TUITION
If you have in interest in learning Scottish Gaelic, live in the Calgary area and don't know where to start, why not contact me?
I am a fluent Gaelic speaker who (mostly) picked up the language later in life with the help of native and fluent speakers living clear across the country!
A quick history for you about my journey to Gaelic fluency:
"Though I grew up with a Gaelic-speaking father and grandparents, not much Gaelic was spoken in our home - a few words and phrases here and there - and it wasn't until much later in life that I decided to commit myself to the process of learning Gaelic without the support of a Gaelic-speaking family or community in which to live. With the help of my tutors, Donald MacDonald of Scarista, Isle of Harris (now living in Montreal) and Angus MacLeod (Goose Cove, Victoria County, Cape Breton) I reached functional fluency in less than 3 years.
I still continue to chat with Donald every week, for without a Gaelic-speaking community around you it takes no time at all to lose the ability to speak the language conversationally. I use the language daily, as much as possible in a community where no one understands the language; speaking to anyone who will listen, reading, writing and listening to as much Gaelic as I can. I find it's very important to use the language daily! So I know what it takes and how hard it is to reach fluency without a supportive Gaelic-speaking community with which to interact and because of that, it is my desire to pass along the great treasure that I have been given to anyone who might have an interest in the language - either great or small."
Currently, I can offer an 8 week "Blas na Gàidhlig" ("Taste Of Gaelic") home-based group study course for complete beginners with no prior knowledge of the language. The course focuses on helping the student learn the sounds and cadence of Gaelic, foundational vocabulary, and basic conversational phrases useful in everyday life. Students have the opportunity to practice the language in a warm, supportive, small group setting. There are opportunities to have a go at a traditional song or two and to attune the ear to the language by listening to traditional storytelling. This course can run whenever there are at least 2-3 students willing to commit an hour per week for eight weeks to complete the course, usually during the spring and/or fall. Cost of the course is $80 plus the cost of supplies.
And if there are learners in the Calgary area who are beyond the complete beginner phase and who would like to improve their Gaelic, I can also offer individual tuition. Please drop me a line to discuss the possibilities.
Thanks for visiting my website and I hope that you will consider learning this most beautiful of languages.
Beannachdan (blessings).
