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Best way to learn Irish

Ubbquittious

What would be the best way to breathe some new life into one's cupla focal. Like most I "learned" Irish in school but very little of it stuck. I try to listen to RnaG and TG4 but that alone won't do it I'd say.

Any methods people here have had success with. Classes, hanging out in the Gaeltacht, duolingo?

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upinsmoke

Should be stop been thought after primary school and be swapped with an IT class.

OldMrBrennan83

upinsmoke wrote: »

Should be stop been thought after primary school and be swapped with an IT class.

Top work with the help for the OP there.

kenmc

upinsmoke wrote: »

Should be stop been thought after primary school and be swapped with an IT class.

Or even more English it seems.

Flyingsnowball

I think the department of education decided a long time ago that the best way was to get an angry drunk fella to shout a cupla focal at ye in an aggressive manner then tell ye what it meant in English but with an accent you can’t understand.

Just head down to any secondary school man.

is_that_so

Ubbquittious wrote: »

What would be the best way to breathe some new life into one's cupla focal. Like most I "learned" Irish in school but very little of it stuck. I try to listen to RnaG and TG4 but that alone won't do it I'd say.

Any methods people here have had success with. Classes, hanging out in the Gaeltacht, duolingo?

Classes are probably easiest and AFAIK there are also conversation meetups through Conradh na Gaeilge.

listermint

Talk to Des Bishop

[Deleted User]

Best way to learn irish is to begin speaking it - online or in real life.

I came away from my Leaving Cert with a fairly good grasp of Irish, ach ní rabhas líofa ag an am sin, there were big gaps in my vocabulary in relation to anything that didn't cover my family, mo laethanta saoire nó an t-ábhar is fearr liom.

Start speaking it, learn by trial and error. I wasn't even aware that I'd become fluent in irish until I began meeting other Gaeilgeoirí who broke into irish and I suddenly found I was no longer lost for words. It will happen much faster than you think - and nobody cares if you make a minor grammatical mistake, just like we do all the time in English.

mikhail

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Any methods people here have had success with. Classes, hanging out in the Gaeltacht, duolingo?

There's four key skills in a language - listening, reading, speaking and writing. They're not unrelated, but they do have to be exercised individually. Maybe you'd be happy enough to be able to converse. In that case, you'll be able to pick up a lot from consuming media, but you need to find a regular excuse to have a chat with people who don't care that your Irish is a bit ropey. I haven't tried it for Irish, and gaelgoirs have a bad reputation (deserved or not) for being a bit snobby to people with less perfect Irish than themselves. Good luck though.

upinsmoke wrote: »

Should be stop been thought after primary school and be swapped with an IT class.

Who the heck needs several years' instruction in IT? Most kids these days pick that stuff up in passing.

tayto lover

listermint wrote: »

Talk to Des Bishop

The OP wants to learn Irish, not to get sick.

Satta Massagana

Most of us did Irish classes every school day for 15 or so years. Aren't we all totally fluent

retalivity

Listening to RnaG helps...after a few weeks i found myself understanding a lot more. And im no longer translating to english in my head - i'm 'thinking' in Irish.

SEPT 23 1989

Get it beating into you

Buford T. Justice XIX

retalivity wrote: »

Listening to RnaG helps...after a few weeks i found myself understanding a lot more. And im no longer translating to english in my head - i'm 'thinking' in Irish.

I'm watching a good bit of Fiorsceal on TG4 and sometimes don't have to check the translation on the screen. It helps when you already know what the programme is about, though.

There's a lack of middle of the road sources for reading, especially, where you can remind yourself of what you already know and pick up some new phrases as you go and move up to the next level.

If anyone knows of some such, a link or source would be appreciated.

is_that_so

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I'm watching a good bit of Fiorsceal on TG4 and sometimes don't have to check the translation on the screen. It helps when you already know what the programme is about, though.

There's a lack of middle of the road sources for reading, especially, where you can remind yourself of what you already know and pick up some new phrases as you go and move up to the next level.

