Irish Translation Forum

February 04 2006, 1:30 AM

Irish Proverb Toilet Paper

Bitesize Irish Gaelic - learn Irish Gaelic in bitesize lessons

August 18 2006, 0:23 AM

Irish Proverbs Toliet Paper????

August 18 2006, 0:37 AM

That'd be a hit with the fellas since they're forever desperate for reading material on the can...

August 18 2006, 0:40 AM

November 03 2006, 5:42 AM

Hi all! I'm new (as is evident by the post count: 1). Just got into this whole thing earlier this week. Went to http://www.rte.ie/rnag/ as suggested, click to listen the the live radio, just to hear some gaelic, and guess what's playing? Justin Timberlake "SexyBack." Yea... :buhu:

I just have a few questions/requests for recommendations:

1. What are some good artist/CDs for listening to gaelic?

2. What's a good nationwide store (um, preferably USA, I live in Oregon) for getting software/English-Gaelic dictionaries? Amazon didn't have that great of a selection, and it's difficult for me to order things online anyway. I need a computer program to help with pronunciation; I took German for two years and I wouldn't have had a clue how to say any of it if I hadn't heard it.

I like alot of the suggestions posted so far, if I'd tried any of them with German, I might have actually learned some of it.

Hopefully having an interest in the languare will help me stick to it. I am actually of Irish descent, and have red hair, so to be able to speak gaelic would be just awesome.

Edit: I say Gaelic, but I do realize there is a difference between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic; I just figured you'd all know which one I was talking about. =]

November 03 2006, 6:44 AM

Howler13 wrote:Hi all! I'm new (as is evident by the post count: 1). Just got into this whole thing earlier this week. Went to http://www.rte.ie/rnag/ as suggested, click to listen the the live radio, just to hear some gaelic, and guess what's playing? Justin Timberlake "SexyBack." Yea...

I just have a few questions/requests for recommendations:

1. What are some good artist/CDs for listening to gaelic?

2. What's a good nationwide store (um, preferably USA, I live in Oregon) for getting software/English-Gaelic dictionaries? Amazon didn't have that great of a selection, and it's difficult for me to order things online anyway. I need a computer program to help with pronunciation; I took German for two years and I wouldn't have had a clue how to say any of it if I hadn't heard it.

I like alot of the suggestions posted so far, if I'd tried any of them with German, I might have actually learned some of it. Hopefully having an interest in the languare will help me stick to it. I am actually of Irish descent, and have red hair, so to be able to speak gaelic would be just awesome.

Edit: I say Gaelic, but I do realize there is a difference between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic; I just figured you'd all know which one I was talking about. =]

I can tell you that Borders and Barnes and Noble usually have "Teach Yourself Irish" (which is a good basic method) and the Collins Pocket Dictionary (not a bad basic dictionary).

As far as computer programs go, for an absolute beginner, "TeachMe Irish" is pretty good. "Easy Reader" is nice as an aid to reading, and does help with pronunciation, but it's not a learning method per se.

Redwolf

November 03 2006, 17:30 PM

Alot of the programs recommended on the site say they're "Standard" dialect. Which is considered the standard dialect, Munster, Ulster, or Connacht?

November 03 2006, 18:32 PM

The "Standard" is an artificial construct. It's closest to the Connacht dialect. But this really isn't something a beginner need worry about. Even if you learn from something that says it focuses on a particular dialect, it will stick fairly close to the standard.

November 04 2006, 0:02 AM

Schuler's Book Store has Teach Yourself Irish, and the CD that you can buy to accompany it. Then you can hear the lessons spoken. It also has Collins Gem Dictionary. Great book--incredibly small print (if you're-um-over 30).

November 04 2006, 0:48 AM

Howler13 wrote:Went to http://www.rte.ie/rnag/ as suggested, click to listen the the live radio, just to hear some gaelic, and guess what's playing? Justin Timberlake "SexyBack." Yea...

I know what you mean! But if you can last till the end of the song, you'll find the announcer is speaking Irish at least.

Try listening earlier in the day, if you can; they switch formats at 9pm Irish time, which is 4pm here in the eastern US. If not, there are also plenty of archived talk programs on their site: Ardtráthnóna and Lán a' Mhála are favorites of mine.

There's also a weekly Mass broadcast (look for "Aifreann an Lae"). I'd recommend that to beginners, whether Catholic or not. Because it's a formal occasion, people speak a little more slowly and clearly than they do for the news or the weather.

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