Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch yesterday hailed the action of Google to add Scots Gaelic as one of 13 new languages to their Translate application.

It is now possible to speak or type a phrase in ones native language and it is immediately translated into Gaelic text. Unfortunately, the facility where this phrase can then be heard pronounced is not yet available though it is for many other languages.

Mr Thompson has raised a Parliamentary Motion so all MSP’s can register their approval too.

Mr Thompson said, “This is great news. This will add to the efforts of the Scottish Government to promote and spread this beautiful and historic language.

He went on, “this should really open up the language to folk across Scotland who have been keen to learn some gaelic but found the spelling and articulation too great a challenge.

He finished with, “I hope soon that Google will take the second step and allow people to hear the phrases spoken too as that removes the final barrier to using it in practice. Hopefully the numbers of those able to speak Gaelic to a reasonable degree will now approach and exceed one hundred thousand. ”

Note:

Motion Number: S4M-15682

Lodged By: Dave Thompson

Date Lodged: 18/02/2016

Title: Google Translate

Motion Text:

That the Parliament applauds Google on introducing Scots Gaelic to its Translate application; considers it an important cultural language and icon in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, across the Highlands and Islands and Scotland as a whole; hopes that the audio-verbalisation available on other languages will soon be activated too; believes that this will greatly open up the language for non-Gaelic speakers who are currently keen to learn but find the vocabulary and verbalisation too great a challenge; hopes that this will quickly expand the number of people familiar with Gaelic, and looks forward to the count of those speaking this ancient language exceeding 100,000.