Irish Gaelic
Fáilte chun na Bun-Ghaeilge agus Nead na Gaeilge — Welcome to Introductory Irish Gaeilge & Irish Language Nest!
An Bhun-Ghaeilge | Introductory Irish Gaelic (Irish Gaelic Level 1):
This course aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) and its Irish equivalent Teastas Eorpach Gaeilge (TEG)–a rubric for gaining fluency. Students will learn to use single words and very simple sentences when participating in conversations on topics and general matters closely related to their own lives. For example, they will learn to give very basic descriptions of themselves, where they live, the work in which they are engaged, and the things they do on a daily basis. Students in this class will aim to understand simple speech, delivered slowly and clearly, as it relates to ordinary everyday matters. Class participants should expect to learn and understand very simple, brief texts provided they are closely related to everyday life. They will also gain skills to unravel the meaning of a text, phrase by phrase, locating names, words and recognizable basic phrases. At the end of this class, learners will be able to write phrases such as ‘Is maith liom ceol (I like music)’, for example. This course can be taken twice consecutively as course materials alternate from term to term.
Introductory Irish Gaelic is for those with little to no skill or experience with Irish. Introduction to the verbs /BÍ/ and /IS/ in present tense, prepositional pronouns, singular pronouns, possessive articles, verbal nouns, basic vocabulary, base numbers, some questions of journalism.
Nead na Gaeilge | Irish Language Nest (community facilitated program):
This is not an introductory course for beginners but for learners who have had at least one semester of Irish Gaelic at PCC or have studied previously (or logged significant hours of self-study). A ‘language nest’ is an immersive experience facilitated by skilled community members (no single instructor). Within the immersive setting learners spend time developing hands-on skills related to speaking, listening, reading, writing, and vocabulary building. This includes group reading exercises, listening to recorded audio programming or live radio, directed conversational practice, and cultural programming such as singing or poetry. Pre-work between classes will be included in the form of mini-lessons to focus on rudimentary concepts of grammar. This learning format is very important for minority languages and precipitates language community cohesion among students with different skill levels; and shifts the focus from standard board teaching to skill sharing and self-directed learning. Participants will explore and develop resources to aid in the creation of a community library and future community learning endeavors. Some of these resources included voice synthesizers, translation programs, digital dictionaries, online flashcard platforms, and more. The instructor seeks to cultivate an open, welcoming, playful space accommodating to many learning styles and needs. Learning material for this course is in continual development to accommodate ongoing enrollment.
If your skills and experience are currently beyond what is accommodated in these classes, feel free to reach out to the instructor about future learning opportunities or social events focused on Irish.