FROM OUR STUDENTS – BHO NA H-OILEANAICH AGAINN: Aindriú Ó Súilleabháin | Andrew O’Sullivan

Gàidhlig: Cleachd i no càil i
[English is below]

Le Aindriú Ó Súilleabháin

Tha sinn uile air a chluinntinn; “Cleachd i no càil i” agus sin fìor. Am bitheantas, bhitheamaid ann an clas airson aon uair, ach a bheil sin gu leòr? Chanamaid “chan eil”; dè bu chòir dhuinn a dhèanamh airson ar biseach? Èist; Bruidhnich, Leugh, agus Sgrìobh; agus dèan sin gu tric a ghabhas.

Is toil leam Radio nan Gàidheal a dh’èisteachd agus am bitheantas, bidh mi ga èisteachd gach latha, uell, feuchaidh mi. Nuair èist mi, is toil leam am prògram “A’ mire ri Mòir” leis Mòrag Dhòmhnallach agus am prògram “Crùnluath” leis Eòghann MacEunraig. ‘S e prògraman-ciùil a th’ annta làn le ceòl triadiseanta agus ceòl-phìoba. A bharrachd air sin, feuchaidh mi podchraolaidhean agus prògraman eile air YouTube a dh’èisteachd. Tha podchraolaidhean math ann bho “SpeakGaelic” ann agus poidhle videothan bhon Oifis Iomairtean na Gàidhlig ann an Alba Nuadh.

Anns an Dàmhar, chaidh mi gu Ceap Breatainn airson “Oidhche Shamhna Ghàidhealach” aig Colaisde na Gàidhlig; b’ ceann-seachdaine bogaidh a bh’ ann. Bha e gu math spòrsail agus choinnich mòran daoine iontach ann. Bha sinn a’ bruidhinn agus ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig fad an ceann-seachdaine. Choinnich mi mo charaid Natalie ann. ‘S ann à Alba Nuadh a tha i agus tha i ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig cuideachd. Às deòidh an ceann-seachdaine, thòisich sinn a’ cabadaich air Messenger; nuair a thòisich mi an còmhradh, sheòl mi teachdaireachd dhi sa Gàidhlig agus tha sinn air fuireach sa Gàidhlig o sin a-mach. Tha cabadaich le Natalie gu math cuideachail airson mo chuid Gàidhlig; agus tha mo chuid Gàidhlig nas fheàrr a-nist. So mura “Pen Pal Gàidhealach” agadsa, bu chòir dhut fear a dh’fhaighinn!

Leughadh: gu h-onaireach, chan eil mi a’ dèanamh gu leòr anns a’ Ghàidhlig, no sa Bheurla cuideachd. Tha poidhle leabhraichean anns a’ Gàidhlig agam; bu chòir dhomhsa a bhith gan leughadh; nuair a leugh sinn, bidh chuid stòr-fhacal nas fheàrr. Tha mòran seòrsachan aig Bradan Press, Acair Books, agus Comhairle nan Leabhraichean; agus tha iad iontach airson ag ionnsachadh.

Aon rud eile, dèan rudan Gàidhealach agus rach gu àitichean le Gàidhlig ann. Tha mi eòlach air nach e an rud as fhasa airson sinne anns na Stàitean. Mas urrainn dhut, mholainn dhutsa Ceap Breatainn no Alba fhéin a dhol. Bha mi ann an Ceap Breatainn anns a’ Chéitean airson An Cùrsa Bogaidh aig Colaisde na Gàidhlig; dh’ionnsaich mi gu mòr agus tha mo chuid Gàidhlig nas fheàrr a-nist. A bharrachd air ag ionnsachadh agus a’ bruidhinn ri daoine eile air a’ cùrsa, bha e comasach dhomh bhruidhinn ri Gàidheil eile a-mach anns an coimhearsnachd. Bha sin iontach!

Tha mi an dòchas gu bheil an alt seo cuideachail airson sibh fhéin, agus ma tha thu a’ sireadh “Pen Pal Gàidhealach”, bhithinn mi toilichte airson a bhith a’ cabadaich leibhse. Cùm a’ dol agus cùm suas leis a’ Gàidhlig!

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Gaelic: Use it or lose it

by Andrew O’Sullivan

We’ve all heard “Use it or lose it” and that’s true. Normally, we would be in class  for an hour a week, but is that enough? We would say no; what should we be doing to improve? Listen, Speak, Read, & Write; and do that as often as possible.

I like listening to Radio nan Gàidheal and normally I will listen to it everyday, well, I try to at least. When I do listen, I like the program “A’ mire ri Mòir” with Morag MacDonald and the program “Crùnluath” with Ewen Henderson. They are both music programs full of traditional music and pipe music. Besides that, I try to listen to podcasts and other programs on YouTube. There are good podcasts from “SpeakGaelic” and a pile of videos from the Office of Gaelic Affairs in Nova Scotia.

In October, I went to Cape Breton for the Halloween Gaelic Immersion Weekend at Colaisde na Gàidhlig/ The Gaelic College. It was quite fun and I met many great people there. We were speaking and learning Gaelic all weekend. There I met my friend Natalie, she’s from Nova Scotia and is also a learner. After the weekend, we started chatting on Messenger; when I started the conversation, I sent her a message in Gaelic, and we have stayed in Gaelic since then. Chatting with Natalie is quite helpful for my Gaelic, and my Gaelic has improved since. So, if you don’t have a “Gaelic Pen Pal”, I would get one!

Reading: honestly, I am not doing enough in Gaelic, or in English too. I have a pile of books in Gaelic, and I should be reading them; when we read, our vocabulary improves. There are many types of books available from Bradan Press, Acair Books, and The Gaelic book council; and they are great for learning.

One other thing, do Gaelic things and go to Gaelic places. I know that this isn’t the easiest thing to do for us in The States. If you’re able to, I would suggest going to Cape Breton or Scotland herself. I was in Cape Breton in May for An Cùrsa Bogaidh at the Gaelic College; I learned a ton and my Gaelic improved so much. Besides learning and speaking with the others on the curse, I was able to speak with other Gaels out in the community. That was great!

I hope that this article is helpful for you, and if you’re looking for a “Gaelic Pen Pal”, I would be happy to be chatting with you. Keep going and keep up the Gaelic!