Jurnaa Gaelagh

~ Gordon Wells ~ 9 Comments

We’re “sharing Gaelic voices” again, this time quite literally!

Thanks to Culture Vannin and the fine narrative tones of James Harrison, Guthan nan Eilean now offers you the previously missing Manx version of “A Gaelic Journey – from Benbecula to Ranafast”, the story of a Hebridean trip to Donegal with Archie and Neil Campbell, focussed on capturing Gaelic voices. (We already have versions in other languages on our Gaelic Journeys page.)

This one short 10-minute film gives you the opportunity to hear all three Gaelics, as they are spoken now in the twenty-first century. The narration is in Manx, but there are also conversations in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic with onscreen dual language subtitling in Manx and Irish or Scottish Gaelic. You can also access the full transcript on Clilstore (with online dictionary linkage) in this unit – http://multidict.net/cs/5562.

Enjoy this pan-Gaelic production, propitiously launched on Latha Buidhe Bealltainn!

(And if that’s whetted your appetite for multilingualism, try the same film here again – in Basque!)

Gaelic Media and Communications Officer

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

Ceòlas were recently pleased to announce the appointment of Liam Alastair Crouse to the post of Gaelic Media and Communications Officer (Oifigear Mheadhanan is Conaltraidh Gàidhlig).

Close followers of Guthan nan Eilean will remember that he’s worked with Ceòlas in Uist before, as Gaelic Development Officer, when he recorded a short interview close to the start of his job.

So, Gordon Wells was happy to catch up with Liam again as he starts out on his new posting, this time for a video recording. Liam talks about the opportunities and challenges entailed in the task of getting more Gaelic onto the Internet. We wish him well!

Dòmhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

Dr Donald William Stewart is based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye.

Here he talks to Gordon Wells in Gaelic about the research module that the college will be conducting in Gaelic communities, as part of the Soillse “Leacag” corpus development project funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

He emphasises in particular the important role of day-to-day speakers of the language in shaping the overall results.

Tha Dòmhnall Uilleam gu bhith a’ siubhal tro na h-eileanan a-muigh ann an ùine nach bi fada, airson bruidhinn ri daoine agus na beachdan aca fhèin a chlàradh. Cumaibh cluas ri claisneachd!

Dziewięćset dziewięćdziesiąt dziewięć!

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kopanie1“Kopanie torfu”, our first production in the recently started “Sharing Gaelic Voices” theme is approaching a significant milestone. At “dziewięćset dziewięćdziesiąt dziewięć” we are one away from 1,000 views on YouTube of our Polish documentary on peatcutting!

YouTube analytics show that in the past couple of months this has become one of our most frequently watched videos.

Who will be the one thousandth viewer?

Surfing: سرفنگ – Urdu Documentary

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

سکاٹ لینڈ میں شمالی یوئسٹ کے خوبصورت ساحلوں میں سرفنگ کے متعلق مختصر ڈاکومنٹری

Film aithriseach goirid ann an Urdu airson luchd-ionnsachaidh air surfadh ann an Uibhist a Tuath

Short Urdu documentary for language learners about surfing in North Uist

The “Island Voice” of Javed Ishaq is heard again, all the way from Multan! Following on from his Restore Project film, he now introduces Urdu learners and speakers to the joys of surfing. There are no borders when it comes to “Sharing Gaelic Voices“…

Island Voices is again pleased to make a wordlinked transcript to this film available through Clilstore. Please check Unit 4642!

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Gaelic voices are also heard in the backing music, singing along to North Uist’s answer to the Beach Boys, the now “defunked” Bi Beò. Here’s the rolling refrain to Dannsa a’ Phortain (The Crab Dance):

O thì, hug oro fail ill o horo
Thì, hug oro fail i horo
Thì, hug oro fail ill o horo
Fail ill o hug oro eile

Untranslatable!

Yearend Milestone

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31st December doesn’t just mark the end of 2016. It’s also the day when the number of Island Voices Facebook “likes” reached 2000! The project now works on a voluntary basis, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our contributors over the past year who continue to make this an interesting site to visit. Our biggest project this year was undoubtedly “Saoghal Thormoid“, which we were glad to bring out in Norman’s 80th year, but we shouldn’t let that overshadow the contributions of many others. We were particularly happy to start pushing the “Sharing Gaelic Voices” theme this year, which has already doubled the number of languages in which Guthan nan Eilean videos have appeared. We hope to grow that number further in 2017…

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We’re delighted to have reached 2000 Facebook “likes”, of course. The page is a great way of spreading news about the project. But our real “home” is here on WordPress. If you want to be sure of getting all the news about what we do without worrying about Facebook’s sometimes mysterious algorithms, you may wish to consider subscribing for e-mail notification? If so, check the right-hand sidebar for instruction, just below the “Follow on Facebook” icon.

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We wish all our followers a happy 2017! Keep the ideas coming…

Bliadhn’ Ùr Mhath – nuair a thig i!

 

Norman Maclean – if he turns up!

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normansblogThere’s a treat in store for anyone who’s seen and liked Norman Maclean‘s work on Island Voices (or elsewhere). Norman is starting his own blog – “If he turns up” – and is inviting readers to give it a shot. It will consist of slices from his newest title, not yet published – “A Half-Breed Looks Back”.

“I’ll do this on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until I have evidence, one way or another, that there is measurable demand for my stuff. Please share with anyone who may be turned on by my ramblings about slum life in 50s Glasgow, undergraduate lowlights and a veteran entertainer’s return to the Hebrides.”

Here’s his first post – Ready, Steady, Go!

Nach sgaoil sibh an naidheachd seo, a chàirdean!