Speaking our Language

Speaking our Language is a Scottish Gaelic learners' television programme that ran from 9 January 1993 to 22 November 1996. Running for 72 episodes through four series, the series was produced by Scottish Television (STV Productions) and presented by Rhoda MacDonald, STV's then-head of Gaelic output. It was frequently repeated on TeleG and is now repeated on BBC Alba, and all four series have been released on DVD.[2]

Speaking our Language[1]
Title Card
GenreLanguage Learning
Written byDr. Richard Cox, Anne Lorne Gillies
Directed byAnne Buckland / Ken MacGregor
Presented byRhoda MacDonald
Voices ofIain MacRae
Theme music composerPhil Cunningham
Opening themePerformed by Wolfstone
Original languageEnglish and Scottish Gaelic
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes72
Production
Executive producerRhoda MacDonald
ProducersAmanda Berry (Series 1 & 2)
Anne Lorne Gillies (Series 3 & 4)
Erina Rayner (Series 4)
Production locationsScotland, United Kingdom
EditorsAndy Boyd, Pat Doherty
Running time25 minutes
Production companyScottish Television/C.T.G.
Release
Original networkSTV, BBC Alba, TeleG
Original release9 January 1993 (1993-01-09) –
22 November 1996 (1996-11-22)

The series was based on Now You're Talking, a similar Welsh-language learners' series broadcast on S4C and developed by Acen, a resource service for Welsh learners, who acted as programme consultants for Speaking our Language.

Structure

Each episode begins with Rhoda introducing where it was recorded and what it will cover. Each set of new phrases is introduced by Rhoda and then followed by some short dramatisations which show examples of how the words and phrases are used. Once an episode an extended drama (with a continuing story line through the series) is used to give a deeper example of how the vocabulary introduced in the episode can be used. In the first two series the drama is called Aig an taigh (At Home), following a family who have moved to Glasgow and are settling into life there; whereas in last two series the drama for intermediate learners Càirdeas (Friendship) is about the complexity of love and friendship among the protagonists — Ceit, Anna, Iseabail, Tormod, Iain, Seumas, Murchadh, Bill, Eòghainn etc. The episodes are summed up during the episode and at the end with the voice over going over the phrases introduced.

References
  1. All information regarding credits is taken from Episode 11 of Series 2, Speaking Our Language.
  2. Comhairle nan Leabhraichean
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