Do you want to get a chance to practice speaking the Irish language?
It can be really hard to find the chance to practice speaking Irish. Probably your main bottlenecks are your own time/energy, and having access to someone who speaks Irish.
So here’s our proposal:
- Accept that you should practice Irish conversation more often than you can get direct help from a teacher
- Be a member of a closed group of people
- Group has daily video sessions, which you can opt in to on any given day
- A daily session is based on a theme, vocabulary, a structured conversation
- The session is timed. It is structured. It follows a pre-written set of steps of reading through the conversation, then doing role-play.
- As a group, you document your learnings, and any open questions
- A teacher gives feedback on the open questions in due time
- The group has a weekly video call with an Irish-speaking teacher attending
Since practicing Irish daily is a key part of getting better at speaking it, does this model sound like a useful one to you? If you attend classes, how would this compliment your learnings? Please leave your reply below this post.
Mary 
Daniel Main 
Neasa Nic Dhómhnaill 
Robin 
Rob 
Hakeem 
Pat Kerrins
Greetings! I think this would be a good idea because for somebody like me I am not close to people who are also learning. I have experimented before a long time ago with a language learning website that gave you a course, then you recorded your version, then people were allowed to record their feedback in response. I thought this was very helpful because it let me engage with people. Also it helps to hear other people speaking it even if it sounds different in dialect. I wish I could learn Irish by speaking reading and writing, I think nothing is better to reinforce language learning then utilizing all of the aspects of language, but there is nothing close to me in the states. A teacher and course would be great. I like direction. However every time I try to learn I let it slip (totally my fault) away because I enjoy the classroom structure of assignments, goals, and deadlines. I need to get back into it. It makes me happy,
So to summarize: yes! Do the group, yes have teacher sessions and a theme. I would enjoy this, and benefit from it. Keep us posted! ????????
Thank you for the insight and encouragement, Mary!
Mary, if you haven’t already seen it, we’ll be running Ceardlann an tSamhraidh starting next week:
http://bitesize.irish/ceardlann/
I think this is a great idea I am worried about dialect tho
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for commenting.
You can find out more about dealing with Irish dialects in this article http://bitesize.irish/blog/irish-gaelic-to-dialect-or-not-to-dialect/ and in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBU3ec87lrU
Siobhán
Dia daoibh!
I listened to the podcast, go raibh maith agaibh.
I agree that group studying and the whole way it is structured can work well, although I must confess that it is not my regular way of studying, I’d rather visit and spend time in a small village, etc…I am a musician and devoted to Sean Nós singing, this is my passion.
Face to face is fantastic for sure. Even if you meet a group of people weekly, do you think you could benefit from contact with others in the Irish language during the rest of the week?
Smaoineamh breá a Éoin! Ba bhreá liom go mbeidh ag caint an Ghaeilge le duine eile gach lá. Bím ag iarraidh a foghlaim an teanga seo gach lá ach b’fhearr dom an teanga a labhairt le duine eile gach lá. Ach b’fhéidir rachaidh mé an Ghaeltacht agus bogfaidh mé ann 🙂
Neasa
Maith thú as foghlaim gach lá! Tá ag éirí go hiontach leat.
Eoin
Go raibh maith agat a Éoin 🙂
Neasa, seans go mbeadh suim agat inár gCeardlann:
http://bitesize.irish/ceardlann/
Dia duit a Eoin, tá suim agam ach tá an-gnóthach faoi láthair. Ach fós, beidh mé ag smaoineamh a faoi ann. Bheadh sé grúpa bhreá agus comhphobal deas, mar sin, b’fhéidir. 🙂
Tuigim cinnte! Eoin
I think I want a little more vocabulary before I join a group.
Hi Robin, it’s a chicken-and-egg problem, isn’t it? I’d be inclined to say jump in head-first!
Eoin
Dia dhuit I think the group that you practice with everyday is a good idea.
Go raibh míle maith agat, a Rob. Do you attend any classes?
Dia duit!
I listened to the podcast. Nice proposal. I think that the groups would work well, especially if they were split and seniors in the language took beginners under their wing so to speak. Personally I do not know how to read Irish yet, it looks like gumbled letters. Perhaps other beginners are in the same boat? Just a thought.
Slán
Hakeem, yes! I was pointed to this “Shamrock System” (funnily enough 😉 ) https://leadershipfreak.blog/2019/03/18/the-shamrock-system-plus-minus-and-equal/
I think it is a good idea . Maybe once a week ? Will see how it goes . Pat .
Pat, if you haven’t already seen it, we’ll be running Ceardlann an tSamhraidh starting next week:
http://bitesize.irish/ceardlann/
Rob, if you haven’t already seen it, we’ll be running Ceardlann an tSamhraidh starting next week:
http://bitesize.irish/ceardlann/