I need a B2 in Irish but I can't put a sentence together..

Chuchoter

I've asked this a few times in other threads but might get a bigger response here. I always thought my Irish was reasonable, after three weeks of 5th year I'm like holy **** I'm awful. My listening, reading and speaking are actually good, but my sentence structure is all over the shop. I don't even know where to start with it, I don't get how to use ag with verbs (ie uirithe ag an glcar but I would normally/wrongly say ag uirithe an clar) or den or don or ANY of those things. Nouns and verbs are always moving and there are letters everywhere for no obvious reason.

I asked my teacher what I should do and she said there really are no rules and it should sound right or wrong, but the thing is everything that sounds right to me is actually wrong.

Does anyone know what I should do? I am lost. I actually never realized my Irish was so bad, and my only other option is to get at least a B2 in HL maths, and that is very time consuming. Though its all going reasonably well at the moment I'm definitely not confident enough to say I am good enough to get a B2. Help!

Revolution9

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice!

Chuchoter

Revolution9 wrote: »

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice!

But how do I practice myself out of wrongness if all my stuff is wrong? I'll just keep doing it the wrong way.

Revolution9

crayolastereo wrote: »

But how do I practice myself out of wrongness if all my stuff is wrong? I'll just keep doing it the wrong way.

Go get some grinds. One on one with a Grinds teacher will be great for you. Tell him/her exactly what your problem is, and they have 2 years till your LC to help you out. That on top of your Irish classes should have you confident.
Also pay attention in class, try to do the homework, go to the Gaeltacht next Summer.
You have many options that should see you improve your Irish

Micilin Muc

crayolastereo wrote: »

I asked my teacher what I should do and she said there really are no rules and it should sound right or wrong, but the thing is everything that sounds right to me is actually wrong.

Are you serious? An Irish teacher said that? What incompetency!

Get yourself a grinds teacher and work really hard. A B2 is not impossible.

johnmcdnl

go to the gaeltacht... get grinds... drop to pass and pick up ag science or something... why do you need a B2 - if its just for points then think of doing pass and picking up another subject maybe or something...

otherwise gaeltacht is your best bet.. you'll get better and the new course focuses more on the oral and aural so gaeltacht will have you flying in this regard

spurious

As in any language, read.
Read written Irish.

Anro

maybe find irish sentences that you know are right and try and write them yourself and then check against the correct version

Chuchoter

Well I need 550 points, and I either need a B2 in Irish or Maths, but I'm not sure if I'm confident enough to tackle the monster that is HL maths as a points exam. :P

I will definitely get grinds, and try reading as spurious said. Anro's idea is actually very clever too, thanks for all the help:)

dambarude

spurious wrote: »

As in any language, read.
Read written Irish.

It's been said a hundred times, but what Spurious says is right. Reading and/or listening to the language will help enormously. Can I ask why you need a B2 specifically?


Adh mór ort leis an obair.

[Rasta]

Be honest with yourself, if you want 550 points you will have to work for them.
The leaving cert is technically very easy cause all you really have to do is know
most subjects off by heart, and thats easily done by just studying regularly.
If you study 1-2 hours minimum every night you will definitely reach 550 points.
Unless of course nothing goes into your head cause youre just fooling around
while 'studying', it happens alot.
Technically maths is easier in my opinion, cause its just stuff that you are supposed
to know off by heart really.

I got 475 in my leaving and i was absolutely delighted as I never studied
for any subject.
If you want to reach a goal you just have to work for it!
And be realistic about how much work you feel you need to achieve that goal.

Chuchoter

I need 550 points for med minimum. So thats

Irish or Maths: B2= 80
Chemistry A1= 100
Biology A1=100
Physics A2=90
English A2= 90
French A1=100

All of thats 560, so I've 10 points maneuvering if English goes haywire, as it is wont to do these past few years. Its so many points its scary :eek: So much work!

So aside from reading and practicing sentences, is the consensus for poetry and essays learn loads of phrases not entire essays or is that only for good people? I'm finding that to learn the entire thing off is too hard, I've never learnt anything off in my life for exams.

deirdremf

crayolastereo wrote: »

So aside from reading and practicing sentences, is the consensus for poetry and essays learn loads of phrases not entire essays or is that only for good people? I'm finding that to learn the entire thing off is too hard, I've never learnt anything off in my life for exams.

Buy yourself a copy of Mícheál Ó Siadhail's "Learning Irish" and work through it.
The Irish in this course is from Conamara, all the rules are there (and yes, there ARE rules, despite what your teacher has told you. If she really said that, you might need a new teacher!!)

