Beag Air Bheag 3/9 - Interview Transcription

I'll be honest, I'm still basking in the afterglow of being on the radio programme 'Beag Air Bheag' just before Christmas.

I was absolutely floored when I received a comment to the blog from a mutual Twitter contact, Alan Cameron, saying that he had transcribed the entire 26 minute interview. WHAT??!!

Yup. Here is a man of incredible patience, and incredible skill, who had taken the time to write out the entire dialogue between myself and Iain. The text follows, and I hasten to add that this is very much a work in progress. Both Alan and myself have been through it numerous times and there are still errors and omissions. Of course, there are times when what I have said has been grammatically incorrect, so sometimes the transcription will be true to the words spoken, then we'll have put better Gaelic (i.e. what I SHOULD HAVE said!) in brackets and/or red after it.

To listen to the interview as you read it, please click on the link here. 

If you spot any errors, please let me know. But in the meantime I cannot thank Alan enough for his amazing endeavours. This is yet another great aspect about learning this wonderful language - the incredible support from people you've not even met...yet.

Iain: Well, tha mi uabhasach toilichte an-diugh a ràdh gu bheil cuideigin sònraichte agam anns an stiùideo agus tha mi ag iarraidh fàilte mhòr chridheil a chur air Anndra Ditton.

Anndra: Hello Iain. Tapadh leat.

I: Ciamar a tha thu an-diugh?

A: Tha mi gu doigheil, tapadh leat. Tha mi gu doigheil.

I: Well, tha mi ag iarraidh faighneachd dhut anns a' chiad àite, cò as a tha thu?

A: Tha mi à Dover, ann an ceann a deas Shasainn.

I: Agus, mar sin, feumaidh mi faighneachd dhut, ciamar a tha cuideigin à Dover, ann an Kent, ann an sheo, a' bruidhinn ann an Gàidhlig?

A: Co-dhiù, tha mi uabhasach measail air na h-Eileanan Siar agus an Gàidhealtachd, well, co-dhiù, fad na h-Alba fhèin (‘feadh’ nas fheàrr?), agus lorg mi na h-Eileanan Siar ann an dà mhìle 's a naoi. Co-dhiù, tha mi fhathast uabhasach measail air an àite sin. Co-dhiù, nam bheachd, 's e Gàidhlig ceangal eadar àite far am bheil mi a' fuireach agus àite air am bheil mi uabhasach measail agus sin agad e.

I: Tha mi a' tuigsinn. Mar sin, tha e, ann an doigh, a' cumail beò na h-Eileanan Siar (nan Eilean Siar) dhutsa fhad 's a bhios tu a' fuireach ann an Kent ann an Dover.

A: Tha sin ceart, tha sin ceart gu leòr.

I: Agus, am faod mi faighneachd dhut, cuin a chuala tu a' Ghàidhlig an toiseach?

A: Nuair a bha mi ann an làithean-saora ann an dà mhìle 's a naoi, a' chiad t(h)uras anns na h-Eileanan Siar, bha mi ann an Beinn na Faoghla, agus aig an àm sin, bha radanan agam mar pheatachan. Tha mi a' ciallachadh 'pet rats' sa Bheurla. Agus, bha fear dhaibh tinn agus chaidh sinn don lighiche-sprèidh. Agus, ann an àite-feitheamh, chuala mi dithis a' bruidhinn na Gàidhlig agus tha sin a' còrdadh rium gu mòr. (dh’iarr mi ràdh ‘Chòrd e rium gu mòr’ ach bha mi nearbhach fhathast!) (? 2:16)

I: Agus an robh thu a' faireachdainn anns a' bhad, "Tha mise ag iarraidh a bhith a' tuigsinn dè tha iadsan ag ràdh"?

A: Aig an àm sin, smaoinich mi "Tha sin uabhasach sgoinneil, dithis anns na h-Eileanan Siar a' bruidhinn anns a' chànan, an cànan ceart." Ach, ag an àm sin, cha robh mi ag iarraidh fios agam mu dheidhinn an còmhradh seo (a' còmhraidh seo). Dìreach, (an*) fuaim na Gàidhlig, fuaim na Gàidhlig a' còrdadh rium.

I: Agus mar sin, dà mhìle 's a naoi, chuala tu a' Gàidhlig airson a' chiad uair. Cuin, ma-tha, a thòisich thu fhèin ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig?

A: Thòisich mi air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh mu dà bhliadhna gu leth air ais, ann an dà mhìle 's a trì deug, agus, bha mo (a’ , chan eil ‘mo’!) chiad tìdsear a bh' agam, b' è Muriel Urchardan, Iain. A' bheil thusa èolach oirre?

