Gàidhlig aig Baile

Thòisich o chionn ghoirid clasaichean Ghàidhlig air a' Chladach a Tuath, Ceap Breatainn, àite ás an d' thàinig iomadh seinneadair ainmeil 'san fhicheadamh linn, ach àite anns nach robh ach fìor bheag de Ghàidhlig ri cluinntinn a nis, agus àite anns nach robh, ri mo chuid fhiosrachd, ùigh sam bith oirre.

'S e boireannach òg, Òmar Bhothchanan, a chuir air bonn na clasaichean anns an taigh aice fhéin. Rinn i obair ro mhór airson daoine a tharruing astaigh agus thàinig iad gu deimhinne. Bha na clasaichean aice nan ruith 'san Fhoghar, agus faisg air àm na Nollaige chaidh mi ann fad latha airson beagan de theagaisg a dheanamh dhaibh. Rinn sinn marag agus ghabh sinn òrain. ( Ach feumaidh mi aideach gun do spreadh a' mharag agus sinne ri seinn! )

'S e na chuir iongantas orm, cho fìor mhath 's a bha iad uile 'gam thuigsinn, agus gum b' urrainn dhaibh cuid mhath a chantainn 'sa Ghàidhlig cuideachd. Agus an déidh ach beagan de sheachdainnean! Bha mi ro mheasail orra uile, agus gu h-àraid air Òmar fhéin.

Bidh Òmar a' cleachdadh a' mhodh Gàidhlig aig Baile a h-uile latha, agus 's e sin a 's coireach gu bheil na sgoilearan a' faighinn air adhairt cho luath. Tha mi 'nam bheachd gur a h-e an dòigh a' s fheàrr gus tòiseachadh air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh, Gàidhlig aig Baile. Agus abair spòrs! Théid daoine gu bruidhinn gu luath mar sin, agus faodar leughadh 'is seadhas a dh' ionnsachadh a rithist, 'san aon òrdugh agus a dh' ionnsaicheas daoine an ciad cànan. Cìthear cuideachd an ceann glé ghoirid, nach bi daoine air an riar le bhith bruidhinn na Gàidhlig, gun chomas ac' a bhith 'ga leughadh 's 'ga sgrìobhadh.

Anns an Fhaoilich bha deireadh seachdainn na Gàidhlig aca agus ged nach b' urrainn dhomhsa tadhail ann, chuala mi gu robh naoi daoine deug an làthair, agus a' mhor-chuid dhiubh fileanta. Bha laithean móra aca agus 'nuair a theann dall-bhrat na h-oidhcheadh orra, bha ceòl 'is òrain, danns' 'is sgeulachdan air feadh an taighe!

Air latha Dòmhnaich thàinig sianar dhe na bh' ann dha 'n taigh agam agus bha ceilidh ghasda againn, gun fhacal ri chluinntinn ach a' Ghàidhlig uasal! Thàinig na daoine sin á iomadh ceàrn' air feadh Albainn Nuaidh, agus rud a 's fheàrr, cha chreid mi gu robh aon duin' aca seachad air fichead bliadhna 's a deich a dh' aois.

Tha e 'na shòlas mhór dhomh Gàidhlig a bhith 'ga h-ath-bheòthachadh ann an àite nach do shaoil mi gum biodh. Meal do naidheachd Òmar a laochag. Nach ann beò annadsa a tha lùths nan Gàidheal.

Gaelic in the Home

Gaelic classes started rrecently on the North Shore of Cape Breton, a place from which many famous singers came during the twentieth century, but a place in which very little Gaelic is heard now, and in which, to my knowledge, there was no interest in it.

It's a young woman, Amber Buchanan, who set up the classes in her own house. She did a lot of work to get people to come and they came indeed. Her classes were running through the fall and near Christmas time I went there for a day to do a bit of teaching for them. We made marag and sang songs. ( But I must admit the marag burst while we were singing! )

What surprised me was how very well they understood me, and that they were able to say quite a lot in Gaelic themselves. And after just a few weeks! I was very impressed with them all, and espcially with Amber.

Amber uses the Gàidhlig aig Baile ( Total Immersion Plus ) methodology every day and that's the reason they're progressing so quickly. I'm of the opinion that the best way to begin learning Gaelic is through T.I.P.. And what fun it is! People come to be able to speak very quickly and reading and grammar can be learned later, the same order in which people learn their first language. It will be seen very soon also that people are not satisfied to be speaking Gaelic unless they can read it and write it too.

In January they had a Gaelic weekend and although I coudln't be there, I heard there were nineteen people present, the majority of whom were fluent. They had great days and when the shroud of night closed in, there was music and song, dancing and stories throughout the house!

On Sunday six of those who were there came to my house and we had an excellent visit, without a word to be heard but the noble Gaelic! These people came from many areas of Nova Scotia and better than that, I don't think any of them were over thirty years of age.

It is a source of great contentment for me that Gaelic is being reborn in a place I didn't think it would be. Congratulations Amber. The essence of the Gaels lives in you.

Chladach a Tuath / North Shore
http://northshoregaelic.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=57

Gàidhlig ionnsachadh / learning Gaelic
http://www.novascotia.com/en/home/discovernovascotia/ourculture/foundingcultures/celticgaeliccapebreton/default.aspx

Gàidhlig aig Baile / Total Immersion Plus
http://halifaxgaelic.ca/tutorials.php