New Manx language officer appointed

Rob Teare will succeed Rosemary Derbyshire as the children’s Manx language officer when she retires at Christmas after seven years in the post.

 

Mr Teare will head the Manx Language Unit, based at Unnid Ghaelgagh in Peel and lead a team of peripatetic teachers who work with pupils from key stage 2 to stage 5. 

 

Mr Teare said, "The MLU tries to ensure that every child in the island who wants to learn Manx has the opportunity. I believe that every local child should be offered the chance to learn our language.

 

‘There will always be people who question the value of learning Manx and I suppose I would have been in that camp myself once upon a time. I was very fortunate to meet people like Leslie Quirk and Brian Stowell, who introduced me to the language and its fascinating and articulate way of describing the world that I otherwise never would have guessed existed. 

 

‘For me, as for many others, Manx has not only added another dimension to life on the Island, but has also been a springboard to wider language learning, which was a major advantage for me when working overseas.’ 

 

A fluent Manx speaker, Mr Teare has been a teacher for 22 years and has taught students aged from seven to 70. In addition to BA and MA degrees, he holds a postgraduate diploma of education in Gaelic from Strathclyde University.

 

After a lengthy spell lecturing at a university in Japan, he returned to his native island to join the staff of the MLU in 2005.

 

He has taught timetabled and extra-curricular lessons at 17 of the island’s 35 primary schools and all its secondary schools and has offered a Manx Gaelic dimension to other aspects of school life, running sport, music and cultural activities. 

Mr Teare – also known as Bob – is a member of Yn Çheshaght Ghaelgagh (the Manx Language Society) and Coonseil ny Gaelgey (the regulatory body responsible for official translations into Manx). 

He teaches evening classes voluntarily for Caarjyn ny Gaelgey, acts as a volunteer coach for Club Spoyrt (the Manx Language Sports Club), contributes to the Gaelic Broadcasting Committee, publishes BlognyGaelgey (a Manx Language Blog), and is a member of the Scottish Gaelic Learners’ Association and the North American Association of Celtic Language Teachers. 

 

He has published two academic papers on Manx and two collections of short stories in Manx (translated from Japanese and Irish).

 

Speaking to 3FM, Education Minister Peter Karran said learning the Manx language has come to mean much more to people in modern times and is gaining an ever-increasing following (see audio).