A big part of the work done by Shetland ForWirds focusses on promoting Shetland dialect in schools. Sometimes this is done by writing education resources we share on our website and on social media which any teacher can then use in their own time whenever they wish. Sometimes though there is a particular project that requires in-person delivery and a personal touch.
Once the time came for the Christmas Concert then there were comedy sketches written, devised and rehearsed, songs translated, tweaked and ready to be performed, as well as many other examples of the talent and skills being put on show - with Shetland dialect and culture appearing throughout.
To share a glimpse of this with you, Shetland ForWirds and Promote Shetland have recorded the Cunningsburgh P6/7 class (along with their teacher, Mrs Adamson!) performing one of the songs which they learned, translated and wrote themselves, to give you a peerie taste of their creativity and talent.
In October I was contacted by Cunningsburgh Primary School about an idea their P6/7 teacher, Sarah Adamson, had for their Christmas Concert. The term between the October and Christmas holidays is always super busy for schools, and with so many of the children leaving the school to move up to Secondary after the summer, then many teachers wish to prioritise learning activities that celebrate not only the skills and personalities of the children, but also showcase it for the parents and carers across the local community.
Mrs Adamson had an idea that Shetland culture, and in particular Shetland dialect, would be the ideal theme for what her P6/7 class would focus their learning on that term - and what the whole school would perform at their Christmas Concert that year. But she wasn’t sure how exactly it would all work…so she emailed Shetland ForWirds and asked if we could help.
As part of weekly visits over the next six weeks, we began by brainstorming Shetland words by theme. About half the children in the class spoke some Shetland dialect, others knew what the words meant from hearing them used by others, and some were very much starting from scratch.
Brainstorming word lists by theme or topic is a great way to get children thinking about which words they use naturally themselves, which words they hear others use, and which words they can learn for the first time. Themes like food or weather or animal names are always good for this, and leads naturally into learning about the nuances of language:
“The word for potatoes is tatties.”
“Tatties? In my house Dad always says totties!”
Once the class all have a good understanding of what we are doing in class, they can start getting creative. Using a song the children know the beat and rhythm to and creating a unique Shetland dialect version is always great fun. All children in the class have the word lists for help, so everyone can get involved in writing new lines, coming up with fun ideas and sharing in the process of planning what will be performed to their families when they are on stage at the concert.
Teachers like Mrs Adamson never just want to stop there though - full of ambition and sure of the talents of the children in her class - Mrs Adamson also wanted the songs and musical performances to be connected by dramatic scenes throughout where the P7s would really shine.
This is always a truly wonderful thing. Yes some children are shy, yes some are naturally quiet or reserved, but in a safe space, and with support and encouragement, it is always possible to bring out their confidence and their amazing creativity.
And this is the part I personally enjoy the most. It is wonderful to see the children who naturally take to the stage and embrace the performance aspect, but it is particularly special to work 1-2-1 with the children who at first don’t think they can do it, who need a little more support, and who then really start to blossom before your eyes and do things they never thought they could have.