I: Tha mi air - tha mi a' cluinntinn ma deidhinn agus tha mi a' tuigsinn gu bheil i uabhasach, uabhasach math.

A: Òh, uabhasach math, uabhasach math agus tha mi uabhasach dèidheil air do bhean fhèin.

I: Bidh fàilte mhòr romhad, anns an dachaigh againne, an-còmhnaidh.

A: Òh, tapadh leat.

I: Agus mar sin, dè bh' ann a dh'atharraich, dè dh'atharraich eadar dà mhìle 's a naoi agus dà bhliadhna gu leth air ais a thug ort a bhith ag iarraidh a' Gàidhlig ionnsachadh.

A: Tha sin doirbh a fhreagairt. Bha mi a' dol dha na h-eileanan mòran thuras aig an àm sin. 'S dòcha, ceithir turas gach bliadhna agus aig an àm sin, dh'fheuch mi (ri) rudeigin cearr a lorg leis na h-eileanan agus tha i ro-fhada, agus tha an tìdsear ro-dhona ach chan eil. Gach turas a bha mi ann, bha mi measail orra gu mòr agus co-dhiu, chuala mi Gàidhlig agus leugh mi Gàidhlig air na soidhnichean agus co-dhiù, smaoinich mise "Is dòcha gum bi mi a' feuchainn (ri) Gàidhlig ionnsachadh. Dìreach aon no dhà facal." Agus sin agad e.

I: Agus cia mheud dòigh agus dè na dòighean a chleachd thu airson do Ghàidhlig a thoirt gu ìre far a bheil thu nise gu math siùbhlach anns a' Gàidhlig?

A: Tapadh leat. Cheannaich mi an leabhar "Gaelic In Twelve Weeks" aig an toiseach ach cha do chòrd e rium idir. Bha an leabhar sin ro-acadaimigeach dhomh. Chan eil mi glè acadaimigeach. Co-dhiù, lorg mi Cùrsa Inntrigidh ann an Sabhal Mòr Ostaig agus rinn mi sin còmhla ri Muriel agus chòrd e rium gu fìor, bha e uabhasach math agus an-dràsta tha mi a' dèanamh Cùrsa Adhartais agus tha tìdsear glè shnog agam Murchadh MacLeòd agus co-dhiù, tha mi a' coimhead air BBC Alba. Agus, gach latha, bidh mi ag èisteachd ri podcast Beag air Bheag agus 's e sin an rud is cudromaiche, tha mi a' smaoineachadh, glè chuideachail dhomh, ag èisteachd (ri) guthan Gàidhlig agus 's dòcha nach urrainn dhomh a h-uile càil a thuigsinn ach tha e feumail dhomh.

I: Tha e uabhasach misneachail.

A: Uabhasach misneachail agus tha deagh-charaidean cànain agam cuideachd, Mark an an Lunnainn agus Cailean ann an Dùn Dè agus bidh sinn a' cleachdadh Skype, a' bruidhinn ri còmhla (‘ri cheile’ nas fheàrr) agus tha sin uabhasach math agus tha mi ag iarraidh taing mhòr a ràdh ri mo caraidean cànain airson taic agus airson a' chuideachaidh a' bruidhinn anns a' Ghàidhlig. Tha sin uabhasach math.

I: Agus dè, thairis air an dà bhliadhnaichean gu leth a dh'fhalbh, dè an dùbhlan as motha a bh' agad?

A: Bidh mòran dùbhlan ann. An dùbhlan as motha, sin nach eil mòran chothroman Gàidhlig a chleachdadh ann an àite far am bheil mi a' fuireach. Feumaidh mi a dhol a dh'Alba. Agus, fiù 's ann an Alba, tha e doirbh daoine a lorg a tha deònach Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn rium. Tha mi a' smaoineachadh nach eil mòran luchd-labhairt Gàidhlig deònach Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn ri daoine air nach eil iad èolach agus tha sin beagan duilich.

I: Tha sin brònach dha-rìribh. Tha mi smaoineachadh (? 8:16)??? an dràsta gum biodh e math a' cantainn ri luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig seo a cluinntinn agus a bhith a' tuigsinn gu bheil daoine ann coltach riutsa a tha mar (? 8:27) (rudeigin mar ‘fhialaidheachd’, ‘s dòcha?)  shaoghal na Gàidhlig a tha ag iarraidh a bhith ag ionnsachadh agus a bhith toilichte a bhith ag èisteachd ri Gàidhlig mhath.

