Manx
As a high school student in the Isle of Man, we were offered the chance to study Manx but at that age all you can think of is "more lessons" and you therefore stay well away. While it can be argued that people should be able to choose whether or not to learn their local language, it must be remembered that a choice made by a child back then may live to regret it now. I know there are times when I wish I'd learned more of my home language.
Sent by: Adam
Comments
I am one of 6 children, 3 of which speak fluent Manx. They go to the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh on the Isle of Man which opened in 1999. It has a very high standard of both teachers and pupils, unlike some other schools on the island they encourage great pride. My brother sat his Manx GCSE when he was 14. So are we saying that because it's a minority language that they should learn something more popular instead? like Chinese? So they can use it when they go on their holidays? Or should we help these children preserve and develop their own heritage and identity, and they're chance to have a unique skill which few people off the island could say they have, after all it is a language spoken by approximately 2000 people who feel the same?
Listen, we're Manx and very proud of it, the language is constantly growing. Saying that 'minority' (not 'dying') languages are pointless is like saying "we might as well kill the rest of the polar bears, they're more or less gone anyway."
I think teaching Manx would be a drastic waste of budget and resources. I live in Japan, would we benefit at all by reviving the Ainu Language, the answer is no, the same situation is emergent with Manx in the UK.
Flag this comment