Níall Beag wrote:Caution:
One of the students wrote:“I am definitely more confident with my Gaelic today than I was four days earlier.”
Most quotes I see for any language class (in any language) are from what I call "false beginners". Without knowing how much they'd studied before entering the classroom, it's actually quite hard to evaluate their feedback....
Carson an spàirn mhòr?
A Mhaistir Beag, Gabhaibh mo leisgeul ach feumaidh mi radh (le nàire orm) anns a' Bheurla. :
I'm sorry to broach this so early in my FnG venture. I just can't help but notice the zealous and perhaps priggish way you attack immersion learning. I admire your passion, and I believe you feel strongly in you position. But you leave very little room for other people's experience. You somehow have the ability to evaluate the outcome of someone's honest attempt at self-discovery?
My own experience tells me that I took away a lot from my short courses at SMO, I also improved my Spanish by hanging out with my Honduran neighbors in their garage bebiendo cervesas.
Both immersion experiences were preceded by some book prep. But it was not until face to face contact was made with actual people, that I could do anything with the hibernating words and expressions I had learned in a book.
Why not adopt a holistic approach? Every little bit of input helps. I would be thrilled at the opportunity of staying with a Gaelic-Speaking family on Leòdhas and hearing the language viva-voce.
Is there anyone on this forum that wouldn't?
but that depends on how you learn best I guess. For some, an intense linguistic course is heaven on earth, for others hell. Some prefer less academic approaches, down to the no-grammar type Ùlpan and TIP stuff. Dunno where you are on that spectrum.