"A GAELIC learners' organisation is set to close this month, despite calls to save it by leading experts on minority languages.
The voluntary group TAIC, formerly known as CNSA, formed in 1982, earned an international reputation for delivering pre-school and adult learning services to families using Gaelic at home."
tuilleadh an seo:
http://news.scotsman.com/inverness/Gael ... 6733476.jp
agus beachdan na chois a leithid:
"Akerbeltz,
14/03/2011 11:08:33
Isn't it part of the problem that CNSA/TAIC dabbled in a lot of "things" that weren't to do with what they were doing well (pre-school ed)? There's usually more to such a story than meets the eye.
eamon,
14/03/2011 14:16:43
Akerbeltz
They certainly did go against the grain if you were Highland Council or BnG, but they were effective. They certainly helped us setting up our GM unit, which would never have happened without their direction and guidance. Finlay is a great guy with the future of the Gaelic language at heart. He wants to concentrate on having people use the language, as opposed to the usual bunch who take up time and money to learn a couple of catchy songs"
Gaelic centre to be silenced
-
Gràisg
- Rianaire
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Re: Gaelic centre to be silenced
tuilledh air an duilleag sin a-nis:
"Akerbeltz,
14/03/2011 23:44:00
@eamon
I have never questioned CNSA's contribution to early childhood acquisition. What I DO question are their hare-brained get-fluent-quick schemes for adults.
And it's really unfair to claim that Fionnlagh is the only one wanting people to "use the language". It's not a pishing competition and CNSA is one of many that have helped keep Gaelic alive for this long. But certainly not the own.
14
Akerbeltz,
14/03/2011 23:48:19
And if you believe that the money to open a school in Edinburgh comes out of the same pot as the CNSA money, you understand even less about accounting that I do.
I very much doubt this is about money at all. It's a rather unfortunate power struggle between two rather bodies who are rather "righinn". I always encourage and welcome dialogue and compromise but I must say that I find both very hard when dealing with Fionnlagh. Sometimes he's right and sometimes not but there's always only the one view allowed to exist...
15
Ciotach,
Ullapool 15/03/2011 00:17:32
Fionnlagh was the only person from any organisation - including the then Highland Regional Council - that supported parents in Ullapool in the early days of their struggle to get a Gaelic medium Unit, as well as supporting pre-school children in Croileagan. Without his passion and knowledge, the GMU probably wouldn't have happened here. I find it extremely sad and worrying that BnG couldn't have found some sort accommodation with him and CNSA. The loss of good Gaelic jobs is no small matter either. It's a moot point as to whether BnG will have the same positive effect on the future of Gaelic that Fionnlagh and his team have had. There's a number of young Gaelic speakers from this area, including my own children, who were (whether they know it or not) given that opportunity as a result of the foundation that was built all those years ago by Fionnlagh and his CNSA colleagues."
16 eamon,
15/03/2011 15:44:28
Akerbeltz
I agree Fionnlagh can be difficult, but thats because of his passion. His methods are certainly not easy but they work. I learned German through total emersion, it is not for those who are not prepared to put in the hard work, but it works.
Coitach
He has a way of getting things done alright. He does tread on toes on the way, but only the toes that need treading on. BnG will not take him on because they know he wont sing from their hymn sheet. I hope he continues to work here in some capacity. If not I am sure the Canadians would be glad to have his passion for the language. Without him I feel all we will have are lots of kids singing Brochan Lom in very poor Gaelic.
17
Akerbeltz,
15/03/2011 17:57:25
If your immersion involved hard work, it's not the type the Fionnlagh is thinking of (at least not when it comes to adults). And while I congratulate you on achieving fluency in German that way, you'll find that Fionnlagh's much hated academic research tells us it works for a tiny minority of people only if you're aiming for near-native skills.
And no, he treads on toes irrespective. My first run in with him was when I got a phonecall out of the blue giving me a hard time about teaching my Gaelic grammar and pronunciation classes through the medium of English. There are reasons for why I did that and while I still do that but I daresay the way he lay into me would have made an enemy of most other folks.
"Akerbeltz,
14/03/2011 23:44:00
@eamon
I have never questioned CNSA's contribution to early childhood acquisition. What I DO question are their hare-brained get-fluent-quick schemes for adults.
And it's really unfair to claim that Fionnlagh is the only one wanting people to "use the language". It's not a pishing competition and CNSA is one of many that have helped keep Gaelic alive for this long. But certainly not the own.
14
Akerbeltz,
14/03/2011 23:48:19
And if you believe that the money to open a school in Edinburgh comes out of the same pot as the CNSA money, you understand even less about accounting that I do.
