Making Progress with Learning Gaelic

I've been trying to learn Scottish Gaelic for a few years now and it's a tricky language, as it is so different to English or any of the other languages I speak. I started out learning with Duolingo, but eventually gave up on that, as the course suddenly changed. I attended local classes, but, although the tutor was enthusiastic and encouraging, his teaching style really didn't suit my learning style. I've been watching Speak Gaelic for a few years now, this is a course originally broadcast on the BBC but also available on Youtube. The Speak Gaelic website contains lots of support material to help you on your learning journey. Learn Gaelic has lots of resources and a useful weekly newsletter, which is well worth signing up to.  

Since starting to learn Scottish Gaelic, my ambition has been to win the Gaelic section of the Scottish Book Trust's monthly 50 Word short story contest. Last month, the challenge was to write a story about an elephant, which made things much easier. I have a very short, real life story about an encounter with an elephant that I've told (in English) many times. So I just needed to write a version in Scottish Gaelic, which I could do, using relatively simple phrases and after all it only needed 50 words! And, I'm delighted to say, it won the competition. You can read my story in Gaelic, with English translation, here (just scroll down a wee bit). 

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Meanwhile, the latest post in my Crafty Green Poet Substack has gone live. You can read it here.  

 

What do you call the narrow walkway between buildings?

Growing up in Manchester, we called them ginnels, while here in Edinburgh they're referred to as 'closes' or 'vennels'. Those narrow walkways between or alongside buildings are known by a wide variety of dialect words across the UK. Here's an interesting map, showing many of the words and where they're spoken. 

haiku

funeral parlour -
too cold
for the time of year 

 

originally published in Femku 38.