naionrai.ie
(10/02/07)
Ceachtanna: Introduction
Learning by listening
This section of our website builds on material presented in our book, Bun-Ghaeilge do Thuismitheoirí, while also taking advantage of the multimedia benefits of the Internet: lots of sound files and no limits on wordcount!
Everyday phrases
We have concentrated on everyday words and phrases, heard constantly in the natural language of the Gaeltacht but rarely or never found in text-books. These are linked to sound files, in which native speakers of the three main Irish dialects say them out loud. These files should provide a useful tool for parents in Galltacht areas, where access to good native speakers is limited.
Do listen carefully to these sound files; many words are not correctly pronounced the way you might think. Play them to your children, whose ears are a lot sharper than adults', and who will often grasp subtle nuances easily. Feel free to download them and to save them on your own computer. Unfortunately, some important aspects of spoken Irish are often glossed-over. This results in children (and adults!) sometimes learning significantly incorrect forms. Hopefully, and without being too fussy, we are after catching many of these here.
Ag rince nó a' rince?
Let's look at a phrase like "tá mé ag rince" (or "táim ag rince" in Munster). If you pronounce it "ig reenk-eh" you are saying "I am present at a dance". If you want to say you are dancing, you must pronounce it uh reenk-eh. The same applies to "ag pósadh". That simple change in pronounciation makes a huge difference to what you end up saying!
To try and keep things fairly straightforward, we are after dividing the pages into the traditional Connacht, Munster and Ulster Irish, and have also included sounds in what we have called "Standard Irish".
Of course, these divisions are a bit of an oversimplification. The Irish spoken in Cork is noticably different to that of Waterford or West Kerry (although it is very similar to that of South Kerry). As for Connacht, the native Irish of parts of Mayo is, in fact, Ulster Irish!
An Lárchanúint
Lastly, a few words on the matter of "Standard Irish". This, like the Caighdeán Oifigiúil for written Irish, has sometimes been misunderstood, often at the expense of the living language in Gaeltacht areas, and of perfectly correct native forms. It is more correctly called the "lárchanúint" (central dialect), and is in fact an artificial creation. It was invented in the mid 1980s by Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann on the instructions of An Roinn Oideachais, who wanted a single pronunciation guide for An Foclóir Póca. The result was a very carefully constructed mixture of the commonest aspects of the various living dialects.
It would be wrong, however, to say that is now the only correct way to speak Irish. As stated in literature published by the Institiúid at the time: For those already fluent in Irish, this core dialect is not meant to displace their existing dialect but is intended as an alternative medium for use in more formal contexts
. The project's research report also explicitly pointed out that they had avoided using the term caighdeán labhartha
(standard speech). Therefore, even if you are not fluent, it is clear from this that there is no reason not to use the Irish of your own area if you wish, or that of the nearest Gaeltacht. After all, parents in Wexford do not bring their children up to speak Cavan English! In any case, the "larchanúint" was designed so that you can base the way you speak it on any one of the native dialects. Whatever your choice, the main thing is to try to encourage your children to speak well and accurately.
Sunday 18th November 2007
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