Monday, 29 December 2014
A well used resource
I really like the gaelic4parents website! It's very easy to navigate and there is so much relevant information on it regarding Gaelic Medium Education (GME). I'm not fluent myself but I continue to learn. Something I really enjoy is sitting with my son, with a book, and listening to the Gàidhlig audio for it. There is even a little sound that prompts you to turn the page. An absolutely brilliant resource and, even though my son is still in nursery at the moment, I foresee it being a staple in our journey through GME.
Saturday, 27 December 2014
Growing collection of Gaelic books
Growing collection of Gàidhlig books.
The audio for the majority of these books can be found at gaelic4parents. This is an excellent resource for parents with children in Gaelic Medium Education.
Acair books have been very helpful so I'd recommend checking out their website to order any books.
Friday, 26 December 2014
One year in a Gaelic medium nursery
Gaelic medium
I’m so excited for my wee guy starting at the gaelic nursery!
I’m so excited for my wee guy starting at the gaelic nursery!
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2 weeks in
It’s been just over 2 weeks since my little boy started at the Gaelic nursery. So far it’s going well. I was speaking to the nursery teacher yesterday and she is happy with how he’s settling in and picking things up.
The resources from the nursery are brilliant. I’ve had two lots of handouts with vocabulary. It even includes pronunciation. Excellent! My son had also been given a Gaelic story book.
He seems to be enjoying it. A lot. He tells everyone he is at the Gaelic nursery and keeps saying he needs to grow and be 5 so he can go to the Gaelic school!
I’m so happy it’s working well for him. I know it’s early days but I’m impressed.
It’s been just over 2 weeks since my little boy started at the Gaelic nursery. So far it’s going well. I was speaking to the nursery teacher yesterday and she is happy with how he’s settling in and picking things up.
The resources from the nursery are brilliant. I’ve had two lots of handouts with vocabulary. It even includes pronunciation. Excellent! My son had also been given a Gaelic story book.
He seems to be enjoying it. A lot. He tells everyone he is at the Gaelic nursery and keeps saying he needs to grow and be 5 so he can go to the Gaelic school!
I’m so happy it’s working well for him. I know it’s early days but I’m impressed.
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Gaelic update
G’s Gaelic is really picking up! What absolutely blows me away is that he already translates. I didn’t think that would come for a while. He has been counting in Gaelic, naming some colours in Gaelic (purple, yellow and orange), telling me he’s getting dressed in Gaelic, singing songs in Gaelic and yesterday he asked for some milk in Gaelic. Wow.
G keeps saying when he grows up and is five he wants to go the Gaelic school. We don’t need to make a decision for another year but I’m so glad he’s enjoying it and picking up a second language so easily. Even the nursery teacher has been impressed with how well he’s doing.
G’s Gaelic is really picking up! What absolutely blows me away is that he already translates. I didn’t think that would come for a while. He has been counting in Gaelic, naming some colours in Gaelic (purple, yellow and orange), telling me he’s getting dressed in Gaelic, singing songs in Gaelic and yesterday he asked for some milk in Gaelic. Wow.
G keeps saying when he grows up and is five he wants to go the Gaelic school. We don’t need to make a decision for another year but I’m so glad he’s enjoying it and picking up a second language so easily. Even the nursery teacher has been impressed with how well he’s doing.
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tapadh leibh!
Can now add thank you to my son’s Gaelic vocabulary!
Can now add thank you to my son’s Gaelic vocabulary!
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Gaelic child
My little boy has been at the Gaelic nursery for two months now and I’m absolutely blown away by how quickly and naturally it’s coming to him. Amazed. Every day we’re having conversations and more and more Gaelic words are coming out. Sometimes he’ll speak as though there is no difference between the two. His English hasn’t suffered in the slightest. He translates the Gaelic words when asked to. Amazing!
So far words that I’ve heard him say in Gaelic are milk, water, good morning, good bye, thank you, how are you, various colours, counting to five. I’m sure there are more. I think this is really good going considering he’s only in nursery for 10 hours a week. While he’s at nursery it is complete immersion. When I drop him off and pick him up I’ve been able to see and hear him being given instructions in Gaelic and he’s followed them. He’s already telling me that he wants to go to the Gaelic school when he is five.
