Category: Classes

Plug airson Stòras Uibhist

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“Tha Stòras Uibhist a’ tabhann cothrom do luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig,  Seachdain Ionnsachaidh a chur seachad ann an Uibhist a Deas gus an cuid Gàidhlig a thoirt air adhart troimh bhogadh sa chànain.  Thèid an t-seachdain a chumail ann an Loidse na h-Oighreachd ann an Gròigearaidh, bho 22mh gu 27mh an Giblean 2013.”

Follow this link for more details of an interesting opportunity for Gaelic learners. For initial enquiries please contact Deirdre MacEachen on 01878 708003 or e-mail deirdre.maceachen@storasuibhist.com

Guthan nan Eilean ann an Èirinn

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

Tha sgioba Uibhisteach a’ dol a-null a dh’Èirinn gus an obair aig Guthan nan Eilean a thaisbeanadh ann an Áislann Rann na Feirste.

Tha Sabhal Mòr Ostaig air a bhith ag obair mar-thà còmhla ri Ollscoil Uladh air a’ phròiseict Eòrpach TOOLS.

Le cuideachadh bhon sgeama Colmcille thathas a’ sùileachadh a-nis air mar a ghabhas an dòigh obrach a th’ aig Guthan nan Eilean cur gu feum le Gaeilge na h-Èirinn cuideachd.

Seo am prògram.

A Uist team is going over to Ireland to talk about the Island Voices project at Áislann Rann na Feirste.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has already been working with the University of Ulster on the European TOOLS project.

With help from the Colmcille scheme the partners will be considering how the Island Voices approach might be put to use with Irish as well.

Hebridean Tunes

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Jill - click for "Hebridean Tunes"Jill Friso, from the Netherlands, talks to Gordon Wells – mostly in English, but with some Gaelic and Dutch added for good measure – about her musical interests and aspirations, which led her to a course of study on Benbecula.

Jill has an interesting enterprise in mind – “Hebridean Tunes” – which she hopes will attract other visitors from near and far with similar interests to her own. You can visit the website here.

And you can also hear her playing her grandfather’s melodeon, the “button box”!

Listen here:

Summer Season

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

The Hebrides are known to be capable of delivering all four seasons in one day – but at this time of year you can at least be confident that the day will be a long one! Already it’s well after 10 o’clock before the sun sets. Students and teachers are beginning to look forward to their summer break.

Last year learners of Gaelic and English joined forces for an end-of-term party in Grogarry Lodge. The evening was such a success that a repeat event is planned. And this year, there will be some special guests – Filidh Ruadh – from multilingual Switzerland to provide musical entertainment. As visitors to the Ceòlas music school last year, they’ve already made their mark in Uist, and it will be great to have them back again, performing specially at this international evening.

This short film was made at last year’s party. If we can produce the same spirit again this year it should be a great night!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivU7CZLbm0s?rel=0&w=300&h=233]

New Blogs on the Block

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Local community voices are finding some interesting new platforms from which to make themselves heard. In addition to the recently launched Guthan/Voices page on Am Pàipear several new blogs have been started, (including audio-blogs!).

Gaelic tutor Archie Campbell started writing “Cò ach esan?” with Blogspot some months back, but has just recently started adding Ipadio phonecasts – which allows him to complement his texts with recorded speech. That’s very helpful for Gaelic learners who need to hear what the language actually sounds like.

Loriana Pauli has just started writing “From the Water’s Edge” in English on WordPress, but also including audio links from her new Ipadio channel.

And the Gaelic learners in Berneray now have a class blog, “Guthan Bheàrnaraigh”, also on WordPress. The first written contribution is by Rita Dix, on her 1985 meeting with Prince Charles.

All these “new voices” promise to provide interesting material to share – whether directly from their own sites or channelled through Am Pàipear, our local community paper. If anyone else locally would like to try out making their own contribution but is unsure how to get started, then please contact Gordon Wells on 07879 644984.

Gaelic in the Kitchen

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

The Berneray Gaelic classes led by Alison Dix and Archie Campbell were invited into a neighbour’s house to learn how to make oatcakes in the Hebridean manner. Màiri also spoke about her lifelong connection with Berneray, as well as of her training and work experience on the mainland, and her interest in good homebaking. Getting to eat the oatcakes was an extra bonus – not to mention taking home the recipe!

This 5-minute audio recording of Màiri’s good Berneray Gaelic is overlaid with pictures snapped at the time with a mobile phone. It’s the work of a few minutes to put the two together and place the result online. Now Gaelic learners worldwide can listen again and again – perhaps while making more oatcakes in their own kitchen…

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/41353428 w=500&h=375]

Lorna and the Learners

~ Gordon Wells ~ 4 Comments

Community Gaelic classes continue to meet in Berneray. One group is led by Alison Dix, and they are keen to meet and talk with local residents who are fluent speakers. Below you can hear edited highlights of a conversation held with Lorna MacKillop. The learners prepared thoroughly for the meeting by drawing up a list of questions to ask Lorna. The list of questions is here: Ceistean airson Lorna.

With Lorna’s agreement they then recorded their conversation. This has provided them with a lot of listening material for subsequent lessons, as they will be able to go over every aspect of the chat they had. The recording posted here gives just a taste of Lorna’s beautiful Berneray Gaelic, and the treats in store for the learners in the weeks ahead. Click on the image below to hear the conversation.

(Classes organised by CE Bheàrnaraigh with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s scheme for Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd.)

Festive Season!

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Adult learners of English with Latvian, Polish, and Russian roots had a recent session at the new Balivanich School alongside their children. The theme was Christmas and the New Year, and they talked about their traditional ways of celebrating this time of year. Some of them had already written about it as well, as part of their “homework”. Mary Morrison, their tutor, was busy all night asking them questions. And she took notes also, to make sure the information was all recorded.

The group had been invited into the school by the headteacher, Mrs Ferguson, so that they could look around and find out more about the excellent facilities there, so the children took great delight in showing their parents round. It was also an opportunity for the school to find out some more about the children’s cultures. Mrs Ferguson was particularly interested to find out more about foods and dishes, so the recipe book that the learners had prepared for the midsummer party was presented to her the very next day.

You can read here Radek’s description of the Polish “wigilia”. And Mary’s notes from the discussion here add more information about Latvian and Russian traditions, as well as Polish ones.

Òg no sean, nach eil e math a bhith ag ionnsachadh mu na diofar dhòighean a th’ aig daoine airson an t-àm-sa dhen bhliadhna a chomharrachadh? Ach tha aon rud ann a bhios sinn uile ag iarraidh:

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr – nuair a thig i!

Adult Learners’ Newsletter

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Learners at Cothrom are getting organised, and have decided to produce a quarterly newsletter. It’s nice to see ESOL learner Marie’s story from Barra featured in the first edition. It is reproduced below, but you can see the whole newsletter by clicking on this link. Maybe a Gaelic learner will write something for the next issue?

Marie’s Story

“Since 2004, I have been living on Barra, but originally I am from the Czech Republic. I came here to learn English and to work, but this has all changed as I now have a little boy who will be three in July. I have done many different jobs; at the fish-factory, helping my friend with baking/catering at the airport, at the Co-op, evening-work in a bar, cleaning for self-catering and cockle-picking. I will try almost anything! Currently I had found work as a relief Clerical School Assistant, but because of the difficulty of finding childcare, I have not been able to do this.

I have studied ESOL Int. 2 at Cothrom and ECDL through Lews Castle College. Now I am going for an interview for a UHI Business Course.”