You have plenty of time over the next 20 months to work through the book, and your Irish will benefit enormously from it. When the exam comes up you will be fluent and confident, and if you use the tapes too, you will find the oral a doddle.

The only (slight) drawback to this book is that a few words are spelt as spoken in Conamara, but if I remember correctly, they are signalled as such.

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.

spurious

The following was written by a Polish woman who taught herself Irish.
If you look at it closely, it's fairly simple Irish, but it puts many of us to shame. I've posted it before, but it's worth posting again.

It was first published in the Irish Times.

16ú Aibreán 2008

Gaeilgeoir Polannach ar chúrsa teanga sa Ghaeltacht

Is Polannach mé agus tá mé i mo chónaí i gcathair bheag thionsclaíoch i lár na tíre. Ní raibh mé ag obair in Éirinn riamh agus níl mé anois. Cuireann sé an-iontas ar Éireannaigh i gcónaí go bhfuil Gaeilge agam.

Ní thuigeann siad cén fáth go bhfuil mé á foghlaim, más gan tairbhe dom a leithéid a dhéanamh. Agus tá mise ag foghlaim Gaeilge mar tá sí ann, cé gur daoradh chun báis í. Tá sí seanda agus rúnda, an-spéisiúil agus an-chasta.
Chuaigh mé go Gaoth Dobhair, Co Dhún na nGall, chun cúrsa Gaeilge a dhéanamh anuraidh. Tá Gaoth Dobhair suite ar chósta thiar thuaidh Dhún na nGall agus is é an ceantar Gaeltachta is láidre in Éirinn é. Tá sé ar na ceantair is deise sa tír freisin.

Tá radharcanna ann nach bhfuil a sárú áit ar bith, idir cnoic, tránna agus lochanna. Léigh mé é sin ar an mbróisiúr a fuair mé ó Ghael Linn nuair a scríobh mé chucu le heolas a fháil ar na cúrsaí Gaeilge do dhaoine fásta a bheadh acu sa Ghaeltacht i rith an tSamhraidh.

Chonaic mé an áit sin le mo dhá shúil féin agus ní raibh aiféala orm ar chor ar bith. D'fhan mé ar na Doirí Beaga agus shiúlainn trí eastát mór tionsclaíoch go hAcadamh na hOllscolaíochta dhá uair gach lá, chuig na ranganna, na léachtaí nó na himeachtaí sóisialta a bhí ar siúl ann.

Ar an mbealach bhí mé ag féachaint ar an Eargail, an sliabh is airde sa chontae, i bhfad uaim, agus bhí an radharc go han-álainn ar fad. Tar éis na ranganna théinn liom féin go dtí an trá iargúlta agus bhínn ag siúl feadh an chladaigh ag éisteacht le fuaim chaoin na dtonnta, nó suas cosán caol go mullach an chnoic, idir tithe nua ar dtús, agus ansin idir páirceanna clochacha. Bhí ciúnas agus draíocht ann. Chuir siad seo brú oibre díom.
Chun an fhírinne a rá, ar dtús níor smaoinigh mé ar dhul go Dún na nGall chun cúrsa Gaeilge a dhéanamh. Is iad Conamara agus Corca Dhuibhne na háiteanna is fearr liom in Éirinn agus mar sin bhí ar intinn agam dul go ceann acu.

Chuardaigh mé an tIdirlíon agus fuair mé mórán cúrsaí do dhaoine fásta sa Cheathrú Rua, ach bhí siad ann do dhaoine a raibh baint acu le hoideachas in Éirinn. Níl mé ina measc siud, faraor.

Buíochas le Dia, tá Gael Linn ann agus reáchtálann siad cúrsaí Gaeilge do dhaoine fásta freisin. Tá tuiscint mhaith acu do Ghaeilgeoirí bochta atá ag lorg eolais. Bhí Áine Ó Cuireáin ó Ghael Linn an-chairdiúil agus an-fhoighneach liom. Chabhraigh sí liom lóistín a fháil, leibhéal an chúrsa a roghnú agus thug cead dom táille an chúrsa a íoc ar theacht. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch di.
Is é ceann de na haidhmeanna a bhí leis an gcúrsa ná a chruthú gur teanga bheo bheathach í an Ghaeilge. Go deimhin, bhí Gaeilge go hálainn ag na múinteoirí a bhí againn, ag na haíonna san Acadamh agus ag muintir na háite chomh maith.

Ach chuaigh mé go dtí an siopa i nDoirí Beaga oíche, chun roinnt bainne a cheannach, ach níorbh fhéidir liom é a fháil. D'fhiafraigh mé den fhreastalaí: 'An féidir liom bainne a cheannach anseo?' 'Yes, it's in the right-hand corner,' a d'fhreagair sé.

