, they didn’t pass their language on to their children, nor did the neighbouring Gaelic-speaking parents. He realized how much he heard and remembered, however, when he enrolled at STFX university in the early 1980s.
“I would hear things in these passages that we were listening to . . . and I would say, Oh, I heard that before, that sounds familiar. . . maybe in some ways I was even partially immersed in Gaelic growing up without even knowing. I heard enough of it from my parents and friends visiting.”
Bernard eventually moved to Scotland for a year where people his age and younger spoke Gaelic. This inspired him.
When asked about when he felt he had “enough” to begin speaking, Bernard said that although he started out learning with books and grammar the language flowed for him when he was socializing in Gaelic in Scottish pubs, and later back home in Cape Breton at dances and other informal settings.
“That’s what resonated more with me,” he said. “When you brought the culture into it in an informal setting."
Maybe, he said, folks he spoke with weren't ready to speak Gaelic. "Maybe none of us were. But I think if you wait for that time, it’s not going to happen. The time is when you have one-word, start speaking it.”
Bernard said as a teacher in community classes he finds that, curiously, adults who were children of Gaelic speakers have a harder time speaking than others. Maybe the words aren’t coming out of their mouths at first the way they heard them when they were young. He also acknowledges they can be carrying some pain.
His teaching strategy is to use a lot of repetition, everyone vocalizing together and breaking into smaller groups where it is less intimidating to speak. “Eventually it comes out.”
He speaks about his older brothers who have words he doesn’t have, but who may be hesitant to use their words. He said he slowly draws it out of them in comfortable situations.
“Having a little is better than having none,” he said. Keep striving and Gaelic in as many situations as you can.”
He likes the Gàidhlig aig Baile (GaB) approach where the class cooks and does activities together while learning language. “
“Bring the fun with the language. And then I think people see the fun and fun stories that go with it.”
He recalled a time when he memorized a story to tell at a gathering. His contribution was acknowledged by everyone and it felt good, even though he thought he made many mistakes.
“You will never be perfect. Keep striving and use the words that you can.”
Leanne concurs. “Learn a new word. Use it every day. Even when speaking English, use that word. Teach it to everyone.”
What stayed with you from the conversations?
Themes and quotes from our small group conversations (read all the comments here)
The importance of having a supportive community of Gaelic speakers.
I think that music can play such an important role in motivating and transmitting language
We have a very powerful and uplifting social culture. It's so important to leverage it as part of our efforts to regain the language. We all have something to bring to the ceilidh
I love the importance of community and am very excited to see Gaels in Nova Scotia using the internet to strengthen community. These are great language opportunities themselves.
Using your resources and learning from the people around you - I learn so much about Gaelic culture from people who may not speak the language and am constantly learning new words from people who heard Gaelic growing up in the classes I teach. Though it can be frustrating at times, I also think it is exciting that no one is ever really ‘done’ learning Gaelic - there’s always more to learn, new stories, songs etc.
This has been another interesting discussion and I love meeting folks in the breakout rooms.
There is a value not only in linking with others in your target language, but the linking and support of lesser-used languages everywhere for support methodology and encouragement
I just was in my breakout session with a person in Vancouver and the other from California - our conversation was all in Gaelic. Celebrate the small victories!!
Lots of reasons to commit to the language. Great perspective shared tonight! Taing mhor!