Resumen de Immersion programmes employed in Gaelic‐medium units in Scotland
Five of the local education authorities in Scotland make provision for education to be delivered through the medium of Gaelic. In each of these authorities the units are established within the management structure of the hosting primary schools. Thirty‐nine of these units are currently operational and were all involved in three research projects running through 1992–3:
• The Gaelic Language Development Project commissioned from the National Foundation for Educational Research by the Inter‐Authority Standing Group for Gaelic.
• A project on Parental Experience of Gaelic Medium Education in the Primary Phase, commissioned from Leirsinn Research Centre by the Scottish Office Education Department and the Western Isles Islands Council.
• The Parental and Community Support Project (Gaelic‐Medium Units) commissioned from Leirsinn Research Centre by the Inter‐Authority Standing Group for Gaelic.
The findings of these projects provide an overview of the Gaelic immersion programmes in operation, and the models or frameworks in which they are deployed. This paper highlights the teaching methods in use and outlines the views and experiences of both classroom teachers and the parent body.
