Lots of discussion going on around the decline of #Gàidhlig, particularly in the Western Isles.

I can’t speak on the topic much as a non-native speaker, but I can say on a wider point:

If you have speakers of the ‘prestige’ language moving into these areas, in this case speaking English, it’s no wonder the usage of Gaelic drops. You need people who move into the area feel obligated to use the language or others will revert to English for them.

There are lots of other reasons too, such as older generations being discouraged from using it and the knock-on effect that has on the youth.

Another issue is the lack of cultural output in #Gàidhlig that can ‘rival’ English-language equivalents.

I don’t mean this to put down #Gàidhlig output - Peat and Deiseil are great (as an example), but when BBC Alba is primarily showing re-runs or an old language learning show from decades ago - you can’t be surprised that it may put off learners.

Fundamentally you’re in a double bind where this isn’t about learners, this is about the communities that are losing their language and by extension heir identity, while also the reality that learners are put off by that too.

No easy answers.

This is a great thread too from @cananballs. (If you can’t read #Gàidhlig, the translations are good enough on these tweets to understand the gist). https://twitter.com/cananballs/status/1278710383100997634?s=21