Hi all!

I wish to produce a free tutorial for beginners of Irish. This tutorial will be in the form of an app which will play sentences containing only the most common words and idioms. The listener can interrupt the playing of a sentence in order to establish the meaning of particular words.

If you're interested in helping me write the sentences, please read on!

I have put together an online tool to help construct the sentences for the first tutorial:

http://jsfiddle.net/vfNf7/227/show/

On the left you will see the list of words and idioms I wish to cover in the first tutorial. In the centre column is a text box into which you can enter sentences. As you write, hints will appear on the right hand side to help you complete your sentence.

Some things to keep in mind:

- The sentences should only contain the words on the left.
- You should stick to the most common meaning/meanings associated with each word.
- The only idioms you should use are those appearing on the left, i.e. "ar fad", "go dtí", and "tar éis". For example, even though "in" and "ann" are present on the left, you shouldn't use "in ann" in a sentence, since it is an idiom meaning "able". This idiom is not common enough to merit its inclusion in the first tutorial.
- If you feel that certain words are too difficult to put in a sentence, forget about them and we can revisit them in a subsequent tutorial.
- If you feel you can construct your sentences in the form of a dialog then that would be really great, however I don't think this is very important in early tutorials.
- The hints on the right are just a rough guide and might contain idioms you shouldn't use.

We want to try and cover each word and idiom a number of times. I have some guinea pigs who have never studied Irish previously on which we can test the tutorial. Once I have enough sentences I will have them recorded by a native speaker. I envisage offering the tutorial for multiple dialects.

If you have any suggestions on improvements, please let me know! I've invested quite a bit of time already getting this far.

Here are some sentences that I have come up with in order to get the ball rolling, however my Irish is quite weak so I'm really in need of help:

bhí mé ann
is mé atá ann
ní mar sin atá sé anois
ní raibh mé
bhí sé leis féin ar fad
an bhliain ar fad
tá mé mór
amach as sin
tá sé orthu
tá agus níl
ní go dtí anois
ní raibh aige ach tá nó níl
is ansin atá sé
gach ní eile
ach ní raibh acu ach iad féin
ní raibh sé ann
sin mar a bhí sé
go dtí sin
go dtí seo
bhí sé aige
tá sé acu
é féin agus í féin
a trí agus a trí sin a sé
ní mar sin a bhí
is mar sin a bhí
sin mar a bhí
seo mar a bhí
is í atá ann
iad féin atá ann
agus é sin mar atá
tá agus bhí agus beidh
bhí nó ní raibh
bhí agus ní raibh
níl aon ní eile ann
agus an raibh
ach ní raibh sé ann
agus sin é
an é seo é
ní raibh sé mór

Hope to hear from you!

Barry

Are these to be put into sentences, or words out of them into sentences, or are they to be recorded as they are later... just wondering...

_________________
Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.

Sounds interesting. Best of luck with the project.


It's hard to compose sentences with no nouns. I take it your lesson plan is based on a list of high frequency words. Have you considered adding in a few common nouns, adjectives and verbs to the early lessons? (Even if those words aren't as common as the meaningless grammar words). I think that would go a long way to making the sentences more useful, or at least more memorable.

_________________
Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

Sentences should be created containing only the following words:

"eile","mo","na","gur","leis","ina","do","lena","iad","bíonn","sé","faoi","ba","de","níor","tá","seo","dá","trí","aige","sin","mór","don","gan","tar éis","a","as","ó","bhliain","den","amach","anois","aon","ná","gach","acu","mar","an","air","go dtí","féin","nach","á","amháin","is","in","beidh","agus","ón","ach","arís","ár","nó","i","ansin","leo","maidir","sa","níl","bhí","go","í","freisin","le","má","sna","ar fad","mé","dhá","ann","tháinig","idir","faoin","orthu","nua","ag","raibh","ní","san","chun","ar","atá","dhéanamh","é","bhfuil","nuair","dó"

Once all the sentences have been finalised, they will be recorded.



I am of course open to the idea of changing this set of words. Here are common nouns in Irish, starting with the most frequent. "leis" can be a noun but almost all of the time it isn't.

