Total immersion for a person with chúpla focail

Andrew Flexing

Does anyone know where the best place to go for a "total immersion" weekend of irish language? I have heard, from previous threads, that Litir Mór and Ceathru Rua in west Galway are the best places for Irish BUT I have heard more and more lately that people, who Irish is not their first language, trying to make the effort and speak Irish in gaelteacht areas but get responses in English only.

Has this happened to anyone? If I go for a weekend to speak and improve my Irish I'd hate to come across this.

Does anyone have any advise? experience on this?

Liobarnach

I'd say you'll find the answer in your previous thread!

pog it

Andrew Flexing wrote: »

Does anyone know where the best place to go for a "total immersion" weekend of irish language? I have heard, from previous threads, that Litir Mór and Ceathru Rua in west Galway are the best places for Irish BUT I have heard more and more lately that people, who Irish is not their first language, trying to make the effort and speak Irish in gaelteacht areas but get responses in English only.

Has this happened to anyone? If I go for a weekend to speak and improve my Irish I'd hate to come across this.

Does anyone have any advise? experience on this?

Yes, there are some native speakers who will recognise that you are not fluent and they might automatically revert to English out of the desire to help you, but if you just say you are learning Irish they will be happy to speak Irish.

Otherwise you will probably have the opposite problem unless your standard is very high. That is, native speakers will address you in Irish, and you'll probably have to ask them to repeat themselves as it might be hard to pick up.

So, it's going to be down to the situation and the people involved. No more mystery to it than that! The Irish is alive and well in several parts of the Gaeltachts!!

nowayjosie

Hi does anyone know of an irish speaking group in or near clonmel???:)

deirdremf

Andrew Flexing wrote: »

Does anyone know where the best place to go for a "total immersion" weekend of irish language? I have heard, from previous threads, that Litir Mór and Ceathru Rua in west Galway are the best places for Irish BUT I have heard more and more lately that people, who Irish is not their first language, trying to make the effort and speak Irish in gaelteacht areas but get responses in English only.

Has this happened to anyone? If I go for a weekend to speak and improve my Irish I'd hate to come across this.

Does anyone have any advise? experience on this?

I don't want to put you off, but it can be difficult if your Irish isn't really fluent; you might find that a weekend isn't a long enough period, and that more people reply to you in English than you'd like.
That said, give it a try, and An Cheathrú Rua is a s good a place as you'll get, I'd say.
Find out before you go which pubs people of your age group go to - and head there is your best bet.
Alternately, find where the Seanleaids drink, and try them - some of them might have more patience with learners!

pog it

deirdremf wrote: »

I don't want to put you off, but it can be difficult if your Irish isn't really fluent; you might find that a weekend isn't a long enough period, and that more people reply to you in English than you'd like.
That said, give it a try, and An Cheathrú Rua is a s good a place as you'll get, I'd say.
Find out before you go which pubs people of your age group go to - and head there is your best bet.
Alternately, find where the Seanleaids drink, and try them - some of them might have more patience with learners!

In my experience the seanleaids find a learner's Irish harder to pick up if anything, but yep for sure most of them will try their best with you. It's actually hardest on the learner because they have to deal with the bit of humiliation that goes along with struggling to find the words. You get over this pretty soon though.

Regards more people replying in English- it's simply not true. The majority of native speakers will reply in Irish. This is from my own experience as a learner living and working in Conamara. They are well used to people coming to the Gaeltacht to learn Irish and are proud of it.

Andrew- just go already!

Andrew Flexing

Tá mé ag dul dtí an Ghaeltacht inniú tar éis obair ar dhá oiche...Tá suil agam an cluiche sacair a fheacaint i teach tairbhne ann anoch agus bheidir chúpla focail a labhairt le na daoine ann...!

Cheapim 2-0 go Éireann anocht!