Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level is suitable for people who have already learned Irish and who still understand some of the language but have had little opportunity to use it in recent years. The emphasis is on developing speaking and listening skills but students are also given opportunities to read and write the language. Grammar is taught in context, as it is required.

Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level aims to help those who undertake the course to:

• speak Irish a lot more fluently;
• speak the language more accurately;
• add greatly to their vocabulary;
• understand speakers from the various dialects;
• add to their reading and writing skills;
• gain an understanding of various aspects of grammar.

Authors

The course was written by Éamonn Ó Dónaill, Gaelchultúr’s Director of Education, in conjunction with his colleagues Aoife Ní Chonchúir, Cóilín Ó Floinn and Siobhán Patten.

Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level is based on syllabus B1, Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, and on Gaelchultúr’s classes at Lower Intermediate level (Courses A, B and C). The emphasis is on everyday speech and useful words and phrases are taught which will help the learner talk about himself and his life. There are sound files to be found throughout the course, enabling learners to listen as often as they like to the new words and phrases being taught.

Course units

There are 15 units in Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level, each of which concentrates on a distinct topic. Here are the topics dealt with in the course:

• Unit 1: Background and Where You Live
• Unit 2: The Family
• Unit 3: The House
• Unit 4: The Working Life
• Unit 5: Holidays and Travel
• Unit 6: Education
• Unit 7: My Lifestyle
• Unit 8: Food and Drink
• Unit 9: Daily Life and Social Life
• Unit 10: Shopping and Money Matters
• Unit 11: Illness, Traits and Emotions
• Unit 12: Appointments and Arrangements
• Unit 13: Languages
• Unit 14: The Media
• Unit 15: Speaking about the Future

Unit content

Each unit of Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level contains the following elements:

• Conversations

Six conversations, with accompanying translation into English. The language contained in these dialogues is natural and authentic, and reflects everyday usage.

• Vocabulary and Useful phrases

Core vocabulary and useful phrases relating to the theme of the unit.

• Useful information

The grammar relevant to the topic covered in the unit. This grammar is presented in context and in manageable chunks, and complicated terminology is avoided.

• Exercises

A wide range of fun-to-do activities based on the vocabulary and grammar presented in the unit. All of the written exercises in the course are interactive. Once you’ve completed an exercise, you can click on the ‘Seol’ (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. You’re told which answers were correct and which were incorrect, you’re given the correct answers and a score. The oral exercises are accompanied by sound files.

• Read on

An authentic reading text, taken from an Irish language newspaper or magazine, accompanied by an English translation. These texts aim to help learners improve their reading comprehension skills and add to their vocabulary.

• Talking heads

A video interview with a fluent Irish speaker, based on the theme of the unit.

Guide to using the course

We think the best way to teach a language is through that language; all the instructions in this course are therefore in Irish but you can click on the ‘Taispeáin Fotheidil’ / ‘Show Subtitles’ button in the top right-hand corner at any time to access English translations. You can also click on the plus sign beside individual sentences to see the English version of those sentences.

All the exercises in the course are interactive. Once you have completed an exercise, you can click on the ‘Seol’ (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. You are told which answers were correct and which were incorrect, you are given the correct answers and a score.

At the beginning of each unit, you are told what aspects of the language are the focus of that unit.

In order to move from one screen to another all you need to do is click on the icon, which appears on the right-hand side, at the top and bottom of each screen. You can also click on any line of text under the words ‘PLEAN AN AONAID’ on the left-hand of the screen in order to access another part of the unit.

On the last page of each unit, an leathanach scoir, you are given an overview of the work that you have done in that unit and your total score for the unit. You are given several choices as well: to continue to the next unit, to go back on the unit that you have just completed, or go back to the very beginning of the course.

Forum

A forum has been provided for the Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level course. Those registered for the course have an opportunity to contact other learners through this discussion forum. They can send messages to the forum, ask and answer questions, and express ideas.

When can I begin the course?

Immediately! Students study the course independently of a teacher. This means that you can improve your Irish in the office or from the comfort of your home, at your own pace, and at whatever time suits you.

What happens if I have a question?

Write it on the forum! You’ll be able to contact other learners through this discussion forum. You can send messages, ask and answer questions, and express ideas there. Members of the Gaelchultúr team keep an eye on the forum, so they’ll be able to answer any tricky questions.