Planning for growth: the professionalisation of the taskforce for Gaelic revitalisation

It is only relatively recently that scholars and the public have become aware of the accelerating loss of linguistic diversity around the world; consequently the development of organised planning for survival in response to the crisis is also relatively new. Given that language planning for linguistic diversity is such a new endeavour, it is not surprising that a culture of professionalism and expertise among its practitioners is also still in the early stages of development. We have much to learn about what does and does not work when it comes to language planning in this respect, and there is also much work to be done in terms of disseminating this knowledge to those language planners, educators and activists working on the ground in indigenous communities who might use it. This chapter explores the levels of training experienced and required by individuals involved in the implementation of planning interventions in the Scottish Gaelic context.