'leis', 'ní', 'ó', 'ann', 'bhfuil', 'sí', 'ba', 'duine', 'don', 'chur', 'lá', 'maith', 'rud', 'chuid', 'dtí', 'daoine', 'má', 'bith', 'dul', 'áit', 'chuir', 'cé', 'dó', 'fáil', 'féidir', 'thabhairt', 'fear', 'fad', 'cur', 'am', 'ceann', 'scéal', 'teacht', 'aghaidh', 'cuid', 'obair', 'deireadh', 'taobh', 'linn', 'rinne', 'uair', 'rá', 'mac', 'fhios', 'iarraidh', 'dé', 'oíche', 'déanamh', 'saol', 'lucht', 'gcuid', 'os', 'ceart', 'déanta', 'teach', 'ais', 'bliain', 'fiú', 'siúl', 'súil', 'méid', 'baile', 'láthair', 'timpeall', 'roinnt', 'más', 'uisce', 'bhaint', 'oibre', 'tír', 'lár', 'uile', 'nós', 'baint', 'cúpla', 'cinn', 'leabhar', 'tí', 'mórán', 'ainm', 'sásta', 'caint', 'scríobh', 'ab', 'eolas', 'lámh', 'áirithe', 'scoil', 'cliath', 'dia', 'tabhairt', 'ard', 'talamh', 'lae', 'chóir', 'bean', 'éirí', 'gá', 'rí', 'airgid', 'roinn', 'bás', 'ábhar', 'úsáid', 'muintir', 'doras', 'cionn', 'mná', 'tíre', 'bun', 'domhain', 'airde', 'fáth', 'mí', 'maidin', 'imeacht', 'iomlán', 'teanga', 'leath', 'seans', 'focal', 'beo', 'laghad', 'fir', 'domhan', 'airgead', 'páistí', 'gabháil', 'lorg', 'cúrsaí', 'ama', 'fanacht', 'fíor', 'eagla', 'líon', 'aice', 'chor', 'aire', 'comhairle', 'fios', 'bord', 'sláinte', 'mba', 'bia', 'tráthnóna', 'athair', 'athrú', 'neart', 'labhairt', 'dream', 'aithne', 'eolais', 'seomra', 'bealach', 'dlí', 'míle', 'luí', 'oifig', 'ionad', 'mhí', 'tús', 'ball', 'cuir', 'toisc', 'tréimhse', 'aimsir', 'béal', 'óir', 'rialtas', 'leagan', 'tine', 'seasamh', 'bóthar', 'rogha', 'sagart', 'oileán', 'slán', 'saor', 'réiteach', 'barr', 'áireamh', 'súile', 'oideachais', 'cineál', 'amhras', 'feiceáil', 'tuilleadh', 'ceol', 'fáilte', 'tráth', 'cuairt', 'léamh', 'cheap', 'aer', 'litir', 'rún', 'ré', 'glacadh', 'breathnú', 'greim', 'tithe', 'casadh', 'cainte', 'deo', 'amharc', 'mhac', 'caitheamh', 'talún', 'ceist', 'solas', 'cois', 'comhair', 'naomh', 'ceisteanna', 'gnó', 'a lán', 'sórt', 'clár', 'cailín', 'croí', 'diabhal', 'éisteacht', 'nóiméad', 'deacair', 'fiche', 'suim', 'cathrach', 'fómhair', 'aois', 'leanbh'

the most common verbs:

'ar', 'bhí', 'tá', 'ní', 'raibh', 'atá', 'bhfuil', 'bheith', 'mór', 'maith', 'níos', 'arsa', 'mbeadh', 'dtí', 'bheadh', 'tháinig', 'chuir', 'dúirt', 'dó', 'thug', 'tar', 'beidh', 'deireadh', 'bhíodh', 'rinne', 'chuaigh', 'deir', 'léir', 'iarraidh', 'bíonn', 'bhíonn', 'fuair', 'déanta', 'bheidh', 'measc', 'rith', 'tí', 'scríobh', 'chonaic', 'dóigh', 'áirithe', 'caithfidh', 'éirí', 'bíodh', 'úsáid', 'chuala', 'caite', 'leath', 'beo', 'lorg', "d'fhág", 'cuireann', 'líon', 'chor', 'féach', 'féachaint', 'tosaigh', 'luí', 'labhair', 'cuir', 'lig', 'thit', 'rinneadh', 'tugann', 'lean', 'bhíos', 'cheap', 'fágtha', 'casadh', 'amharc', 'imithe', 'dhéanann', 'tagann', 'glan', 'comhair', 'éirigh', 'tugtha'

the most common adjectives:

'féin', 'eile', 'mór', 'maith', 'síos', 'beag', 'mó', 'mhór', 'leor', 'suas', 'nua', 'fada', 'léir', 'fuair', 'éigin', 'anuas', 'ceart', 'díreach', 'lán', 'fearr', 'siar', 'minic', 'cinnte', 'uile', 'óg', 'sásta', 'dara', 'áirithe', 'ard', 'chóir', 'in ann', 'cuma', 'thiar', 'domhain', 'cosúil', 'airde', 'caite', 'iomlán', 'luath', 'beo', 'beaga', 'náisiúnta', 'láidir', 'fíor', 'bán', 'dubh', 'réidh', 'chuma', 'slán', 'saor', 'aníos', 'céad', 'oideachais', 'deis', 'ionann', 'bocht', 'deas', 'tríú', 'poiblí', 'glan', 'naomh', 'fhearr', 'thuaidh', 'deacair', 'saoire'

the most common adverbs:

'ach', 'leis', 'seo', 'ann', 'amach', 'chomh', 'isteach', 'anois', 'amháin', 'ar bith', 'ansin', 'síos', 'arís', 'suas', 'riamh', 'anseo', 'chomh maith', 'freisin', 'go leor', 'anuas', 'fós', "b'fhéidir", 'fiú', 'le chéile', 'istigh', 'ar ais', 'amuigh', 'roinnt', 'siar', 'minic', 'i bhfad', 'uile', 'i gcónaí', 'go maith', 'cheana', 'inniu', 'cá', 'roimhe', 'áfach', 'ó shin', 'chóir', 'thiar', 'abhaile', 'thíos', 'amhlaidh', 'conas', 'thuas', 'aníos', 'deas', 'go deo', 'thuaidh'

Remember, the frequency diminishes as you go down through each of the four lists above. What words would you like to see added to the set of words and idioms for the first tutorial?

I used http://en.wiktionary.org to establish the parts of speech.

Er...some of those "nouns" aren't nouns. Also, some are inflected forms.

Also the point is well-taken that you can't make a sentence without a noun or a pronoun. By definition a sentence includes at least one noun/pronoun and one verb.

I'm not a huge fan of "crowd-sourcing" tutorials. There's plenty of good learning material out there without creating something as iffy as this.

My 2 cents.

Redwolf

If I can get one good Irish speaker to help me with this I will be happy. The tutorial I wish to produce is novel for a number of reasons. First of all, the learner will listen instead of having to read. They won't have to learn that "bh" produces a "v" sound in order to be able to understand a bit of spoken Irish. Secondly, the learner will learn the most common, i.e. most important things first. Instead of learning all the parts of the body in one go, as I've seen done by manys a teacher, they will learn "eye" first, "arm" later and "elbow" much, much later because I rank words and expressions based on their frequencies. Thirdly, the user can listen to the tutorial while doing other things. This is what happened when I learned Swedish. People were speaking all around me and now and again new words would simply pop out at me and I would be determined to find out their meaning.

I'm not promising that this technique will work but I'm determined to produce at least one tutorial in order to find out if it is useful or not. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work but I think its worth a try and I've invested a lot of time working on this because I do genuinely believe in it.



"chairde" is more common in Irish than "cairde" and "cairde" is more common than "cara". I would like a tutorial which exposes me to the word "chairde" first and I would like a tutorial which doesn't bother with grammar. I learned Swedish quickly without having to learn grammar. Instead I can inflect words correctly in Swedish because I can hear if it sounds right or not in a given sentence. I believe if a learner is exposed to enough sentences containing "chairde", "cairde" and "cara" and other words that inflect in the same way, they will quickly learn the rules in an implicit manner.

Mick asked me this morning if it would be possible to add some more nouns, verbs etc. to my list. So I threw together a script which uses wiktionary to establish if a word is a noun or not. Of course there may well be mistakes on wiktionary's website but the idea here is give Mick and others an idea as to the most common nouns etc. so that a few of them can be added to the list.

Thanks for your feedback!