I first started learning Irish in 2002, when I was in high school, from Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh. After that, I attended weekly night classes (also taught by Aralt) for a few years, on and off, and I've gone to Immersion Weekends in Kingston and Immersion Weeks through Cumann na Gaeltachta (lately on the Gaeltacht Bhuan Mheiriceá Thuaidh). There are actually a fair number of learners in Canada and the States. Why do you ask?
I guess because I am impressed! The language is definitely in decline over here.. I never imagined that some people would be picking it up and keeping it alive so much farther afield!
Well, I'm glad, then. I get mixed reactions from Irish people. I've met a few who have told me they think people should just let the language die. With the implication, of course, that I... shouldn't be learning it? But why?
There are some pretty obnoxious people in the diaspora, mind, and I gather that Irish people living abroad run into them sometimes, and they get all stupid and moralistic about how Irish people 'should' speak the language, even if it's not the language of their upbringing, isn't a part of their cultural identity. I think it's fine if Irish people have no interest, personally. You shouldn't be 'obligated' to speak a language if you really don't want to. But there are those who like to speak it, against all expectation. I know a few people who I default to Irish with, even though we have other languages in common.
I think a lot of Irish people are actually embarassed by how little Gaeilge they actually understand. You probably speak Irish better than most Irish people, and that probably explains the hostility you've experienced.
I personally wish my Irish was better, but I don't put in the work to keep it fluent. No one in my social circle can speak Irish fluently. When my friends pretend they can speak Irish I itch to correct all their grammatical mistakes.
It guess it's just an national embarassment really. The government lets on that the language is much more alive than it actually is. People are forced to learn it in school, they soon learn to resent it, and then proceed to get annoyed by all the signs, news broadcasts, and public service announcements given as gaeilge which are completely incomprehendable to them.
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Fair play.
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There are some pretty obnoxious people in the diaspora, mind, and I gather that Irish people living abroad run into them sometimes, and they get all stupid and moralistic about how Irish people 'should' speak the language, even if it's not the language of their upbringing, isn't a part of their cultural identity. I think it's fine if Irish people have no interest, personally. You shouldn't be 'obligated' to speak a language if you really don't want to. But there are those who like to speak it, against all expectation. I know a few people who I default to Irish with, even though we have other languages in common.
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I personally wish my Irish was better, but I don't put in the work to keep it fluent. No one in my social circle can speak Irish fluently. When my friends pretend they can speak Irish I itch to correct all their grammatical mistakes.
It guess it's just an national embarassment really. The government lets on that the language is much more alive than it actually is. People are forced to learn it in school, they soon learn to resent it, and then proceed to get annoyed by all the signs, news broadcasts, and public service announcements given as gaeilge which are completely incomprehendable to them.
It's an uncomfortable relationship.
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