If anyone knows of some such, a link or source would be appreciated.

RTE news app in Irish?

Also this might work for OP and others.

https://www.rte.ie/easyirish/courseintro.html

https://www.fluentin3months.com/irish-resources/

[Deleted User]

mikhail wrote: »

gaelgoirs have a bad reputation (deserved or not) for being a bit snobby to people with less perfect Irish than themselves.

I've honestly never experienced this. I lived briefly in France and found that French people were far more likely to take you to task on a misplaced past patticiple, for example - not out of rudeness, but because they're less familiar with encountering non-native speakers, and being a stickler for grammar is something of a national pastime.

In Ireland, the vast majority of speakers are using the native language as our second language, we didn't grow up with it. People will very rarely point out mistakes, in my experience, unless you ask them to (personally, I've found that helpful). Most people are just delighted to get a chance to speak as Gaeilge. 14 years after leaving school, I can't think of any situation where I was lectured at or condescended to. Bí ag caint!

is_that_so

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I've honestly never experienced this. I lived briefly in France and found that French people were far more likely to take you to task on a misplaced past patticiple, for example - not out of rudeness, but because they're less familiar with encountering non-native speakers, and being a stickler for grammar is something of a national pastime.

In Ireland, the vast majority of speakers are using the native language as our second language, we didn't grow up with it. People will very rarely point out mistakes, in my experience, unless you ask them to (personally, I've found that helpful). Most people are just delighted to get a chance to speak as Gaeilge. 14 years after leaving school, I can't think of any situation where I was lectured at or condescended to. Bí ag caint!

He has a point about some Gaeilgeoiri. They do look down their noses at efforts, but I don't think it's that common. Having a stab at it in Gaeltacht areas is always welcomed with encouragement though!

CalamariFritti

I'm not into Irish and I dont speak it at all, but I'm learning a different language using doulingo and I find it very good. It's app/computer/phone based so it taps into those 10 minutes here and there when you have nothing else to do. I'm on it for 3 months now and when I compare it to learning a language in school, I probably learned more in 3 months than I would have in one year in school. Possibly more.
Give it a try it costs nothing and even the paid version is only a tenner a month which is very little for a new language.

irishguitarlad

To learn a language you have to attack It from all sides, so that means writing, speaking, listening, reading and grammar. What I do to learn a Word is put a crazy story behind It in english, that way It stays in your head.

KevRossi

A couple of tips on learning languages:

To speak it better and get a better vocabulary; speak/think to yourself in Irish during the day. So instead of thinking to yourself
'I'm hungry, will I go to McDonalds or will I make myself a sandwich?"
start to say
"
"Tá ocras orm, an dtéann mé go McDonalds nó an ndéanfaidh mé ceapaire orm féin?""

This way you'll have the words ready if in a conversation, at least for the basics anyway.

For reading, just buy kids books. Start off on basic stuff for 5 year olds and move up. Books with a lot of conversation are better.

For listening then the radio is excellent, but try to avoid the political programmes. The hourly news is good, you will have an idea of the story anyway and will be able to make out a lot of words. The same story will be on the radio for a few hours, if not days, so you'll get a good idea of all the words used.

And look for local conversation groups, MeetUp, libraries, Irish social clubs.... there's a couple in every town. Go on holiday for a weekend to a Gaeltacht and see how you get on. Build up a relationship with some of the locals and see how it develops over time.

wakka12

upinsmoke wrote: »

Should be stop been thought after primary school and be swapped with an IT class.

Speak for yourself. Proud to know Irish and glad I hadd the opportunity in school to learn it. Its a beautiful language. And it wasnt taught as badly as people claim, I think if you cant remember any of it you were just not an enthusiastic student. I was very close to fluency by the time around my leaving cert and I dont think Irish language was taught any better or worse than how spanish french or german were

I think the best way is to immerse yourself around people who are also speaking irish, theres lots of classes and pop up gaeltachts

Snow Garden

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I've honestly never experienced this. I lived briefly in France and found that French people were far more likely to take you to task on a misplaced past patticiple, for example - not out of rudeness, but because they're less familiar with encountering non-native speakers, and being a stickler for grammar is something of a national pastime.