My little boy has been at the Gaelic nursery for two months now and I’m absolutely blown away by how quickly and naturally it’s coming to him. Amazed. Every day we’re having conversations and more and more Gaelic words are coming out. Sometimes he’ll speak as though there is no difference between the two. His English hasn’t suffered in the slightest. He translates the Gaelic words when asked to. Amazing!
So far words that I’ve heard him say in Gaelic are milk, water, good morning, good bye, thank you, how are you, various colours, counting to five. I’m sure there are more. I think this is really good going considering he’s only in nursery for 10 hours a week. While he’s at nursery it is complete immersion. When I drop him off and pick him up I’ve been able to see and hear him being given instructions in Gaelic and he’s followed them. He’s already telling me that he wants to go to the Gaelic school when he is five.
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My little bug is now four years old. Four! He is doing amazing. Picking up a second language has come so naturally to him. I’m very impressed. My son also translates for me which is brilliant. Lately he’s been saying sentences that are a mixture of English and Gaelic words. It just demonstrates how easily he can move between two different languages.
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Joe Gaelic
I’m not fluent in Gaelic but I have been doing a lot of reading and listening to the language. Every now and again my son talks about Joe Gaelic. I initially thought this was a character in a story he’s heard at nursery and when I’d asked he had said that Joe Gaelic was at nursery. I’d asked what this person does at nursery and he looked very confused.
It turns out it’s not Joe Gaelic it’s deagh Gàidhlig. The deagh is pronounced as Joe. ( Well, it’s very close to Joe but not exact.) deagh Gàidhlig means good gaelic and that’s what my son has in his head.
I’d never seen the word good like that before. I’ve seen it in good morning as mhath being pronounced va. I’ve also seen it as math.
I was speaking to the nursery teacher about this today. Gaelic only has 18 letters so the pronunciations aren’t how they appear written down. I’ve actually made a chart with the different combinations and how they’re pronounced.
Maybe an entry that doesn’t make much sense but I’d been wondering who Joe was for a while. I’m quite disappointed there is no Joe Gaelic ;) but pleased my son has deagh Gàidhlig in his head!
It turns out it’s not Joe Gaelic it’s deagh Gàidhlig. The deagh is pronounced as Joe. ( Well, it’s very close to Joe but not exact.) deagh Gàidhlig means good gaelic and that’s what my son has in his head.
I’d never seen the word good like that before. I’ve seen it in good morning as mhath being pronounced va. I’ve also seen it as math.
I was speaking to the nursery teacher about this today. Gaelic only has 18 letters so the pronunciations aren’t how they appear written down. I’ve actually made a chart with the different combinations and how they’re pronounced.
Maybe an entry that doesn’t make much sense but I’d been wondering who Joe was for a while. I’m quite disappointed there is no Joe Gaelic ;) but pleased my son has deagh Gàidhlig in his head!
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Thoughts
I was speaking to some classmates on Wednesday afternoon about gaelic medium. I’d mentioned on facebook about bug learning a second language (proud mamaidh) and they’d asked what the language was. They were amazed and thought it was a wonderful opportunity and said if that had been a not on when their own children were younger they’d not have given it a second thought. The conversation soon led to discussing why gaelic isn’t taught in schools. Gaelic is our language, part of our culture but it’s not taught in schools. What is taught in schools? French and Spanish. Of course, learning any second language is incredible but I personally feel that the second language we’re initially taught should be gaelic. We can’t let this ancient language die out. I’m learning but I’ll never be fluent. My son will most likely be fluent in a few years! When he starts primary school it will be total immersion. That’s a scary and overwhelming thought to me but his mind is a sponge! So far he’s not struggled with gaelic so I have complete confidence in him that he’ll carry on absorbing a second language. I’m so proud of my little boy. It’s so easy to forget how much he’s learning. So proud of my little star.
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It was the nursery nativity today and I’m so proud of my little boy! Absolutely amazing. Despite sitting at the front it took him a couple of minutes to see me and I could see him mouthing “where’s my mummy?” He was full of smiles and waves once he seen me. It was a lovely nativity. Lots of songs. Towards the end his nursery class went to the front to sing three songs on their own. Hearing my son singing in a second language is wonderful and I’m so proud of my little star.
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Oidhche na Nollaig!!
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Nollaig Chridheil!!
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