Leagan Gaeilge anseo

Irish language classes, autumn 2007

The classes formerly run by Sult have now been taken over by Gaelchultúr Ltd. (www.gaelchultur.com). The company offers classes at up to six levels, three times a year:

Course A: September - November
Course B: February - April
Course C: during the summer

Éamonn Ó Dónaill MA is course director. Éamonn has been teaching Irish to adults for over twenty years now and has written several books for teachers and learners, including the multimedia courses Turas Teanga and Now You're Talking and the grammar book Teach Yourself Irish Grammar, published in autumn 2005.

More information is given below regarding the next course.

When will the next course take place?
It will commence on the 17th September 2007 and continue until the beginning of December, 2007.

How many levels will there by?
There will be six levels: total beginners, elementary, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced and accuracy in Irish.

How long will each class and the course last?
Participants will attend a two-hour class, one night a week, over a twelve-week period. There will be 24 hours of tuition in total.

What nights of the week will the classes be held?

Beginners: Monday
Elementary: Tuesday
Lower Intermediate: Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday
Upper Intermediate: Monday
Advanced: Tuesday
Accuracy in Irish: Wednesday

At what time will the classes be held?
The classes will be held between 7.00 - 9.00 p.m.

How much will the course cost?
The 24-hour course will cost €240.

Where will the classes be held?
The classes will be held in Gaelchultúr Teoranta’s headquarters in the Filmbase building in the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin. The building is situated opposite the Temple Bar Music Centre on Curved Street. Map available here.

What teaching approach will be used?
The communicative approach to language teaching will be used in all the classes. There will be a strong emphasis on group and pair work and learners will be given an opportunity to play an active role in the class. Useful everyday language will be taught and interesting and relevant topics discussed. The main emphasis will be on speaking and listening in all classes except An Rang Cruinnis.

Levels

Beginners (Ab initio)
This level is aimed at those who have no knowledge of the Irish language or who know only a few words and phrases. The class will not be suitable for anyone who has recently attended a beginners' course or who has studied Irish at secondary school. The emphasis will be on developing speaking and listening skills. Grammar will be taught in context for the most part. By the end of the course participants will have learnt how to engage in basic everyday interactions, talk about themselves and their background, the work they do, etc. and will have acquired a basic knowledge of grammar.
During the course, the syllabus developed by the Language Centre, NUI Maynooth for Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge will be followed (cf. www.nuim.ie/language/irishexams.html).

Elementary
This level is suitable for those who have already attended a beginners class or who are able to communicate at a basic level in Irish (greetings and introductions, for example). The material covered in the beginners class will be revised at the beginning of the course but the class will then progress to other topics not covered at the lower level. As with the beginners level, the emphasis will be on developing speaking and listening skills and grammar will be taught in context for the most part.
During the course, the syllabus developed by the Language Centre, NUI Maynooth for Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge will be followed (cf. www.nuim.ie/language/irishexams.html).

Lower Intermediate
This level is intended for those who have studied Irish at school, perhaps a good number of years ago, who understand a great deal of the language but have had few opportunities to use it in recent years. Some basic language will be taught initially but the class will then progress at a faster pace than a lower level class would. The emphasis will be on developing speaking and listening skills but students will also have some opportunities to read and to write the language. Grammar will be taught in context, as it is required.

Upper Intermediate
This level is aimed at those who are reasonably fluent in Irish and who use it socially from time to time. Participants will have the opportunity to extend their vocabulary and to learn more about Irish grammar. The range of topics covered will be more extensive than those covered in the lower intermediate class.

Advanced
This class is suitable for those who are fluent in Irish and who have, perhaps, attended Irish language courses in the past. The emphasis will be on developing the learners’ speaking and listening skills, but there will also be reading and writing exercises from time to time. In the first few classes, the focus will be on topics closely related to the lives of the course participants (e.g. background, work, pastimes), but after several weeks a wider range of topics will be dealt with in class.

Accuracy in Irish
This level is aimed at those who have a high level of proficiency in Irish and who now wish to improve their grammar and writing skills. Excerpts from the print media and from radio programmes will be used, and there will be a wide range of activities in the class. This class will suit those who work through the medium of Irish – journalists, civil servants and teachers, for example.

How can I register for the course?
Go to Gaelchultúr's website (www.irishclasses.com), download the course brochure, fill in the application form and send it to the address given. An online registration and payment facility is now available on the site as well.

You can also register at Gaelchultur's centre in the Filmbase Building (level 2) during office hours. Please call (01) 675-3658 in advance to make an appointment.

Additional information
If you would like additional information, call (01) 675-3658. Alternatively, you can write to eolas@gaelchultur.com