In Ireland, the vast majority of speakers are using the native language as our second language, we didn't grow up with it. People will very rarely point out mistakes, in my experience, unless you ask them to (personally, I've found that helpful). Most people are just delighted to get a chance to speak as Gaeilge. 14 years after leaving school, I can't think of any situation where I was lectured at or condescended to. Bí ag caint!

Ah no gaelgoirs can be an absolute dose these days. Many believe they are more Irish than the rest of us. If there are 2 gaelgoirs in a group of people on a social night out, they will often take an opportunity to speak Irish to each other just to show off. It can be really weird.

[Deleted User]

Snow Garden wrote: »

Ah no gaelgoirs can be an absolute dose these days. Many believe they are more Irish than the rest of us. If there are 2 gaelgoirs in a group of people on a social night out, they will often take an opportunity to speak Irish to each other just to show off. It can be really weird.

it says more about you than about them, that you think they're trying to boast.

If I meet someone whom I know also speaks irish, I'll speak to them in Irish, because it's nice to get the opportunity.

If you were in a group chat in a pub, and a couple of the lads started chatting amongst themselves about tiddlywinks, or basketball, or computer programming - vocabulary you might not understand - would you think they were being boastful, or just being sociable with one another?

Im sure you have international friends, and wouldn't think it rude if they were in a group and occasionally broke into their native language when speaking among themselves. It just happens, nobody's out to diminish your own identity.

[Deleted User]

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

it says more about you than about them, that you think they're trying to boast.

If I meet someone whom I know also speaks irish, I'll speak to them in Irish, because it's nice to get the opportunity.

If you were in a group chat in a pub, and a couple of the lads started chatting amongst themselves about tiddlywinks, or basketball, or computer programming - vocabulary you might not understand - would you think they were being boastful, or just being sociable with one another?

Im sure you have international friends, and wouldn't think it rude if they were in a group and occasionally broke into their native language when speaking among themselves. It just happens, nobody's out to diminish your own identity.

You knock the poster by projecting your own bias, as if this carried significant resonance. Obviously your opinion is full of substance.

doolox

I worked for a large multinational where speaking anything other than English was forbidden by the management because the perception was that some foreign natives in the workplace were communicating secret intentions about another employee in their vicinity and they did not want that employee to know what their intentions were.

Some nationalities can be worse at this than others and it can be intimidating to be a third party to a discussion taking place among two other employees, for example at a meeting, when you do not know their language, as most Irish wouldn't know foreign languages especially the more obscure ones.

I have seen foreign speakers being told "In English Please" when they would hold such conversations among others of their nationality present at the meeting.

I also remember having difficulty understanding some people and colleagues and being very self conscious and fearful of asking them to repeat their requests or clarify their requirements until I was told I was not to blame as English was the only language to be used in our company and it was up to them to become or be proficient in English. It was not up to me to try and decipher unintelligible gibberish especially if the non native speaker was in a position of superior authority to me such as an engineer or inspector or auditor.
I was at risk of failing many inspections and questionings until I learned to complain about the manner and poor standard of English among some non native employees.

I have been told that many Irish nurses experience similar problems dealing with non native English speaking colleagues and Doctors and have to fight their corner when misunderstandings and mistakes happen due to poor levels of spoken English among some non native speakers. Written instructions are often insisted upon now to protect the professional integrity of the individual nurses conduct and working performance while they are on duty. Medication changes, for example, all have to be written down and are no longer taken verbally as would have happened in the distant past.

As a social construct, language has been used in our past as a weapon to keep certain classes apart and to oppress non conforming elements in a given society. We first had the ascendancy of English over Irish when the speaking of Irish was subject to sanction and severe corporal punishment in our National Schools since their formation by the English ruling class in 1833.

