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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 1999-2004 » 2001 (January-June) » Which home course is best « Previous Next »

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Guy
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2001 - 02:32 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

I am trying to learn gaelic. The tapes dont seem to work well for me (teach yourself irish by Diarmuid O'Se and Joseph Sheils) I would like to use a compuer CD Rom course with good multi-media. I want to learn to speak and write. I need something easy to understand and learn from. I have found several programs, but don't know anything about any of them. They are:
1. Talk Now Learn Irish
- Talk Now Learn Irish Intermediate Level II
- Talk Now/Flash Card BUNDLE - Irish
2. Irish Gaelic Now! 8.0 Tutorial
3. 101 Languages of the World

Are any of these good? Is there a better one for the language impaired like me? Where do I get more Information / choices?
please help
dazed and confused in Tennessee

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Jonas
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2001 - 09:52 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Well Guy, only you can say what works best for you, but I can't recommend any of the courses you've listed (escpecially not Talk Now, I don't understand how they have the guts to actually sell that crap; you won't understand a signle phrase with it)

As far as books are concerned, the new Teach Yourself Irish is by far the least satisfactory; the language in it is very formal, and you would harldy be able to understand normal Gaeltacht-irish even after completing it. As far as I know, there are two good books on the market

1.Learning Irish
This course is based upon the Cois Fharraige, Connemara, Aran Islands dialect, and it does a splendid job in teachinh it. Once you've completed this course you will be quite fluent in Connemara-Irish. It is quite academic, though. I find it to be an advantage, but others might disagree.

2.Irish on your own
I haven't read this book, but many learners really like it. It is based on the Donegal dialect. It is not as academic as Learning Irish, which results i:
-it's easier for beginners
-it won't make you as fluent as Learning Irish does.

Of course, I can't say what works for you, but I would suggest one of these courses.

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guy
Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2001 - 06:51 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Thank you for the help. I will look for these books and try them add them to my library. I am really hoping to find an interactive CD Rom. I have extreme difficulty in pronounciation. The number og dipthongs (and such) and sounds not found in english (i.e. "dh" "ng") really throws me off track. If I have to use a book I would prefere one with tapes (preferably CD). But I will definately look for these books.
Thnk you again.
Guy

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Seosamh
Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2001 - 12:24 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Learning Irish is great for the way it lays out the pronunciation -- very systematic and complete, between the first lesson and an appendix. Irish on Your Own takes a communicative rather than scholarly approach. That may be better for you, but I don't recall that there is much explanation of pronunciation.

If your mindset requires the approach in Learning Irish, get it. Even if you go on to the Munster (southern) or Ulster (northern) dialects, you have a base to work with and will probably have not too great a problem adjusting.

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