Done and dusted? APC WHFP, 12.6.09

[Gràisg]

Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul
WHFP, 12.6.09

'Nuair a nochd an naidheachd ud nach
eil aon neach a' dol a cheumnachadh
ann an Alba am bliadhna aig am bidh
teisteanas a' Ghàidhlig a theagasg anns
na h-àrd-sgoiltean, smaoinich mi seo:
tha sinn dèanta. Done and dusted mar
a thuirt am fear eile.

Airson cànan a chumail beò, feumaidh tu
rud ris an can iad critical mass, air an toir
mi bunait sheasmhach o seo a-mach. Tha
amharas agam nach eil a' bhunait
sheasmhach sin againn tuilleadh anns a'
Ghàidhlig, agus nach bi a bharrachd. Tha
am machaire lom; tha an sliabh falamh; tha
a' bhuaile gun bhò: ge brith dè an samhla as
fheàrr leat, sin ar suidheachadh.'


Feumaidh tu leth-bhreac den phaipear bheag fhaighinn no ballrachd a thoirt a-mach air làrach a' phàipear bheag gus tuilleadh a leughadh.

http://www.whfp.com/

[akerbeltz]

Aidh, chaidh mo dhiùltadh, bha mi airson Gearmailtis a theagasg tro mheadhan na G ach chan eil aca ach aon àite gach bliadhna 's ged a tha "prìomhachas" aig FTMG, b' fheudad gun dug iad e do chuideigin eile...

[horogheallaidh]

the e sgriosail nach d'thug iad an cothrom dhut aker a dhol ann - mar a chanas sinn (fada ro thric) 's e own goal eile a th'ann.

ach tha rudeigin fada cearr ma tha seo a' tachairt - carson nach eil uidh gu leor aca? rud a th'ann tha mi cinnteach gu bheil feadhainn ann a tha air a bhith air sas ann FTMG airson grunn bliadhnaichean a' gearain ris na feadhainn oga air cho doirbh sa tha e - sin an tagh a tha aca - beurla far a bheil torr goireasan - rud sam bith a dh'fheumas tu no gaidhlig - far nach eil torr ann agus feumaidh tu barrachd deasachadh a dheanamh gach turas.

am air leth bronach a th'ann

[Fionnlagh]

Carson a bhitheadh duine sam bith ag iarraidh Gearmailtis troimh mheadhan na Gaidhlig seach Gearmailtis fhein?

[GunChleoc]

A chionn 's gu bheil es nas fhasa puingean cudromach a mhìneachadh ris an luchd toiseach-tòiseachaidh ann an cànan a bhios iad a' tuigsinn.

[Níall Beag]

Carson a bhitheadh duine sam bith ag iarraidh Gearmailtis troimh mheadhan na Gaidhlig seach Gearmailtis fhein?

Bithidh gach pios rannsachaidh air cho éifeachdach a tha na cùrsaichean bogaidh a' sgrùdadh cùrsaichean làn-thìde.

Anns na sgoiltean, chan ann ach dà no trì leasanan gach seachdainn de na cànanan. You cannot "immerse" in one hour on Tuesday and one on Friday. Even if immersion can stop you thinking via English (I'm not convinced of this), school lessons aren't intensive enough to achieve that.

They've tried introducing immersive programs into high schools in the past, and it has almost always been a complete disaster.

Besides, you know yourself that when you teach a language, you aren't just teaching words: you're teaching concepts, a new way of thinking.

When I was taught "tha 'n cnatan orm", it was explained to me that you don't really have a cold, because you don't chose it. It was a simple, effective explanation that stuck with me and I've never made the mistake of saying there's some illness "agam". Other learners do.

When I was taught the similar "air" for hair, body parts family members, it was the same thing. You don't choose it and you can't transfer the ownership just like that. I've never talked about the hand "agam". Other learners do.

This isn't a boast: I make plenty of other mistakes. The reason I don't make those particular mistakes is because they were explained to me simply and clearly -- I was taught the concept, not just the words. Where I make mistakes, it's because nobody gave me a clear concept to go alone with the words.

[Gràisg]

Fhionnlaigh Chan eil dòigh eile ann san fharsaingneachd, 's ann mar sin a tha an t-siostam foghlaim ag obrachadh, fiù 's aig na h-oilthighean.
Ma bhios sibh a' lorg obrach aig a cheann thall, bidh agaibh a' dol tron t-siostam ud.
Ma bhios sibh a' lorg Gearmailtis a-mhàin foadaidh tu a' dol dhan Ghearmailt ma thoghras sibh, bidh iadsan deònach bruidhinn ribh sa chanain aca fhèin.

