Bon Trabalh? Reflections and observations from Occitan immersion education – lessons for Gaelic Medium education in Scotland?

Gaelic Medium Education (GME) has grown in popularity since the early 1980s, but Scotland is not unique in providing an immersion minority language education programme in the public education system. This article discusses a visit by the author to the Toulouse area of France, where she joined the French School Inspectorate team tasked with supporting teachers delivering Occitan medium education at pre- primary and primary school level. The observations from visiting different Occitan Medium classrooms and speaking to children, teachers and teacher educators are then used to reflect on the differences and similarities with the Gaelic medium context here in Scotland and whether any lessons can be taken forward.