Cleachd i: Returning to Gaelic Step 2 (Online)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

This class is aimed at people who have used Gaelic to a high level in a previous portion of their life, either through school (Gaelic-medium), university/ college or family and who wish to strengthen their Gaelic and stretch their language skills.

We recognise that students will differ in their writing and reading skills depending on their linguistic background. Students should be able to read simple Gaelic (e.g. recognise ao/ chd sounds on the page) but do not need to feel confident in their literacy to join this course.

Students who have completed Cleachd i: Returning to Gaelic Step 1 will be able to progress to the next step.

Students who have attended other courses designed to reintroduce Gaelic are welcome to join this course, and should email languagesforall-gaelic@ed.ac.uk for advice on which step will be most suitable.

Special Information

Handouts for this course will be provided.

In order to successfully engage with the course via [Zoom/ Microsoft Teams], you will require:

· A reliable internet connection

· A computer equipped with a camera and mic

· A headset or earphones

We recommend that your computer runs a modern operating system. For example, Windows 10 or the latest Apple software. For more information about technical requirements, please visit the FAQ's on our website.

Content of Course

As they progress from Cleachd i: Returning to Gaelic Step 1 to Cleachd i: Returning to Gaelic Step 3, students will learn how to:

• Give detailed descriptions and presentations on a wide range of complex subjects
• Read a wide range of texts from newspaper articles to professional publications
• Participate in debates and discussions and convince an audience
• Understand and use idiomatic and colloquial language
• Write clear, well-structured texts about complex subjects
• Change register of language, from home and childcare settings, to professional settings.

Classes will concentrate on building confidence in students’ written Gaelic, as well as developing strategies to check their accuracy. This course will not focus on teaching latest Gaelic Orthographic Convention recommendations (except when requested), but will engage in the spelling conventions with which the students are already familiar.

Teaching method(s)

Students will explore the use of the language in a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Students will experience the target language in a productive way, carefully designed to grow familiarity and confidence.

We follow an action-oriented communicative approach. The lessons include whole-class activities and pair or small-group work, role-play, responding to short texts, listening to dialogues, and watching video clips. Grammar is introduced, practised and consolidated in context. Students will engage with more extensive written exercises and reading texts as part of the autonomous learning activities on the course page on-line (the Virtual Learning Environment of the University of Edinburgh). Learning is assessed informally throughout the course with the teacher providing regular feedback to help students progress and plan their learning.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the three steps of the Cleachd i: Returning to Gaelic course, students who have fully engaged with all the learning activities will achieve the equivalent of C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and will be able to:

1. Understand in detail lengthy, complex texts and presentations.
2. Express themselves fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly.
3. Give clear, detailed descriptions and presentations on complex subjects.
4. Change the register of language seamlessly to fit the situation.
5. Consistently maintain a high degree of accuracy.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

Byrne, M. (2018) Gràmar na Gàidhlig. Stòrlann: Eilean Leòdhais. 

Web Sources

Learngaelic.scot

Bbc.co.uk/alba

Faclair.com

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.