Baile

Accuracy in Irish (Basic) for Primary School Teachers (2017)

What kind of course is it?

Introduction

This online summer course, which is worth 3 EPV days, is aimed at those who have a reasonably good standard of spoken Irish but whose knowledge of the grammar of the language is limited. The emphasis is on aspects of the language that are not too complicated and that the participants will be able to learn without much difficulty.

The rules are explained in a simple, accessible way and an attempt has been made to avoid complicated terminology. The grammatical explanations are concise and throughout the course the author draws attention to patterns and to the way in which various structures are used in everyday speech and in the written language.

The course is bilingual - each sentence in Irish is translated into English.

The main objectives of the course are:

  • to improve the participants’ standard of Irish by explaining the core aspects of grammar in a clear, concise manner
  • to draw the teachers’ attention to the importance of accuracy in Irish and to encourage them to put what they have learnt into practice in the classroom, something that will benefit both themselves and their pupils
  • to give teachers an opportunity to exchange practical ideas for the classroom through the discussion forum.

Authors

This course was written by Éamonn Ó Dónaill, Gaelchultúr’s Director of Education and one of the founders of the company. Helen Hegarty and Lisa Madden edited Accuracy in Irish (Basic) for Primary School Teachers and wrote some additional exercises as well.


Course Content

The course does not aim to give a comprehensive account of Irish grammar, rather it concentrates on some of the core aspects of the grammar and on points that come up regularly in the classroom.

Module 1

  • Part 1: The Noun
  • Part 2: The Adjective

Module 2

  • Part 1: Simple Prepositions / Simple Prepositions and the Article
  • Part 2: Personal Pronouns and Prepositional Pronouns

Module 3

  • Part 1: The Imperative Mood
  • Part 2: The Past Tense

Module 4

  • Part 1: The Cardinal Numbers
  • Part 2: The Personal Numbers / Dates and Ordinal Numbers

Module 5

  • Part 1: Location, Movement and Time
  • Part 2: Possessive Adjectives

Course guide

Course layout

There are five modules in the course Accuracy in Irish (Basic) for Primary School Teachers and each module contains a mixture of grammatical explanation and exercises. After you have read some grammar rules, you have an opportunity to try several exercises based on those rules. Approximately twenty hours must be spent online and off-line on those activities.

All the exercises are interactive. Once you’ve completed an exercise, you can then click on the Seol (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. You’ll be told which answers were correct and which were incorrect, and you’ll given the correct answers and a score. These exercises are not assessed; their aim is to stimulate the user’s interaction with the course content, and to give him/her the opportunity to practise what he/she has learned.

Forum

Participation in the online debate forum is an obligatory part of each module. You must participate in the forum by sharing ideas with the other participants and by completing written tasks. The participants also have an opportunity to contact the course facilitators on the forum.

Assessment

There are interactive exercises in each module, and once you’ve completed an exercise you can then click on the Seol (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. While you’re given a score for these exercises, they’re not assessed for the purposes of the award of EPV days; their aim is to stimulate the user’s interaction with the course content, and to give him/her the opportunity to practise what he/she has learned.

Participation in the online debate forum is an obligatory part of each module. You must participate in the forum by sharing ideas with the other participants and by completing written tasks.

At the end of the course, the participants must answer a reflective question. This question will confirm that you have engaged with the course content, and it will give you the opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the course content in the classroom.

Assessment of your work is based predominantly on the standard of your written work, but a record will also be kept of the amount of time you spent working on the course.

Important

In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed between 3 July 2017 and 25 August 2017. During that period, it’s up to you to decide when to study the course content.

Department of Education and Skills criteria for online courses stipulate that participants may complete one online course for the awarding of 3 EPV days, two online courses for 4 EPV days and three online courses for 5 EPV days.


FAQs

When can I register for the course?

Immediately!

When can I start the course?

Any time from the beginning of July onwards. In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed between 3 July 2017 and 25 August 2017.

By what date will I have to have completed the course?

By 25 August 2017. In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed some time between 3 July 2017 and 25 August 2017. During that period it’s up to you to decide when to study the course content.

What work will I have to do in each module?

You will have to read the material in the module and do all the interactive exercises.
When you have done all that work, you will have to answer the interactive question at the end of the module. You must post this answer on the course forum.
You must publish at least one post per module in the forums aside from answering the interactive questions.
At the very end of the course, you must answer the reflective question. Again, you must post your answer on the course forum.

How many hours must I spend doing the course work?

Approximately 20 hours.

Is the course material written in Irish or in English?

The course is bilingual - each sentence in Irish is translated into English.

Will I have to answer the interactive question at the end of each module in Irish?

No. We would encourage you to use as much Irish as possible in your answers, but you can use English if you need to.

Can I undertake the course using my smartphone or my tablet computer. e.g. iPad?

Most of ranganna.com can be used on smartphones and tablet computers, however the site’s multimedia content does not work on all devices. It would be advisable, therefore, to try a sample unit of the course you’re interested in on the device before registering for that course.

What happens if I have a question?

Write it on the forum or write to your course facilitator.
If you have any difficulties with the site, call (01) 484 5220 or write to eolas@ranganna.com.

Can I do more than one course?

Absolutely! Department of Education and Skills criteria for online courses stipulate that participants may complete one online course for the awarding of 3 EPV days, two online courses for 4 EPV days and three online courses for 5 EPV days.

How will I know when I have completed the course?

You will have completed the course when:

  • you have spent approximately 20 hours working on the course material
  • you have answered the five interactive questions as well as the reflective question
  • you have published at least one post per module in the forums aside from answering the interactive questions
  • the course facilitator is happy that your work is of a suitably high standard.

You will receive your certificate and CPD record within two working days of having completed the course. It takes a little while to compile the answers, and to prepare the certificate and record.


If you have any other questions, email eolas@ranganna.com, or call either (1890) 252 900 or (01) 484 5220.

Feedback

‘I think that the course content was well organised and extremely clear. I’ll use it as a reference when working through my Irish grammar programme, to help me present grammar topics to my class as clearly as possible.’ - AC

‘The course gives clear-cut examples of accurate grammar and how to use it.’ - DO’S

‘The course has given me lots of ideas and a structure which I can follow when teaching grammar.’ - LM