An labhraíonn tú Gaeilge?

[VFR750]

Anyone else out there trying to learn, read/write, and speak Irish?

I’m trying, but its hard! Pronunciation and V-S-O sentence structure is tricky.

Where do you find someone to practice with?

COVID shutdown many local clubs, and classes are not readily available nearby.

[stevej37]

Audio CD

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Irish-Beginner-Intermediate-Course/dp/1444102354/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=gaelic+for+dummies&qid=1624566216&sr=8-10

[LWJ]

I struggle with “Sean.”

[WPOZZZ]

It takes me 30 minutes and 5 shots of Jameson to speak Irish.

[reachme]

tons of sites to practice languages with native speakers, you help them with English and they help you. This is great if there is a balance between # of learners of the 2 languages, better if you are in more demand (English-Japanese for example).
But the problem for you is most Gaelic speakers speak english daily and have to learn Irish to score well enough to apply to government jobs in Ireland that deal with the public. And people who only speak Gaelic have no internet (why, Gaelic internet sites are few and far between)

You would be best to call Irish govt institutions public phone numbers and pester them with questions about bus schedules, trading in old Punt or endless tax questions

[flatbutt]

trying to correctly pronounce Siobhan convinced me that my Sicilian tongue was not able to speak Gaelic.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

It takes me 30 minutes and 5 shots of Jameson to speak Irish.

When I hit my thumb with a hammer, I can speak five languages instantly.

[Jeff Higgins]

Interesting situation over there - hopefully someone who lives there can chime in. So, I've spent a good deal of time in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland back when I was working on airplanes. I got to know some of my native coworkers pretty well. They told me some interesting things regarding Gaelic and its use in their respective countries.

The older guys told me that when they were school children, Gaelic was strictly forbidden in their schools. Speaking it with one's classmates would earn a rap on the knuckles and a trip to the principle's office. Today, all three countries are in the midst of a Gaelic revival, or at least an attempt at one. Driving around, one will quickly notice the road signs are bilingual - with the Gaelic on top. As alluded to above, it's apparently the law (at least in Ireland) that any public official respond in Gaelic to any citizen who wishes to speak it. Last time I was in Ireland there was some particularly contentious debate taking place in their Parliament, and one of the delegates insisted in addressing them in nothing but Gaelic. It was pretty easy to tell that the vast majority had no idea what he was saying and had to rely upon their translators... he was obviously stubbornly loving it.

It turns out, however, that a very, very small fraction of the populations of any of these countries self identify as "Gaelic speaking". Like well under 10%, with somewhat less than 1% "fluent" in that they speak, read, and write competently in Gaelic. I don't think the numbers are increasing, either. I got the impression it was mostly confined to some of the smaller islands as well, like the Aran Islands off the shore of Ireland for example. Seems possibly a losing battle, although I wish them well.

Maybe if they shortened some of their place names it might have a better chance:

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Interesting situation over there - hopefully someone who lives there can chime in. So, I've spent a good deal of time in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland back when I was working on airplanes. I got to know some of my native coworkers pretty well. They told me some interesting things regarding Gaelic and its use in their respective countries.

The older guys told me that when they were school children, Gaelic was strictly forbidden in their schools. Speaking it with one's classmates would earn a rap on the knuckles and a trip to the principle's office. Today, all three countries are in the midst of a Gaelic revival, or at least an attempt at one. Driving around, one will quickly notice the road signs are bilingual - with the Gaelic on top. As alluded to above, it's apparently the law (at least in Ireland) that any public official respond in Gaelic to any citizen who wishes to speak it. Last time I was in Ireland there was some particularly contentious debate taking place in their Parliament, and one of the delegates insisted in addressing them in nothing but Gaelic. It was pretty easy to tell that the vast majority had no idea what he was saying and had to rely upon their translators... he was obviously stubbornly loving it.

It turns out, however, that a very, very small fraction of the populations of any of these countries self identify as "Gaelic speaking". Like well under 10%, with somewhat less than 1% "fluent" in that they speak, read, and write competently in Gaelic. I don't think the numbers are increasing, either. I got the impression it was mostly confined to some of the smaller islands as well, like the Aran Islands off the shore of Ireland for example. Seems possibly a losing battle, although I wish them well.

