Hallo

[McWhaw1]

Hallo.

I'm an Edinburgh boy and I'm trying to learn Gaidhlig, however as others in my position will ken it's not that easy due to the lack of Gaidhlig speakers in the Capitol( to the shame of the Country) therefore the lack of access to everyday conversation which hinders the learning process.

My Grandfather was a Gaidhlig speaker, however as many of his generation who didn't live in Gaidhlig speaking communities, he tended not to use the language round the house and didn't pass it on te my mother so the chain was broken. My uncle has some use of the language as do a couple of my cousins, however family visits are few and they are not a viable option to learn from! I am aware of Gaidhlig courses available in the capitol but after work and with other commitments( such as my 7 a side football and band practise) this would be a further drain on my time which I can't afford, so I am attempting to do it my self! I have bought a couple of books by boyd robertson and bought a learn Gaidhlig dvd but these are boring without an outlet for practise. The new Alba channel has helped in simply being able to hear the language spoken but once again there is no interaction!

Therefore, what i'm asking is can this site be used to interact with Gaidhlig speakers in order to improve ones use of the language, ones understanding of it grammatically? I am at a very basic beginners level, I can count to 20 and say hello and so on but i desperately want to improve. Also, are those on this site sympathetic to those in my position as I am incredibly nervous and embarrassed about trying to write the language, as I know there will be many mistakes! I have placed this introduction in two separate rooms so I shall tell you a wee bit about myself, I support Hibs and Follow Scotland, I play guitar and piano a wee bit and do a few gigs here and there, I enjoy reading and am suspicious of those who go murrayfield to support Scottish rugby because a lot of them appear te be english upper-class students(ha). Finally I believe in Scotland and it's people and have full confidence we are capable of building oor own road in this world!

Moran taing, McWhaw1

[Níall Beag]

You're aware of courses, but are you aware of the conversation circle?

SNP club, every Tuesday, 7:30-9pm. I find it dead handy, and because it's not a course you don't have to go every week -- just turn up when you can.

And don't worry -- most of us here are/were adult learners, so what you've gone through we've all been through before. There's no need to be self-conscious about it.

[McWhaw1]

I've just looked it up on the net, thanks so much. Is it a relaxed atmosphere in there? Do you just go in and explain you're a beginner and they'll take care of you?

[GunChleoc]

Fàilte ort! - Welcome!

I started off just like you, because there are no classes in my vicinity. You should have seen my first posts back then

So no worries, post away as much as you can, so you get some practice. A little every day will go a long way. Do you want us to correct your stuff, or would you rather just post and interact a bit for now?

[neoni]

I've just looked it up on the net, thanks so much. Is it a relaxed atmosphere in there? Do you just go in and explain you're a beginner and they'll take care of you?

yeah. they're a nice bunch and they usually split up into groups based on ability so you won't need to feel intimidated. come along one week.

[McWhaw1]

If you correct me that would be great, best way te learn i think! Am going start writing in Gaidhlig in next post, so be kind!

[IainDonnchaidh]

Fàilte, a Mhac"Whaw"Aon

Tha mi a fuireach ann Montana, USA (Tìr nan Speur Mòr)

Agus bha thu a smaoineachadh nach eil cuidegin ri a bruidhinn agad!

Tha mi a bruidhinn ri mo each agus mo chù

[GunChleoc]

... nach eil neach sam bith/duine sam bith a' bruidhinn riut

If you want to emphasise thu you can use thusa.

[IainDonnchaidh]

Tapadh leibh, GunChleoc

Bha mi air a sgiath (winging it )

[GunChleoc]

Tha sgiathan math mura h-e Icarus a th'ort

Wings are good unless you're called Icarus