Ulster-Scots Education Resources

A series of on-line education resources for teaching and learning Ulster-Scots will be available soon.

Background

The introduction of Ulster-Scots as a language subject into the schools’ curriculum in Northern Ireland depends on the availability of an appropriate range of foundational textbooks and classroom resources. Because of this, the Education Programme of the Ulster-Scots Academy is closely related to our Language Development Programme and the provision of these resources to support accredited courses (to examination standards). These consist of dictionaries, spelling guides, grammar books, Ulster-Scots texts in the form of ‘readers’, and — in particular — classroom materials in the form of model ‘lessons’ with appropriate notes for teachers.

For adults, a need has also been identified for the provision of:

  • Language acquisition classes for non-speakers
  • Ulster-Scots literacy for native speakers
  • Creative writing classes in Ulster-Scots

All accredited language classes require evidence of skill acquisition in each of the following areas:

  • Speaking
  • Listening (understanding)
  • Reading
  • Writing

Of course, Ulster-Scots adult classes attract a wide range of abilities, from fluent native speakers (many of whom are unfamiliar with written Ulster-Scots), to non-speakers (many of whom can understand an amount of the written material). Because of the relatively close linguistic relationship between English spoken colloquially in Ulster and ‘light’ Ulster-Scots, most beginners have a head start, but the teaching approach (and materials required) are not the same as with other languages entirely distinct from English.

Important resource preparation work for adult classes has been done by the USLS in the piloting of classroom resources for an accredited (OCN) 3-year course at North Down College. These include classroom materials in the form of work-sheets covering all the required speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the context of an appreciation of the historical literature (in year 1) and folk culture (in year 3).

The materials provided include:

  1. Listening Resources: A series of Ulster-Scots ‘teacher monologues’, read to students to teach and test their understanding of spoken Ulster-Scots
  2. Speaking Resources: Classroom ‘dialogues’ to enable non-speakers and speakers alike to converse in Ulster-Scots in pairs in the classroom
  3. Reading Resources: Historical and contemporary classroom material in the form of short sample texts of Ulster-Scots writing
  4. Writing Resources: Suggested themes and topics, with samples of students’ work
  5. General Lesson Resources: Classroom worksheets and progressive lesson plans

Classroom materials (sample ‘lessons’):

OCN 1 (Year 1)

  • Lesson 1 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 2 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 3 — classroom worksheet (sample provided)
  • Lesson 4 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 5 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 6 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 7 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 8 — classroom worksheet

OCN 2 (Year 2)

  • Lesson 1 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 2 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 3 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 4 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 5 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 6 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 7 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 8 — classroom worksheet

OCN 3 (Year 3)

  • Lesson 1 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 2 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 3 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 4 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 5 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 6 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 7 — classroom worksheet
  • Lesson 8 — classroom worksheet

NOTICE

The Ulster-Scots Academy has been an integral part of the Ulster-Scots Language Society since 1993. The name "Ulster-Scots Academy" is registered to the USLS with the Intellectual Property Office.

Ulster Scots Academy

LATEST

A new edition of Michael Montgomery’s From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English recounts the lasting impact that at least 150,000 settlers from Ulster in the 18th century made on the development of the English language of the United States. This new edition published by the Ulster-Scots Language Society documents over 500 ‘shared’ vocabulary items which are authenticated by quotations from both sides of the Atlantic. A searchable online version of this dictionary is now also available here.

FORTHCOMING

The Ulster-Scots Academy is currently working on the digitisation of Dr Philip Robinson's seminal Ulster-Scots Grammar and the English/Ulster-Scots part (with circa 10,000 entries) of a two-way historical dictionary of Ulster-Scots. These projects are planned to be completed and available on the site in 2016.

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This site is being developed on a purely voluntary basis by the Ulster-Scots Language Society at no cost to the taxpayer. USLS volunteers have been involved in preserving and promoting Ulster-Scots for more than 20 years. All donations, however small, will be most gratefully received and contribute towards the expansion of the project. Thank you!

This site is being developed by the Ulster-Scots Language Society (Charity No. XN89678) without external financial assistance. USLS volunteers have been involved in preserving and promoting Ulster-Scots for more than 20 years. All donations, however small, will be most gratefully received and contribute towards the expansion of the project. Thank you!

(Friends of the Ulster-Scots Academy group)