Caithfidh sé gur chuala sé gur strainséir mé, ach rinne mé iarracht ar Ghaeilge a labhairt agus bhí súil agam í a chloisteáil, go háirithe sa Ghaeltacht. Chuir sé díomá orm.

Fiú amháin ar Oileán Thoraí, an t-oileán i bhfad ar an bhfarraige mhór ar thug mé cuairt air, le duine eile den chúrsa, ní raibh Gaeilge ar bith ag an gcailín beáir ach tharla gur Pholannach í! Cinnte gur chuir an Rí, Patsaí Dan Mac Ruairí, fáilte romhainn as Gaeilge, nuair a chuala sé go raibh sí againn, agus dúirt sé cúpla focal as Gaeilge linn sa teach tábhairne a raibh sé ag seinm ceoil ann.

Ní Éireannach ó dhúchas mé ar chor ar bith agus ní raibh Éireannaigh i measc mo mhuintire riamh. Ina theannta sin, ní raibh múinteoir Gaeilge agam riamh ach oiread. Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge le ceithre bliana anuas, ach múinim mé féin.

Tá mé á foghlaim sa bhaile, ón Idirlíon, agus ó na leabhair, na dlúthdhioscaí agus na téipeanna a chuir mo chairde chugam ó Éirinn. Tá mé i mo bhall de ghrúpa foghlaimeoirí Gaeilge ar an Idirlíon. Seolaim a lán teachtaireachtaí ríomhphoist as Gaeilge chuig mo chairde agus chuig na liostaí sin.
Ar an drochuair, níl deis agam labhairt as Gaeilge sa bhaile. Níl aithne agam ar aon Ghaeilgeoir sa Pholainn. Dá bhrí sin, is féidir liom léamh agus scríobh as Gaeilge go réasúnta maith, ach tá sé an-deacair dom í a labhairt, cé gurb eol dom conas focail a fhuaimniú, agus tá sé níos deacra fós dom Gaeilge labhartha a thuiscint. Bím ag éisteacht le Raidió na Gaeltachta agus ag féachaint ar an teilifís as Gaeilge ar an Idirlíon, ó am go chéile, ach ní thuigim mórán astu.

Ní raibh ach bliain ó shin nuair a fuair mé amach gurbh fhéidir liom é sin a dhéanamh. Ní fhéachaim ar na sobalchláracha as Polainnis, ar chor ar bith, ach féachaim ar Ros na Rún i gcónaí, mar gheall ar an teanga amháin!
Bhí mo bhealach chuig an gcúrsa Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht an-fhada agus an-deacair agus an-chorraitheach san am céanna.

Thosaigh mo shuim sa chultúr Gaelach nuair a bhí mé i méanscoil agus tháinig mé ar leabhar ar an miotaseolaíocht Ghaelach.
Danuta is ainm dom agus is ainm págánach é. Bhí sé an-suimiúil dom fáil amach go raibh bandia Ceilteach ann darbh ainm Danú agus go rabhthas á ceiliúradh ar eacaineacht an tSamhraidh. Bímse ag ceiliúradh lá m'ainm ar 24ú de Mheitheamh, rud a chuir iontas orm.

Ba é mo thuairim gur níos mó ná comhtharlú aisteach a bhí ann. Thosaigh mé ar leabhair faoi Éirinn, agus le húdair Éireannacha a léamh. I bhfad níos déanaí d'aistrigh mé House of Splendid Isolation le Edna O'Brien ó Bhéarla go Polainnis agus foilsíodh é.

Is údar Éireannach a thaispeáin Gaeilge dom. Bhí mé ag léamh leabhar as Béarla agus, gan choinne, tháinig mé ar abairtí as teanga an-aisteach nach bhfaca mé roimhe sin. Gearrscéalta a bhí ann agus bhí an abairt dheiridh, i ngach scéal, as an teanga rúnda sin.

Ní raibh a fhios agam cén teanga a bhí ann ach thomhais mé gur Gaeilge a bhí ann, mar gurbh Éireannach an t-údar. Scríobh mé síos na habairtí sin agus gheall mé dom féin go mbeinn in ann iad a thuiscint, luath nó mall. D'aistrigh mé mo chónaí cúpla uair ina dhiaidh sin ach thug mé na habairtí sin liom. Bhí siad ag fanacht ar feadh 13 bliain, ach tuigim anois iad. Is seanfhocail Ghaelacha iad.

Is mise comhordaitheoir an tionscadail idirnáisiúinta atá ar siúl le dhá bhliain anuas ar an scoil ina n-oibrím. Táimid á dhéanamh i gcomhar le scoil ó Éirinn agus trí scoil iasachta eile.

