http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/education/2010/1116/1224283400543.html

quote:

Cillian Fahey, who got straight As in his Leaving Cert, made headlines when he sold his exam notes on eBay for €3,000. In this continuing series he shares his study experience with readers, today offering advice to fifth- and sixth-year students on Leaving Cert Irish

Seems to be good, solid advice.

quote:

2) Keep it simple. In this question “Gaeilge simplí” is all you need.

I think one needs more "Gaeilge shimplí" :-)

Smart kid. I guess he was one of the "uncool" ones that spoke Irish out of class. We need more uncool kids who have a head on their shoulders than a bunch of cool ones that can't get their synapses to fire. I admit that I went through a phase in which it was cool to be stupid (or appear stupid) and be a follower. Being "uncool" and smart is probably the oldest and most authentic non-conformity movement there has been.

Dála an scéil, cad é an Ghaeilge atá ar cool?

I cannot answer your question, Seánw, as I do not have the experience to know, but I like the word "calma" (pronounced kalama), "fine, excellent". That's the nearest I know - but I shouldn't answer in threads where I don't know the answer!!

I hear similar phrases, but I'm wondering if there is a relative equivalent. And I mean cool as an adjective, like a cool person, and not as an utterance, as was heard often in my German classes, toll! (= thar barr, etc.).

(Message edited by seánw on November 17, 2010)

Calma is an adjective, not an interjection. Buachaillí chalma are mentioned in Mo Sgéal Féin.

Calma = splendid.

He's a really cool guy = Is diail an fear é,
fear nótált(h)a is ea é, fear tofa is ea é, ardfhear is ea é, an-fhear go deo is ea é, is seoigh an mac é. Of course the structure "is diail an . . ." can also be used in a negative sense depending on the context just as "right" is used in Hiberno English:

a) He's a right hurler, I tell you. He'd hurl half them off the pitch = great hurler
b) He's a right little know-it-all, he is = negative

Is diail an t-iománaí é = great
Is diail an galar ar scata í an tsaint = a terrible "affliction"

I love your new car, it's really cool = tá do chairt nua
go diail, go seoigh, nótáltha ar fad

A. I've already bought the tickets. B. Cool! = Go diail ar fad!, Go seoigh!, Ar fheabhas!

uncool = duine ná cuireann leis an bhfaisean, ná géilleann don bhfaisean, a threabhann a chlais féin

Wonderful words, Ailín! Can I ask how you would be pronounced seoigh? With a final slender g? Or without? Thanks. I am sorry if I am taking over the BB with so many messages and turning it into my personal educational tool...

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Wonderful words, Ailín! Can I ask how you would be pronounced seoigh? With a final slender g? Or without? Thanks. I am sorry if I am taking over the BB with so many messages and turning it into my personal educational tool...)

Yes, seoigh is pronounced with a final slender g. As for "taking over" the BB ( = ???), I think we are all learning from one another. That's the great thing about fora like this, you help out where you can, you go off and do some research where necessary, and in doing so you add to your own knowledge of the language. Everyone benefits :o)

BB: bulletin board. I am benefiting from you and Aonghus of course - I am afraid I have little of offer by way of return other than lots of gratitude!

And good questions.

If there weren't good questions here, I'd have been gone many, many messages ago.

Yes, Aonghus, and it is nice to know that all questions and answers are archived.

In fact, the Internet is new to us, well, it dates back to the mid-90s. But there is no reason why an Irish enthusiast will not be able to search your answers here in 500 years time! It is an open question what will happen to the Gaeltacht in that time, but your answers are permanently available! Even thousands of years time!

(Message edited by corkirish on November 17, 2010)

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It is an open question what will happen to the Gaeltacht in that time, but your answers are permanently available!

Hopefully by then they will have figured out a way of saving the Gaeltacht by creating genetically modified native Gaeltacht speakers, cloned from the choicest speakers, and transferring them to a self-sustaining Gaeltacht colony on the far side of the moon. A sort of "galactic Ráth Chairn", if you will. Of course, I would prefer that they spoke "Gaelainn na Moon" . . . .

I don't think you are taking over the board. Anything substantive is good for everyone, in my opinion. I think a saying like "a rising tide lifts all boats" turns out to be true for the most part on forums like this. The opposite as well, though.

quote:

But there is no reason why an Irish enthusiast will not be able to search your answers here in 500 years time! It is an open question what will happen to the Gaeltacht in that time, but your answers are permanently available! Even thousands of years time!

Give the number and frequency of my mistakes, that is quite a chastening thought.

And will likely lead to dreadful flame wars about exegesis.

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Of course, I would prefer that they spoke "Gaelainn na Moon"

Gaelainn na Mún :-D

Dána!

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Smart kid. I guess he was one of the "uncool" ones that spoke Irish out of class. We need more uncool kids who have a head on their shoulders than a bunch of cool ones that can't get their synapses to fire. I admit that I went through a phase in which it was cool to be stupid (or appear stupid) and be a follower. Being "uncool" and smart is probably the oldest and most authentic non-conformity movement there has been.

Aontaim leat go hiomlan...

quote:

Dála an scéil, cad é an Ghaeilge atá ar cool?

Fuar :-D

As someone only recently out of Secondary Education, I can't say that the article's advice is anything that students aren't told all the time.

Personally, I think the necessity of such exam "tricks" is a big, loud alarm bell telling us that the way Irish is taught is archaic and pointless. If, instead of teaching to the exam, we taught students to simply speak Irish as well as they can, the language would be far better off. How can telling people, in effect, that you don't need to speak Irish to pass the exam be a good thing?

(Message edited by Remember on December 01, 2010)

Is this not true of the other languages also?

It is the system, not merely the teaching of Irish, which is broken.

I would say it is "archaic" because there is so little Irish around people to support the methods. In past times such methods may have worked very well because there was more of a community to develop with. Only the very few can learn a language which is not very much supported outside of school. And as a learner it falls apart pretty quickly if you're not keeping it up. That is one reason why I support urban gaeltachtaí as places where people can find Irish rather easily, unless of course there is a gaeltacht around you. Also not everyone learns the same. This has to be built into the system. Some people love rote memory stuff. Some people need experience. A bad book learner can learn very quickly I am sure by socializing in Irish communities. The methods need to be developed and expanded to take this into account. But Aonghus is right about it being systemic. The system in general is designed for a very specific type of person, and if you aren't it, you barely make it, fall behind, or give up.