I very much doubt this is about money at all. It's a rather unfortunate power struggle between two rather bodies who are rather "righinn". I always encourage and welcome dialogue and compromise but I must say that I find both very hard when dealing with Fionnlagh. Sometimes he's right and sometimes not but there's always only the one view allowed to exist...
15
Ciotach,
Ullapool 15/03/2011 00:17:32
Fionnlagh was the only person from any organisation - including the then Highland Regional Council - that supported parents in Ullapool in the early days of their struggle to get a Gaelic medium Unit, as well as supporting pre-school children in Croileagan. Without his passion and knowledge, the GMU probably wouldn't have happened here. I find it extremely sad and worrying that BnG couldn't have found some sort accommodation with him and CNSA. The loss of good Gaelic jobs is no small matter either. It's a moot point as to whether BnG will have the same positive effect on the future of Gaelic that Fionnlagh and his team have had. There's a number of young Gaelic speakers from this area, including my own children, who were (whether they know it or not) given that opportunity as a result of the foundation that was built all those years ago by Fionnlagh and his CNSA colleagues."
16 eamon,
15/03/2011 15:44:28
Akerbeltz
I agree Fionnlagh can be difficult, but thats because of his passion. His methods are certainly not easy but they work. I learned German through total emersion, it is not for those who are not prepared to put in the hard work, but it works.
Coitach
He has a way of getting things done alright. He does tread on toes on the way, but only the toes that need treading on. BnG will not take him on because they know he wont sing from their hymn sheet. I hope he continues to work here in some capacity. If not I am sure the Canadians would be glad to have his passion for the language. Without him I feel all we will have are lots of kids singing Brochan Lom in very poor Gaelic.
17
Akerbeltz,
15/03/2011 17:57:25
If your immersion involved hard work, it's not the type the Fionnlagh is thinking of (at least not when it comes to adults). And while I congratulate you on achieving fluency in German that way, you'll find that Fionnlagh's much hated academic research tells us it works for a tiny minority of people only if you're aiming for near-native skills.
And no, he treads on toes irrespective. My first run in with him was when I got a phonecall out of the blue giving me a hard time about teaching my Gaelic grammar and pronunciation classes through the medium of English. There are reasons for why I did that and while I still do that but I daresay the way he lay into me would have made an enemy of most other folks.
-
ArtMacCarmaig
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:27 pm
Re: Gaelic centre to be silenced
Tha mi duilich gu bheil seo sa Bheurla ach chaidh a thogail bho fhòram eile:
Bòrd na Gàdhlig is now going to make sure that the grassroots groups are supported properly http://www.gaidhlig.org.uk/Default.aspx ... ng-\GA.htm and that we can see good immersion methods employed and numbers increasing.
We have been accused by TAIC of playing a numbers game with no regard for quality and breadth of Gaelic language. We do need to grow the numbers of Gaelic speakers to regain critical mass. But this is not a numbers game, it is about building up linguistic skills from an early age and group leaders need support to be able to deliver a quality service. We are fully aware from our contact with the existing groups and from our contact with other minority language situations that the pre-school groups need much more support in language immersion methodology than they have been getting. We need also to build this up in such a way that the children will be well prepared to enter the formal education system at nursery and primary levels, through creating closer links between the preschool sector and Local Authority providers. Quality is as important to us as quantity, at every stage of learning and education and our Action Plan, Ginealach Ùr na Gàidhlig, contains many measures for learners to engage with fluent speakers and young people to engage with older speakers of Gaelic in order to ensure quality of Gaelic and breadth of vocabulary.
Deagh dhùrachd dhuibh uile.
Bòrd na Gàdhlig is now going to make sure that the grassroots groups are supported properly http://www.gaidhlig.org.uk/Default.aspx ... ng-\GA.htm and that we can see good immersion methods employed and numbers increasing.
We have been accused by TAIC of playing a numbers game with no regard for quality and breadth of Gaelic language. We do need to grow the numbers of Gaelic speakers to regain critical mass. But this is not a numbers game, it is about building up linguistic skills from an early age and group leaders need support to be able to deliver a quality service. We are fully aware from our contact with the existing groups and from our contact with other minority language situations that the pre-school groups need much more support in language immersion methodology than they have been getting. We need also to build this up in such a way that the children will be well prepared to enter the formal education system at nursery and primary levels, through creating closer links between the preschool sector and Local Authority providers. Quality is as important to us as quantity, at every stage of learning and education and our Action Plan, Ginealach Ùr na Gàidhlig, contains many measures for learners to engage with fluent speakers and young people to engage with older speakers of Gaelic in order to ensure quality of Gaelic and breadth of vocabulary.
Deagh dhùrachd dhuibh uile.