Unfended: Thran survival isn’t enough! From finding our feet to finding our future.

"Ulster Scots is a linguistic paradox. It is undefended, having been abandoned by the halls of power for prestige; it is undefeated, surviving in the mouths of the folk and the rhythms of the Ards; and until now, it has been undefined, lacking the very vocabulary—like diglossia or translanguaging—needed to explain its own existence."

When Perception Isn’t Reality

When I was young — in all honesty I could have said — Irish doesn’t exist.  But how?  I knew no one who spoke Irish.  I knew no one learning Irish.  I knew no one with any interest in Irish. I knew no one with an opinion on Irish - either good or bad.  And though that was my lived experience — it wasn’t correct — because Gaeilge did exist — it just didn’t exist in my context.

Owning the Words We Speak: Language as a Bridge, Not a Barrier

So what does a win look like?  I don’t mean a fantasy win — six numbers on the lottery or a huge inheritance from an unknown relation.  So again — what does a win look like in the context of language?  A win is an improved understanding and acceptance of language, accompanied by a sympathetic … Continue reading Owning the Words We Speak: Language as a Bridge, Not a Barrier