On Independence and gaining self rule the tables were turned.

Monoglot English speakers were treated like dirt and punished severely by fanatical Irish speaking teachers who did not realise the level of difficulty in learning Irish and assumed that the English speaking pupils were being difficult and awkward about acquiring for what to them was a completely alien language. It is my opinion that the desire to learn Irish is not strong enough in a significant number of people to be successful. Compulsory Irish is resented by many people as a waste of precious and scarce educational resources and seen as a handicap by others who compare our educational performances to other English Speaking countries.

However countries such as Canada have to accommodate French in their education systems and the US increasingly looks to proficiency in Spanish, especially among most aspiring public officials and functionaries dealing with all sectors of their countries. Ireland is not unique in requiring a second language in their Educational systems. I don't believe that Irish language instruction "handicaps" Irish students in any way because competing countries have their own cultural material to learn and get through in their respective education systems. These things tend to balance out.

Two of my nephews had exemptions from Irish due to spending their formative years in the UK. However they had to learn and pass French in order to gain access to university places because of the strict requirement to have a second language pass in the Leaving for university matriculation. Knowledge and a pass in LC Irish can be used to satisfy this second language requirement and is compulsory for gaining entrance to the National University or Ireland for those not possessing the Irish language exemption. It meant that the lads HAD to pass French, at which they were relatively weak, there being no backup for them in the form of Irish.

Regarding TG4, I find their level of public broadcasting and quality to be very good compared to RTE 1 and 2. Many intelligent programs are broadcast on this channel, far superior to the lowest common denominator stuff that appears on RTE 1 and 2. I like to think they use their erudite and eclectic programmes as bait to get people to take an interest in Irish, even if only at a superficial level. For me the tactic works.

LeinsterDub

Find a local pop up Gaeltacht. Right craic

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You knock the poster by projecting your own bias, as if this carried significant resonance. Obviously your opinion is full of substance.

I'm not knocking the poster. I'm saying it's bizarre to overhear people speaking irish and implying that they're being boastful.

If you accused of being boastful a French, Spanish or Russian speaker who chose to speak their native language around their friends, most people would reply with the same answer: they're not the ones with the problem.

Podgerz

I plan to move to Dublin next month - not a big fan of sitting and studying it in a book. I was pretty decent ten years ago so I am sure its knocking around upstairs somewhere - I plan on joining a Gaelige only speaking GAA team to help me focus while playing a bit of football. Two stones and all that. Dreading my first training as Im gonna come accross a bit odd and shy which isnt my nature - until I get the cupla focail back and (hopefully) go from there!

Some more info here:

http://www.nagaeiloga.ie/Pages/ClubNews/Why%20I%20joined%20Dublin%E2%80%99s%20first%20Irish-speaking%20GAA%20club.aspx

NIMAN

Go and live among native speakers for 6 months or a year, and you'll be fluent.

It worked for Des Bishop.

The Satanist

Podgerz wrote: »

I plan to move to Dublin next month - not a big fan of sitting and studying it in a book. I was pretty decent ten years ago so I am sure its knocking around upstairs somewhere - I plan on joining a Gaelige only speaking GAA team to help me focus while playing a bit of football. Two stones and all that. Dreading my first training as Im gonna come accross a bit odd and shy which isnt my nature - until I get the cupla focail back and (hopefully) go from there!

Some more info here:

http://www.nagaeiloga.ie/Pages/ClubNews/Why%20I%20joined%20Dublin%E2%80%99s%20first%20Irish-speaking%20GAA%20club.aspx

Some suburbs/towns have conversational groups who meet in a local pub or café every week, maybe try searching local groups on Facebook or ask in the regional forums on boards.

aloneforever99

I find watching the news in Irish helpful.

Chances are that I've already seen the story online in English, so I'm able to put some of the vocab together from context.

Speak it as much as you can.