Being bilingual is a very great benefit to any child, regardless of which languages (s)he speaks. Bilingual children have been shown in many studies to succeed better in school and socially, and to have more aptitude than their monolingual contemporaries for language-learning in particular. So a child who speaks both Gaelic and English should go on to learn other languages with relative ease and GME children being continue their learning with a third language at Upper Stages of the Primary.
Gaelic is increasingly relevant in Scotland today, and since a considerably smaller group of people can read, write and speak it than can speak, read and write German or French, very many opportunities exist for children who learn the language, from cultural activities like Mòds and Fèisean, to career opportunities in teaching, the arts, the media and elsewhere, to the occasional opportunity to appear on radio or television!
Gaelic is also the oldest surviving Scottish language and offers a different viewpoint for children on the history, culture and future of their own country. Scottish-based Gaelic speakers are supported by many international Gaelic speakers and learners in countries as far afield as Germany and the US, and children in Gaelic-medium education become part of this vibrant community at home and abroad.
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