Hello all,

I'm an MA student of Irish Studies in Turkey and am currently studying on poetry in Irish. As soon as I met Irish through poetry, I fell in love with it. Now one of the things that I want to do most is to learn Irish and read/"recite"/listen to poems in Irish. I want to use this great language!

But the thing is I live in Turkey and there are no Irish courses here. Neither are there any Irish speakers to get private lessons from, as far as I know.

I bought a teach-yourself-Irish set but it does not work at all for practicing speaking skills, you know.

So what shall I do?

Please give me advice.

Thanks a lot!

Is é do bheatha isteach - Welcome in Sibel.

.. any Irish speakers to get private lessons from, as far as I know. ..

Your knowledge may change with time.

As to you purchase: I bought a teach-yourself-Irish set ...

Is it Teach Yourself Irish by Dillon:
Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2005 - 02:29 pm:

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Have you ever seen the old, circa 1961 Myles Dillon Teach Yourself Irish? There's currently a yahoogroup working through this book:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TYIMunster/

Also, many people who like your approach tend to use Progress in Irish (which is a solid old-timey grammar course) in conjunction with a course like Buntús Cainte, which focuses on conversation.

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Nicole Apostola
http://cuisle.blogspot.com


http://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/13510/14157.html

http://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/12465/11910.html

http://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/12465/12302.html

There is a famous Irish language poet called Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill- She is married to a Turk and has even lived in the country

http://www.munsterlit.ie/Conwriters/Nuala.htm

(Message edited by diarmo on May 18, 2006)

(Message edited by diarmo on May 18, 2006)

don't miss the opportunity to do whatever book/tape set you decide on with a friend or two. Beg them. Pay them. whatever it takes to get them to do it with you...then you'll have someone to talk to and practice.

Then there's here, irishgaelictranslator.com and numerous yahoo groups for different books where you can all ask questions when they come up.

Learning it without a buddy was the hardest thing, once I started teaching my mother, brother and best friend it got much easier because I was using at least a little of it every day...

Hi everyone,

Seosamh, Diarmo and Antaine; thank you all!

I had a look at all the websites you suggested. They're really fine! I think I won't be able to get up from the PC desk. There is such a huge source waiting to be discovered.

Also thanks a lot for suggesting to study with a friend. It's a pity I haven't thought about it before... That's a good idea, really!

As for the set, I use LinguaShop's "TeachMe!Irish" CD-ROM set but I can say it is a rather poor source as it teaches Irish only superficially. Ummm...had better try a book, maybe. Dillon's book sounds good. Thanks.

And Nuala....she's my goddess, my only love. My thesis is on her work and I've been spending my last there years reading and writing about her night and day.

Yes, her husband is Turkish and she spends lots of time in Turkey every year. I was lucky enough to get into contact with her and even to meet her last summer. I still can't forget the enchanting moments when she read some lines from one of her poems in Irish beside me.

Through her poetry, I got fascinated by Irish and the land of Ireland.

Love you, Nuala!

A Antaine, a chara,

Thats grand that you are so easily able to convince everyone around you that Irish is the language they _must learn and that it is so neat. None of my friends care that much about it, some with at least a bit of an interest in Ireland and the rest couldn't care one way or another about any of it, except to listen when I talk about it. And my family makes fun of my attempts at speaking it, OK, only my mother really. I know it isn't out of miliciousness, she just likes to irritate me. Aside from this fact she's a grand person.

it's not easy...and their commitment is not what mine is. for instance, my best friend Daithí...it took me over five years to get him to come to a gaelic weekend...he hasn't missed one since. he wants to become fluent enough to talk with me, but doesn't have the time to dedicate to it.

another friend it's taken me almost that long, finally came to one and enrolled in a class in preparation for it where she lives in TX. she says she's now hooked...she may match me for commitment.

i've given out 100 packets of beginning conversational stuff to friends and family and students of mine, roped some friends and family into taking formal classes with me and taken nine people to gaelic weekends in order to find those two...but hey...it's worth it...now most of my friends and family can recognize at least a few phrases and are educated about the language.

oh, and you're going on the assumption that I give them a choice...

one of my friend's gfs thought i didn't like her. i played with that and would only speak to or IM her in irish, refusing to translate. she's now my most advanced speaking non-daltaí friend. she started learning because she couldn't stand not knowing what i was saying...

I'm evil...truly I am...I think it's the goatee...