Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) is giving every one of its staff the opportunity to learn Gaelic as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the language.

Staff on all its vessels and in ports, harbours and offices from Arran to Ullapool, are being encouraged to learn Gaelic via an innovative online “toolkit”, developed by the Skye-based online learning company Cànan specifically for Caledonian MacBrayne.
The toolkit includes introductory lessons, glossaries of useful phrases, an interactive map showing CalMac’s ferry routes and the meaning of the port names, puzzles, animations and over 1000 audio phrases so that the learner can hear, as well as see, the phrases.

CalMac’s Managing Director Phil Preston said: “We are pleased to be able to increase the visibility and use of Gaelic whether it is by displaying bilingual signage on vessels and at ports, or through our role as supporter of the Royal National Mod. Around ten per cent of our staff are Gaelic speakers but we wanted to increase that by offering tuition to as many staff as possible. We have tailored the content of the “toolkit” so it is relevant to ferries and are sure that once everyone gets a basic understanding and grasp of simple phrases they will want to go on and learn more.

“ We are not restricting this to customer facing staff, and are also opening it up to staff with our sister ferry operator NorthLink Ferries Ltd, which serves the Northern Isles, taking the total number of eligible staff to more than 1600.

“This has been a huge undertaking so we are grateful to Cànan for their expertise and guidance and to Bòrd na Gàidhlig for the funding which has made this possible,” he said.

The toolkit was formally launched by Education Secretary Michael Russell MSP while on a visit to Cànan’s premises at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. He said: “Increasing the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland is a core aim of the many Gaelic-related initiatives currently underway, so CalMac’s initiative in finding a way to make language training accessible to as many staff as possible is to be commended. For many people, other than passing road signs, seeing the ferries’ names and the onboard signage in Gaelic may be their first known exposure to the language, so it is great to see CalMac going a step further and teaching staff useful Gaelic words and phrases.”

Donella Beaton, Chief Executive of Cànan, said: “The brief from CalMac was to create the means by which as many staff as possible could become familiar with some Gaelic and use it in their day to day work. The geographical spread of staff and complicated working hours means that it is not possible to send them all on courses, but they have been able to overcome this by using online technology to take Gaelic into their homes. We believe it is a model which could be adopted by other companies and organisations who would like more of their staff to be able to speak some Gaelic and understand why it is important. ”

Arthur Cormack, Cathraiche of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “The Bòrd is focused on increasing the numbers of Gaelic speakers in Scotland and we are happy to support this initiative by CalMac offering the opportunity to all their staff to learn some of the language. This type of online learning, relevant to the organisation, is an example that other public bodies, councils and private companies could follow, and is essential if services are to be offered in Gaelic. We hope that, through introductions such as these in the workplace, more and more people may be encouraged to go a step further and learn Gaelic to fluency.”

Ends.
Notes to Editors

1. The Education Secretary is launching the toolkit at Cànan’s premises at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig at 1630 hrs on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. You are invited to send a reporter/photographer.

2. Pictures of Education Secretary, Michael Russell MSP, with members of CalMac staff will be issued as soon as possible after the event.

3. Further information about Caledonian MacBrayne is available at www.calmac.co.uk

4. Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). These names are used under licence from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). The lion rampant device is used by CFL with the permission of CMAL.

For further information, contact:

David Cannon,
Group Public Affairs Manager,
David MacBrayne Ltd
(On behalf of CalMac Ferries Ltd)
Tel: 01475 650371
Mob: 07595 092332
david.cannon@davidmacbrayne.co.uk