Maybe if they shortened some of their place names it might have a better chance:

I'd imagine that books published in that language would require school children to have a Sherpa.

[TimT]

trying to correctly pronounce Siobhan

I went to High school with, and dated a girl named Niamh (missing the umlaut or whatever its called) .... watching the teachers struggle to figure out how to pronounce her name was hilarious..

Also her parent spoke Gaelic.. if I was over her house and they were speaking Gaelic, they were having a conversation they didn't want us to understand....

[Mike Andrew]

Isn't the sign simply "Pub" in Welsh?

[svandamme]

just drink more whiskey and you'll eventually be as unintelligible

[VFR750]

Siobhán and Naomh/Niamh are easy. 🙄

Aoife is a little tougher.

I noticed in 2019 that the signs are preferentially Gaeilge. Baile Átha Cliath is Dublin.

The challenge of learning Gaeilge is also driven by the desire to keep it alive. And a little bit of family history. Grandfather left (northern today) Ireland in 1898 at 18 years old.

[reachme]

Baile Átha Clianth is still Baile Átha Cliath.
Bombay is still Mumbai
Canton has always been Guangzhou
and Londonderry has always been called Derry (or Daire)

How you refer to places in diff languages has meaning and if you speak Gaelic but drop back to English names you will be making a statement. South China Sea, Rhodesia, Sudetenland and Ladakh are place names guaranteed to start a fight if you use them to certain speakers. Eastern Canada has this with the French and English, this is everywhere. I'm sure even the US like reservations, Inuit etc.
If there is a language blunder likely to cause offense, I'm sure I've done it

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by LWJ

I struggle with “Sean.”

So do I.

[Bill Douglas]

I quizzed GF who lived in Scotland for nine years about gaelic and she said Ireland and Scotland have different versions of it but they could probably understand eachother. But Welsh gaelic is waaaay different.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

So do I.

We pronounce it Shorn Like a shorn lamb.

[J-Mac]

Originally Posted by VFR750

Anyone else out there trying to learn, read/write, and speak Irish?

I’m trying, but its hard! Pronunciation and V-S-O sentence structure is tricky.

Where do you find someone to practice with?

COVID shutdown many local clubs, and classes are not readily available nearby.

As a born and bred Irishman, living there from 61 to 98, I can shed some light. When my mother was in school (she’s 84) all subjects were taught in Gaeilge. She became a teacher btw. When I went to school, 66-78 it was mandatory to learn it. It was part of every exam, as a language.

I’m from Dublin. The name is a derivative/Anglicized version of the Gaeilge Dubh Linn (pronounced Dove linn) the Gaeilge name for “black (dubh) pool (linn)” , a big dark pool formed by the co-joining of two rivers in the area. The Vikings were visiting Ireland at the time also and called it black pool. In fact many Irish town and place names are (anglicized) versions of the original Gaeilge. Any town/city in Ireland named Bally…something is from the Gaeilge Baile meaning village or township. There are also many town with Kill in them (Kilkenny). Stems from Gaeilge coill meaning hill, mound or coil meaning

Today Gaeilge is not a mandatory subject in school. It’s rarely used anymore save for the west coast and Islands off there. However there is a Gaeilge language news broadcast everyday on tv and there are a few Gaeilge radio shows. It’s a dying language. It’s different from a Scottish Gaeilge and not even close to Welsh native language (think Swahili).

At sixty I can still understand it, but speaking it not so much. My French is better than my Gaeilge these days.

[J-Mac]

Originally Posted by VFR750

Siobhán and Naomh/Niamh are easy. 🙄

Aoife is a little tougher.

I noticed in 2019 that the signs are preferentially Gaeilge. Baile Átha Cliath is Dublin.

The challenge of learning Gaeilge is also driven by the desire to keep it alive. And a little bit of family history. Grandfather left (northern today) Ireland in 1898 at 18 years old.

Eeefa
Neeve
Shove awne

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

We pronounce it Shorn Like a shorn lamb.

I've been saying my name wrong for years.

My favorite Irish name, and actor, is Saoirse Ronan. Pronouncing her first name is like a one-word song.