Hmm if its a scots word is it really "wrong" or is it just different?
Teachers do need to correct parts of an essay but I am not sure if it is possible to correct everything - there is always room for improvement. I would imagine with so much texting and msning going on that many essays are riddled with errors. I would think that if parents have let all that pass before handing it in that teachers would have to choose their battles - otherwise the paper would be full of red (or green) marks.
As for jamp other than a reference that squidge came up with 200 odd years ago other than Caithness (and some others have heard it elsewhere) it does not sound like it is in common "Scots" usage. I would hope that teachers would allow local and Scots words in a story or poem without criticism but in an essay? No! Like it or not we are in and English (and I shudder to say an American) world and essays need to reflect the accepted academic form.
There are two rules for success:
1. Never tell people everything you know
I went to a grammar school, & would be corrected for punctuation, spelling, paragraph length.... you name it!
Even words like haven't would get a red line & have not written above!
At one point when I was about 13, my form mistress even gave me a wide nib fountain pen & made me perform daily handwriting tasks to tidy up my illegible scrawl.
It 'sort of' worked, except for when I'm making notes & then I defy anyone to translate!
I wish I'd picked more daisies.........(anon)
Scots language isnt slang though - its a language in its own right and writing an essay is also about creativity too remember. I would hope that teachers encouraged that bit as well.
And if we dont allow jamp would we not allow peelywally or glaikit or greeeting or other scots words to be written? And if we dont then how do our scottish children understand their written language both ancient ( burns) and modern (irvine welsh)
Once the original Grumpy Owld Man but alas no more
I feel that when in an English class, English should be written. Not American English, not slang Scots, not text language until children have the basics other "styles" should not apply.
On another note re Doric, I had a boss once who spoke broad Doric/Aberdeen, she gave me a huge row for something one day, I have no idea what I had done or what my "punishment" was as I have no idea what she said.
Spring has sprung, the grass is ris', I wonder where the birdies is, the birdies is on d' wing, now thats absurd, everyone knows d' wing is on d' bird
Scots isnt a "style" nor is it a slang nor is it a dialect - its a language... perhaps if we all remembered and took pride in it then the scottish parliament would put as much effort into promoting it as they do in promoting Gaelic. If a child included a gaelic word in an essay i would expect a teacher to be interested rather than dishing out a punishment excercise. I would however also expect the teacher to check if the child knew the "english" word and whether they had used the gaelic deliberately. I would not expect a teacher to correct spoken scots.
Ironically there is more money spent in Northern Ireland promoting and protecting the scots language than there is in Scotland.
I have a singing teacher who speaks doric and i can understand her perfectly well and if she uses a word that i dont understand i ask her. Thats how we learn - language is a fascinating thing its like a swelling sea - ever changing and the feel of some scots words in your mouth is fabulous, poetic and creative - many of the words create the feeling better than any english word
I corrected the neep last night *again* when she used 'Jamp' and we started to discuss it, she is totally convinced she has been corrected by an adult somewhere when she used 'Jumped' and was told to use 'Jamp'
I used a slightly different word to illustrate my point, "i bumped into the door" NOT " i bamp into the door" and she seemed to understand but is still convinced that 'Jamp' is a word
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