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Sanjeev Kohli arrived in Scotland when he was 3 . Although he appreciated that his father wanted him to learn Punjabi, he feels learning Scots would have helped him to compete more successfully in the playground. He owes a debt to the comic strip “Oor Wullie”, which taught him helpful Scots phrases like “help ma boab.” He philosophises that Scots use language to “explode pomposity” and to express their very down-to-earth view of the world.

Students could be arranged into two lines and armed with insults – take some from the film and collect others. Gauge their reaction to the language used and ask them to vote for their favourite. This could be linked to Shakespearian insults, opening up the debate about language and its potential as a weapon. Develop the link made to the ‘Oor Wullie’ comic strip, or to ‘The Broons’, both examples of the graphic depiction of the Scots language.