Anois tá mé ag múineadh Gaeilge, amhráin agus rincí Gaelacha do mo dhaltaí, agus taitníonn sé go mór leo, agus liom féin freisin. Táimid ag foghlaim faoin gcultúr Gaelach agus á chur chun cinn, idir scoil agus chathair.

Tá Danuta Czyzewska (51) ina múinteoir meánscoile i Zyrardów sa Pholainn. Teagscann sí Béarla agus Fisic. I nGaeilge a scríobh sí an t-alt seo.

acadamh academy - aiféala regret - aisteach strange - comhordaitheoir co-ordinator - comhtharlú coincidence - corraitheach moving - foighneach patient - foghlaimeoir learner - Idirlíon Internet - miotaseolaíocht mythology - oideachas education - rúnda secret - spéisiúil interesting - tionsclaíoch industrial
*

Irish Times - Lthch: Tuarascáil

Danuta Czyzewska

gaeilgegrinds1

I'd say get as good at your oral work as you can too, it's 40% for you so that's considerable. I'd also say the advice to keep reading Irish is good advice, you'll eventually start mimicking it. Best of luck!

dory

I would suggest taking another subject. Might sound mad, but you only have 6 there so that's not leaving much room. Try something that is someway related to your best subject. My best was Biology and so I also took Home Ec as back then there was a nutrition and an anatomy question so biology made up 40% of the Home Ec exam. I'm sure there are some other subjects you could take, learn a lot off and get a better exam.
Relying on English is always risky ad that can go anyway on the day.

As for Irish; as was said before go to the Gaeltacht, get grinds and listen and read as much as you can. I still regret not getting grinds in German. It was my best subject til 3rd year, then everyone else got grinds and I fell behind.

Ciaramb92

You're in 5th year so that means you'll be getting bonus points if you do Higher Maths.. I'd take that option! I think it's 25 points so it will make what you need to get a lot easier!

seriouslysweet

I'd suggest getting the grinds this year, your teacher sounds like a bit of an ass and leaving it til next year is a bad idea in my opinion. I'm getting on top of all the languages this year, I never understood people that work themselves into a tizzy and say they'll get grinds the following year. With a good grinds teacher you could easily start feeling confident in a few weeks. My German, English and Irish grinds are all fantastic and I'm hopeful they'll be solid As come the end of this year. I've work to do in all of them over the mid-term, loads of grammar in German and Irish and already it is becoming so much clearer. So please don't let it worry you, there is a way! Roll on medicine September 2012!!!

Chuchoter

I got grinds (only like 3) in the end, they were amazingly helpful, I went way up in my marks. Turns out I was making like 4 or 5 small mistakes but over and over again? Irish does have rules after all! But my real teacher is still crap, oh well. :P

gaeilgegrinds1

Of course it has rules! I'd query what type of Irish teacher you have, is he/she qualified or just one of those who gets classes but never went through the hell of an Irish degree, makes my bloody boil! Anyway, enough of that, all the best and hope things improve for you in class.

Chuchoter

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Of course it has rules! I'd query what type of Irish teacher you have, is he/she qualified or just one of those who gets classes but never went through the hell of an Irish degree, makes my bloody boil! Anyway, enough of that, all the best and hope things improve for you in class.

I assume she has an Irish degree...but she never speaks in Irish and spends her time literally translating from the book. She basically says we have too much to do to do things like grammar/sentence structure and tells us to go listen to TG4, which might suggest either she hates teaching or doesn't have great Irish. I know Irish teachers are incredibly difficult to come by, so they'll take anyone. She's really nice though so I don't really want to do anything about it

dambarude

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Of course it has rules! I'd query what type of Irish teacher you have, is he/she qualified or just one of those who gets classes but never went through the hell of an Irish degree, makes my bloody boil! Anyway, enough of that, all the best and hope things improve for you in class.

My LC Irish teacher broke nearly every grammar rule you could think of, had terrible pronunciation, couldn't speak coherently or fluently in the modh coinníolach, and was so unaware of all this that she often corrected something that I had right as being wrong. I knew this because I got grinds. The other students in my class accepted what she said as being right because they didn't know any better. She had a degree, but how she managed to get it is beyond me. A degree doesn't equate with knowledge about a subject, and that's what makes my blood boil.

gaeilgegrinds1

Assume nothing! I taught in a school in Galway city when I first qualified where I was the only one with an Irish degree, one was related to the principal, another was fluent...your parents can always check at the parent-teacher meeting. You deserve to have someone fully qualified.