Justify yourself!

***Warning! This post contains very little Gaelic and is rather ranty!***

Anyone learning a language will often reflect on why they are bothering to learn it. This often happens once the sheen of a language wears off - the little things about a language that send a exquisite shiver of excitement up your spine every time you encounter it. Then you need to persevere, and you consider whether it's worthwhile persevering. In most cases, it is simply enough to say to oneself, "I'm learning this because I want to speak the language". Just wanting to learn it is sufficient reason to carry on.

However, when mentioning to others that you are learning a language, they will ask which language you are learning and why you want to learn it. Parroting Billie Piper "Because I want to" doesn't usually satisfy your interlocutor.

When I say to others that I can speak French and German, they usually don't inquire to much as to why I learnt these languages because they are standard languages to learn at school. (Or at least they were - German has basically been phased out across Scotland. Idiotic.) Most people view utility as an acceptable reason to learn a language. Learning Spanish? That's ok - it's such a global language. Learning German? Well Germany is an important economic driver in Europe. Polish? Hmm. Well the Slavic countries are quite important in Europe and there are many Poles in the UK.

"Gaelic?" Cue blanched looks and sideways glances. "Seems a bit pointless."
I hate this. Why do we have to justify learning a language that is native to the country? I'm learning it because I want to, because I like the language, because it opens me up to part of my native culture. Because it's beautiful and expressive. Because because because.

Anyway, I don't care what people think when I say I'm learning Gaelic. I'm a language geek. I can get away with it ;-)

I'm going to turn the horrible question on you now. Why are YOU learning Gaelic?