Christmas is an excellent opportunity to use Scots with your learners. Some schools use Scots nativity plays, sing Scots versions of popular Christmas songs or create Christmas cards using Scots.

Younger learners can listen to Susan Rennie reading an extract from her story, ‘12 Days o Yule’, watch and listen to the Doric version of the Nativity, or learn the lyrics to ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Also available is 'The Nicht Afore Christmas' published in 2020 by Tippermuir Books. 

Those looking for Scots versions of popular Christmas songs might like Doric poet Jo Gilbert's version of The Twelve Days of Christmas - you can find the video here, and the lyrics can be downloaded below. 

Older learners will enjoy using Rab Wilson’s ‘Lorry Load o Christmas trees’ or William Letford’s ‘This Is It’ as stimulus for writing their own Christmas poem or prose in Scots. You can also view William Letford reading his poem here. 

Lastly, if you'd like your learners to listen to some audio describing what happens at Hogmanay, you can use our listening activities resource, created for Level 4 Scots Language Award but easily differentiated, which feature Scots speakers discussing Hogmanay and Burns Night.

Have a look at our related links – and hae a braw Yuletide!