haileo!

Im learning irish again for the first time in a long while, through night classes once a week. am very aware of how much my spoken irish needs working on, and am also finding the progress of night classes once a week (and with long breaks in between terms) very slow and frustrating

so im hoping to go on one of the week-long gaeltacht courses this summer. being from the north originally, ive been trying to focus on the ulster dialect, so have been looking at courses in donegal

gael linn run a course in goath dobhair and oideas gael in gleann colm cille. does anyone have any thoughts on either of them?

oideas gael is €50 cheaper and also has the benefit of the school sorting your accom out, whereas with gael linn you do it yourself. however im very nuch focused on having a bit of banter and craic along the way to make learnkng more enjoyable, so if the gael linn courses are more fun then id go with it

anyone been to either?

Was in Gleann Cholm Cille; you stay with a nice family and if you are serious you can talk to them. You won't learn much at the classes though, like any other class for adults, most don't take it too serious

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what do you mean? I thought the whole point of going to the gaeltacht was to fully immerse yourself in the language? you'd need to be serious to spend all that money going there!

I have to disagree, Jay Bee. I've been to Oideas Gael twice, the first time for a fortnight, and most recently (this past summer) for a month-long stay. I've also attended many immersion weekends in which the classes were taught by OG teachers using the OG model. They most certainly DO take learning seriously. The classes are conversationally based, so you'll be doing a lot of talking rather than sitting at a table learning grammar, but isn't that kind of the point?

You're also expected to continue practicing your Irish during the evening activities and tea breaks. The idea is to break that "speaking barrier" that so many learners experience.

The philosophy at Oideas Gael (one I completely agree with) is that adults can learn more easily in a fun, relaxed, environment.

As far as your living arrangements, Oideas Gael offers three different options in Gleann Cholm Cille: Their on-campus house self-catering, self-catering in area houses and cottages off campus (which is what I typically do) or a home stay.

Oideas Gael also offers a two-week immersion experience in Gleann Fhinne, usually at the end of July. You won't find a more dedicated bunch of learners anywhere than that bunch! Home stay is your only accommodation option in Gleann Fhinne, but it's a good one...your bean a' tí will keep a sharp ear out to make sure you're using your Irish (and if she's anything like mine was, she'll be more than happy to help you along as well).

I can't speak for the Gael Linn course, never having attended it, but I've gained tremendously from my time with Oideas Gael, and wholeheartedly believe in their approach to teaching the language.

Catrionanic, if you have any specific questions about the classes at Oideas Gael...how they work, how the levels are determined, etc., please feel free to ask.

Redwolf

Well, I was there for a week and it wasn't too serious. It was classroom style, followed by social stuff afterwards. Many of the adults disliked the social part (like drama as it would involve getting involved).

I saw no evidence of improvement and since I don't know how it would be measured, it all seems like opinion to me. 'Improvement' in my opinion would be movement toward native speech (use and communication) and that wasn't there in the week long course. Maybe it's different in the longer ones

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The "social" part is a major part of the learning method. The idea is to get used to using your Irish in daily circumstances, in an atmosphere that encourages you to relax. Not every person wants to do every single social activity...that's fine. But there's more there than just the end-of-week performance. We had movie evenings, poetry evenings, singing evenings, céilí dances (and, in Gleann Fhinne, a rousing game of volleyball for those who wanted it...all in Irish, of course!)

The focus behind Oideas Gael is improving one's spoken Irish, regardless of dialect.

A single week is hardly enough time to evaluate any course, in my opinion (and, Catrioniac, whichever course you choose, if you possibly can stay at least a fortnight, I highly recommend it). Admittedly, the type of course that works well for one person may not work as well for another...learning styles differ. I've found that Oideas Gael's approach helps me overcome my natural shyness and reluctance to speak if I'm not sure I can "speak perfectly" (which is a major stumbling block for many learners).

I can tell you without reservation that my spoken Irish has improved significantly (as has my ability to get around the conversational "dams" that most learners encounter), and I give Oideas Gael full credit for that.

Redwolf

I would say go by all means, with the proviso to have some level of conversational ability first so you don't get put into the lowest level and hope you are in with serious people

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I would doubt that anyone with any Irish at all would be put into the lowest level, unless they themselves insisted on it. Level one is always for absolute beginners...people who may have a word or two, but who don't really have any more than that. It's also usually the smallest level, as most people have a bit more Irish than that before they go on an immersion course.

That said, sometimes people insist they want level one, even if they'd actually be well-able for level two. If they're going to be there for more than a week, sometimes Liam will let that slip, figuring it's helpful to them to be comfortable and get a feel for the course before challenging themselves a bit. If you can use any Irish at all, though, usually he'll try to encourage you to go up a level.

For those who haven't attended an Oideas Gael course, at the beginning of each week, Liam introduces the teachers and describes each level (in both English and Irish, for the sake of the beginners). He then asks who thinks he or she belongs in each level, and if he thinks you really belong in a higher or lower level, he'll tell you. You're always free to disagree, though, and try the level you think you should have.

It's also important to remember that you can ALWAYS change your level mid-course if you feel that you're not being challenged enough, or that you're not able for the level you opted for originally...or for any other reason, really.

I would encourage anyone who's had Irish in school (even if you don't think you remember much, or think you weren't very good at it) to consider going into a higher level than level one. Over and over again I've seen people who thought they belonged in a lower level because "it's been so long and I don't remember anything" or "I never was very good at Irish" realizing that they remember a lot more than they thought they did.

They're not going to force you into a more challenging level, though. In the final analysis, it's your money...they'll give you the best advice they can, but it's up to you to take it or not. Some people just want a nice little holiday where they can use their cúpla focal, and if that's what they want, that's fine...you're always free to find someone else to talk to!

I also have to point out that you get out of a course what you put into it. Liam tells every class to just use whatever Irish you can in the breaks, even if all you can manage is "Mise Audrey." Some people will do that, and some just can't get past the shyness barrier. There was a lady there during my first week this summer who simply would not try to use her Irish at all between the classes. If you'd speak to her, she'd just say "I'm really not good at this speaking stuff." Needless to say, she got a lot less out of her course than did other people on the same level who actively used every little bit they had (and who weren't embarrassed to ask more advanced learners "how do you say this or that?").

On that note, more advanced learners are encouraged to engage the beginners in conversation whenever possible. My first week there, I was in a house with two beginners, and as much as possible, we did everything with me speaking Irish and then either using pantomime, or, if necessary, translating...which gave all three of us practice!

Redwolf

And my apologies, Catrionanic, for repeatedly misspelling your username! Slydexia strikes again! I'll try to do better in the future!

Redwolf

I spent two weeks in Gleann Cholm Cille at Oideas Gael and stayed with a local family. The bean an tí was from Gaoth Dobhair originally. Her husband basically had no Irish and I only ever heard her speaking English with their three young children, unfortunately. In all honesty Irish is rarely spoken in the area, outside of Oideas Gael itself. That said, it's a solid choice for beginners, especially those who want to learn Ulster Irish. My first teacher was a native speaker from nearby An Charraig (Carrick) and in the second week it was a woman from County Meath who had been educated in Irish from age 4 all the way through to third level.

I've never studied Irish in Gaoth Dobhair but have spent a few weeks there over the years and you'll definitely hear more Irish spoken in the parish and have more opportunities to use it outside of a classroom setting.

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Is foghlaimeoir mé. Is fearr liom Gaeilge Chonnacht. Corrections always appreciated.