learning gaelic

**neloon** · 26th May 17, 12:55 PM

javankrona,
Your link is missing a "p" at the end - should be
http://learngaelic.net/sol/episodes/1-18.jsp

I don't know either of the books. You have set yourself quite a challenge. One problem is that spoken Gaelic is very idiomatic and varies from place to place especially as regards colloquial usage and accent. The BBC course is a good middle-of-the-road place to start but I'm afraid you really need to be in close contact with a native speaker to achieve success.

Ailean

**javankrona** · 26th May 17, 02:21 PM

Thank you, neloon

My heritage is from Argyll. Some of the Canadian census records denote (Gael) parenthetically with the native country being Scotland. I would assume they would have spoken the Dalriada dialect. But being that Scotland has lost so many native speakers, I thought that a middle of the road background would be a good path to begin upon. It is my understanding that the scots and Irish can communicate in Gaelic without much difficulty, so Scot to Scot shouldn't be too bad ... even if one of the scots is American ")

**O'Callaghan** · 26th May 17, 06:09 PM

I can't really speak either, but, for example, Irish = Gaelige (with the terminal e voiced), whereas Scots Gaelic = Gaelidh (with the dh pronounced like th). So, even if they can largely understand eachother, some of the differences are apparently fairly basic.

**Profane James** · 26th May 17, 07:02 PM

The LearnGaelic website is very useful, LOTs of lessons...
Here's my pile:

Click image for larger version.

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I would recommend the 'colloquial Scottish Gaelic' due to the great website with corresponding audio files for the lessons...

**DerekvG** · 31st October 17, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Profane James

The LearnGaelic website is very useful, LOTs of lessons...
Here's my pile:

I would recommend the 'colloquial Scottish Gaelic' due to the great website with corresponding audio files for the lessons...

Hello Profane James
can you provide referecen on colloquial Scottish Gealic and the website please
Derek

**Profane James** · 31st October 17, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by DerekvG

Hello Profane James
can you provide referecen on colloquial Scottish Gealic and the website please
Derek

Sure! Although it is probably best in context of listening along with the book lessons:

http://www.routledgetextbooks.com/te...guage/scot.php

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Colloquial-Sc.../dp/0415206774

**sailorruss** · 1st December 17, 12:32 AM

First the kilt. Now Scottish Gaelic. I'm in deep now! LOL

**neloon** · 27th May 17, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by O'Callaghan

I can't really speak either, but, for example, Irish = Gaelige (with the terminal e voiced), whereas Scots Gaelic = Gaelidh (with the dh pronounced like th). So, even if they can largely understand eachother, some of the differences are apparently fairly basic.

Sorry, but Scots Gaelic is "Gàidhlig" in Scots Gaelic - pronounced Gaallik .

Ailean

**jthk** · 27th May 17, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by O'Callaghan

I can't really speak either, but, for example, Irish = Gaelige (with the terminal e voiced), whereas Scots Gaelic = Gaelidh (with the dh pronounced like th). So, even if they can largely understand eachother, some of the differences are apparently fairly basic.

The Irish word for their native language (Gaeilge) varies between regions. The Munster folks say, Gaelainn and the Donegal folks often say "Gaeilic" but Connacht may say Gaeil-ige. Anyway. Lovely stuff all around.

Jonathan

**OC Richard** · 31st May 17, 11:02 AM

I was lucky in that the University I attended offered a course in Scots Gaelic.

Not that one can attain any semblance of fluency from such, but it served as a great introduction.

We used Speaking Our Language.

Our teacher wasn't a Native Speaker. He was a Welsh speaker who subsequently learned both Irish and Scots Gaelic. He evidently was fluent enough- many's the time I heard him conversing with Native Gaelic Speakers.

In any case it seems to me that given enough hard work and motivation one can become pretty good.

Case in point was the enthusiastic young man who came to me for uilleann pipe lessons. While he was doing that he was Skyping regularly with a Native Irish Speaker in Connemara. As soon as he finished school here he moved to Ireland, to the Gaeltacht, and AFAIK has been there ever since. According to his Skype teacher he was fluent when he arrived.

Yes both Irish and Scots Gaelic are plagued (if that's the right word) with numerous dialects, and hard (arbitrary?) choices have to be made as to which dialect will be taught.

English certainly suffers from this. I've known a number of foreigners who learned British English back home, moved here to the USA, and often found themselves having a hard time understanding what we were saying.