Hi! New beginner here

[Ilovelatinandgaelic]

Hi all,
I'm A.C. from Auckland, New Zealand, 30-something, male, work in the education sector but my two great passions are music and history.

I have been learning gaelic for one week. So far so good…I think!

I am learning it because I plan a big trip to the scottish highlands in the next few years. I always find it a much richer experience if one can converse a bit with the locals. I also consider it a sign of respect. But with gaelic, it's more than that. I am passionately in favour of a reinvigoration of Scotland's historical, non-english languages, and I thought to myself "be the change you want to see in the world."

Since I have already learned a few languages (German, Latin, in French…going from left to right competency to incompetency) I am quick to pick up grammar.

Where is the best place to post questions about grammar in english?….hopefully can try a few sentences in gaelic before too long!

[poor_mouse]

Fàilte, a charaid!

Here is the best place for grammatical questions:
Grammar, Sounds and Expressions

[Ilovelatinandgaelic]

Ma s' e ur toil e!

[faoileag]

Fàilte!

Tha mi ag iarraidh a dhol a Shealainn Nuadh aon latha!

Welcome! I want to go to New Zealand one day!

[MarcMacUilleim]

Ma s' e ur toil e!

Which is a direct transliteration of the French: "s'il vous plaît" and was invented by learners who thought that Gaelic was an impolite language because it doesn't have a word for "please", not understanding of course that it simply doesn't need one any more than it needs words for "yes" and "no" or a direct equivalent of the verb "to have".

Your Gaelic will improve immeasurably if you never use it again!

[Raghnaid NicGaraidh]

Madainn mhath! Tha mise a' fuirich ann an Astrailia-a-Deas - chan eil e cho fada as Auckland! Bha mo sheanmhair as Dun Eideann (ach dh'fuirich ise anns an Alba) agus tha co-ogha agam anns an Eaglais-Criosda. Bidh an Sgoil-Naiseanta ann an 20-22mh November anns a Mheall Buirn, mur a bheil uidh agaibh. Seallaibh air an larach-lin CGA (http://www.ozgaelic.org/sgoil/sgoil2015.html).

Hello!! I'm in South Australia - not far from Auckland (comparatively!) My grandmother was from Dunedin but lived in Scotland as an adult, and I have cousins in Christchurch. The National Gaelic School is on the 20th-22nd of November this year in Melbourne, if you're interested and if it's not too short notice! There will be other beginners there and it's a great (mostly-)immersive experience. You can find out more at the CGA website (http://www.ozgaelic.org/sgoil/sgoil2015.html)

Raghnaid.

[Ilovelatinandgaelic]

Tha mi ag iarraidh a dhol a Shealainn Nuadh aon latha!

Welcome! I want to go to New Zealand one day!

You are would be most welcome by me, if for nothing else because you just told me the gaelic for "New Zealand"! (Not in my course)

[Russian Red]

Fàilte!

[GunChleoc]

Fàilte chridheil ort