Gaeilge for Absolute Beginners
We are very happy and proud to announce that we have launched our first organised Irish language course. Based firmly on the principle of free education, this course and all the course materials are available completely free of charge, with no subscription whatsoever, to the first 30 applicants on the island of Ireland who register their interest with us by email. However, in the interest of ensuring that the course achieves the best results possible, we ask all who are interested in taking part to include in their email an outline of why they wish to take part. This way we can make sure that the course packs go to those people who have a genuine desire to learn and are commited to study.
We have 30 course-packs to send out to applicants but even if you don't get your application sent to us in time you can still take part in the course by downloading some of the course materials below.
The course pack will contain the following:
A 248 page workbook containing 128 lessons. Originally published by 'The Irish People' it is aimed at the absolute beginner who is coming to the language for the first time and, as such, we feel it is perfectly suited to our needs. You can also download this workbook in its entirety here.
Foclóir Póca published by An Gúm. 535 pages with over 30,000 words and examples make this the market leader in pocket Irish dictionaries. The book includes a phonetic pronunciation guide, verb tables and a list of geographical names.
Irish Grammar - A Basic Handbook by Noel McGonagle. 100 pages with a user friendly approach for those who want a concrete grounding in Irish grammar without becoming embroiled in the labyrinth of Irish grammar generally.
Lámhleabhar Miondíola. A retail sector specific terminology guide published by Foras na Gaeilge. Terminology and phrases for use in every sector of the retail industry from the largest supermarket to the smallest local shop. This is also available for download here.
Lámhleabhar Bia agus Dí. Another handy terminology guide published by Foras na Gaeilge, this time covering terminology and phrases that you might need relating to food and drink, hotels, restaurants, pubs and more. This too is available for download here.
Besides all of the above we will be including 2 Learn Irish CD's that will help with with pronunciation as you hear the language spoken, all the stationery that you might require to get started and the postage and packaging will be free of charge too.
We will also be setting space aside on our forum for a learners area where everyone on the course can get tips, advice and practice what they are learning with others on the course. So with all that and the online resources already available on this website there really is no excuse why you shouldn't be well on the road to regaining your native tongue, all that's needed is for you to decide whether you want to take part or not.
We're really looking forward to everyone on this course progressing and making this a success and if all goes well we will be in a better position to secure even more funding for more courses such as this in the future.