[Tearlach61]

'S ann le Fhionnlagh a tha mise. Fhuair mise cuairt Spàinntis san oilthigh 's fhuair sinn beagan mìneachadh sa Bheurla a' chiad latha 's bho sin a-mach bha a h-uile nì sa Spàinntis. Dh' obraich sin glè mhath. 'S ged a tha mo chuid spàinntis gu math lag, feumaidh aideachadh, tha i agam fhathast, an oir m'inntinn neo correigin.

Rinn m'athair an dearbh rud nuair a bha esan an oilthigh ri thaobh Ghearmailtis. Chun an latha an diugh, 's iontach a h-uibhir de Ghearmailtis a tha e fhathast a' tuigsinn.

Air an taobh eile. Tha mo nighean nas sìne a' gabhail Fraingis san àrd-sgoil. Tha a h-uile nì a' tachairt sa Bheurla. Ceitheamh ùine a th' ann sa a mhòr chuid. 'S e glè bheag a dh'ionnsaich ise an ceann dà bhliadhna an taca ris na dh'ionnsaich mise an ceann aon bhliadhna san Oilthigh.

Fhios agaibh, b'fheudar dhi aithris a dheanamh mu choinneamh a' chlais mu roinn na Frainge, Normandy a bh'ann. Fhios agaibh, 's ann a dh' aithris na sgoilearan eile uile sa Bheurla 's b'e seo ceart gu leòr. Sin an darna bliadhna Fraingis! B'e mo nighean an aon neach a dh' aithris san Fhraingis. Tha iad a' leigeil orra gur ann a' ionnsachadh cànan a tha iad. Ach an fhìrinn, chan eil iad.

Ach cha b' e seo puing a bh' aig Akerbeltz. Am puing a bh' aige 's e gun do dhiùlt iad e a dh'aindeoin gu bheil fìor dhroch ghannachd de thidearan ann.

Aig amannan mar sin, tha amharas agam gur e am bureaocracy fhèin an nàmhaid.

An fhìrinn, chan e amharas ach cinnt a th'agam.

[Fionnlagh]

A Ghraisg

Chi sinn cho mi-fhreagarrach sa tha modhanan ionnsachaidh aig na
h-oilthighean agus seo le mion-chanan mar a Ghaidhlig a tha seargadh as, nuair nach eil iad a toirt oileanaich gu ire bruidhinn as deidh 4 bliadhna. De dha-riribh a tha seo ag innse dhuinn?

Cosg airgiod gun fheum agus a di-misneachadh ioma oileanach fhad sa tha iad unnta.

[Níall Beag]

'S ann le Fhionnlagh a tha mise. Fhuair mise cuairt Spàinntis san oilthigh 's fhuair sinn beagan mìneachadh sa Bheurla a' chiad latha 's bho sin a-mach bha a h-uile nì sa Spàinntis. Dh' obraich sin glè mhath. 'S ged a tha mo chuid spàinntis gu math lag, feumaidh aideachadh, tha i agam fhathast, an oir m'inntinn neo correigin.

Tha sin gu tùr eadar-dhealaichte. Mar a thuirt mi: chan eil ach dà no trì uair de cànan gach seachdainn aig a sgòil, ach aig an oilthigh, (ann an Alba, có-dhiubh) bidh sia uair de clasaichean (including lectures, tutorials etc) agus an aon aireamh de "self-study". 12 hours v 2 hours.

Chi sinn cho mi-fhreagarrach sa tha modhanan ionnsachaidh aig na
h-oilthighean agus seo le mion-chanan mar a Ghaidhlig a tha seargadh as, nuair nach eil iad a toirt oileanaich gu ire bruidhinn as deidh 4 bliadhna. De dha-riribh a tha seo ag innse dhuinn?

I'm currently studying Spanish at honours level with the Open University, and my classmates are absolutely rubbish at holding a conversation. Yes, there's something drastically wrong with the way they're being taught Spanish.

But you know what? While the first year was taught through the medium of English, second and third year have been done completely through Spanish. But when I come across a new language point, I consciously compare it to the English equivalent (or sometimes other languages). I do virtually none of the set tasks, yet I'm still miles ahead of the others.

Actually, I lied: several of my classmates are very good at holding a conversation. But all of us who can hold down a conversation have one thing in common: we have all taught English in Spain or South America.

The point is that this "Spanish only" learning environment is no magic bullet -- it's how you teach that counts.