Cuir feabhas ar do Ghaeilge An Colún Corcaíoch - alt nua dhá theangach sa Corkman
TÚS MAITH, LEATH NA HOIBRE, MAR A DEIR AN SEANFHOCAL
FÁILTE romhaibh go dtí colún nua an Corkman.
Tá sé i nGaeilge – nó dhá theangach ar a laghad. Bilingual. Is mise Concubhar Ó Liatháin agus is as Gaeltacht Mhúscraí dom – I’m from Cúil Aodha which is near Baile Mhúirne.
Is cainteoir ó dhúchas mé – which means I’m a native speaker.
Irish was the language of my home when I was growing up. Which means I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to speaking and understanding the language.
It’s not quite the same for writing as native speakers as we, or me at least, sometimes have an ‘iffy’ relationship with grammar and the official ‘Caighdeán’ or standard.
We’re inclined to speak the language as feel it.
And while that works well when you’re speaking it, when you’re trying to read it, sin scéal eile.
I mention that by way of an apology in advance – just in case a grammatical error slips through. Má tharlaíonn sé, sit down and take a breather. The damage will not be permanent!
Táim á rá san chun a thabhairt le fios – the language is living and breathing and it’s meant as a medium of communication. I can make a mistake and shrug it off – is féidir leat freisin! Ar aghaidh linn!
So your child has just started school and you’re a little at sea as they’re coming home speaking Irish and you’ve forgotten most of what you learned when you went to school yourself ?
Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
There are plenty of classes starting up around now to help you brush up on your ‘cúpla focal’ and that’s always a good starting point.
However we can also advise you with some book recommendations which will help you with the relearning process and, it is also hoped, rekindle your enjoyment of Irish.
I just popped over to local website, Litriocht.com, which boasts that it sells every Irish langauge book in print.
Here’s a few that will help you with your journey towards fluency.
Gaschaint by Úna Lawlor is a great place to pick up the phrase that’s on ‘ barr do theanga/the tip of your tongue’, but you just can’t remember it. The book, from An Gum, costs €24.79.
If you have an infant starting off in school, in the ‘naíonáin beaga’ for instance, you should invest in one of the Bran series by Eric Hill.
These books feature the tales of a coileán - puppy - called Bran who gets up to all sorts of devilment. What youngster can resist a cute puppy?
The book ‘Bran agus a Mhúinteoir’ is available for €4.95 from Litríocht. It’s part of a series of titles featuring Bran as hero.
And finally, for this week, you may not have realised it but David Walliams, an breitheamh ar Britain’s Got Talent and author and cross-channel swimmer extraordinaire, writes as Gaeilge.
Bhuel, his books are available in Irish thanks to publishers Futa Fata.
Scéal é Mamó agus an Gadaí Mór mar gheall ar Ben agus a sheanmhathair/mhamó.
She’s the most boring granny ever - ach tá rún aici. Is gadaí í agus ba mhaith léi na Crown Jewels a ghoid.
Sin tús leis an eachtra agus as go brach linn ar aidbhintiúr mhór!
Is ‘steal’ é an leabhar greannmhar is éasca le léamh seo ag €9.95.
Tá go leor leabhair iontacha Gaeilge ar fáil anois - úrscéalta as an nua agus aistriúcháin ar leabhair Béarla mór éilimh - best sellers - ar nós Game of Thrones, The Famous Five agus An Hobad.
Seans go bhfuil tú as taithí as Gaeilge - nó Gaoluinn - a léamh ach ná bí buartha ach tabhair faoi is bain taithneamh as an eachtra.
Slán go foill/See you later!