A: Tha sin ceart gu leòr, Iain. Tha sin ceart gu leòr. Tha mi a' dol leat. Ach, nuair a bha mi ann an Leòdhas, anns a' Chèitean, chaidh mi dhan cafaidh an seo agus chuala mi Gàidhlig air a bhruidhinn agus thuirt mise "Gabh mo leisgeul, a' bheil Gàidhlig agaibh?" agus "(fuaim iongantais...) Bha am freagairt nam cheist: ‘Tha…?’ ;) " Co-dhiù, thuirt mi, "Well, tha mise nam oileanach Gàidhlig agus tha mi a' fuireach ann an ceann a deas Shasainn, chan eil cothroman ann Gàidhlig a chleachadh, am faod mi Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn riut- ribh?" gabh mo leisgeul. Agus às dèidh sin, chan eil facal sam bith anns a' Bheurla agus bha sin math. Faodaidh sibh faighneachd "Am faod mi Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn ribh?" agus às dèidh sin, tha sin math gu leòr.

I: Fìor-mhath, fìor-mhath. Agus tha mi ag iarraidh nise faighneachd dhut, dè an obair a th' agad?

A: Mun obair agam. Tha mi ag obair pàirt-ùine airson Eurostar. 'S e manaidsear trèana a th' annam. Co-dhiù, tha mi ag obair air bòrd trèanaichean eadar Lunnainn agus Paris agus A' Bhruiseal. 'S e dreuchd iongantach a th' ann agus tha mi air a bhith an obair seo a dhèanamh fad fichead 's a dà bhliadhna, fada gu leòr, agus co-dhiù, bidh mi a' dèanamh fios-labhairt goirid ann an Gàidhlig air bòrd an trèan agus nuair a chluinneas luchd-siubhal le Gàidhlig iad, chan urrainn dhaibh a chreidsinn idir. Ach, tha uidh fiù 's ag daoine aig nach eil Gàidhlig anns a' chànan neònach a tha iad a' cluinntinn agus 's e deagh-chothrom còmhradh a thoiseachadh còmhlà ris na luchd-siubhal air bòrd an trèana agam agus tha e math airson mothachadh a dhùisgadh sa Gàidhlig cuideachd.

I: Mar sin, eadar Sasann agus An Fhraing agus A’ Bheilg, bidh thusa a' cur sanas a-mach ann an Gàidhlig air an trèan agus bidh daoine ga chluintinn fhad 's a tha iad nan suidhe air an turas. Tha mise a' smaoineachadh gu bheil smuain ann an sheo airson trèanaichean ann an Alba. Carson nach eil an aon rud air a dhèanamh ann an Alba le sanasan Gàidhlig?

A: Carson nach eil? Carson nach eil? Mura bidh obair ann an Scotrail (bha mi airson ràdh 'Nam biodh obair...', tha mi airson an aon dreuchd a dhèanamh ann an Gàidhealtachd!), eadar, mar eisimpleir, An Gearasdan agus Mallaig, bidh mi ceart gu leòr…

I: Nise, thuirt thu na bu tràithe gu bheil thu air a bhith ag obair dhaibhsan airson dà fhichead bliadhna. Mar sin, an robh obair eile agad roimhe sin?

A: Ro laimh, bha mi ag obair air bòrd bàta-aiseig eadar Dover agus Calais agus 's fhearr leam a bhith air bòrd an trèan.

I: An e seo an obair as fhearr a tha a' còrdadh riut...?

A: Òh 's e. An obair an-dràsta ag Eurostar, 's e an obair as fhearr leam gu dearbh fhèin. 'S e an (t-)adhbhar a tha mi an seo fad fichead 's a dà bhliadhna.

I: Tha sin math. Well, tha mise a' smaoineachadh gur e duine uabhsach inntinneach a th' annad ach an innis thu dhomhsa, 's dòcha rudeigin a tha thusa a' smaoineachadh a tha inntinneach or eadar-dhealaichte mu do dheidhinn fhèin?

A: Rudeigin eadar-dhealaichte...tha mi uabhasach measail air mo mhotarbaidhg agus 's toigh leam a bhith air an rathad air. Agus, tha cù agam cuideachd. 'S e Dùghall an t-ainm a th' air. Agus, tha mi a' cur Dùghall còmhla rium, nuair a tha mi air mo mhotorbike. 'S e Jack Russell a th' ann. Chan eil e ro-mhòr agus tha Dùghall nam (na) shuidhe nam bhaga-dhroma agus speuclan sònraichte aige. Agus tha esan air a dhòigh nuair a tha e air a mhotar còmhla riumsa air an rathad.

I: Agus am bi na cluasan aige a' placadaich?

A: Chan e. Tha Dùghall a' cur ad - tha speuclan agus ad aige.

I: Agud dè an aois a tha Dùghall?

A: Tha Dùghall ceithir bliadhna a dh'aois.

I: Agus a-mach às a h-uile facal a dh'ionnsaich thu thairis air an dà bhliadhna gu leth mu dheireadh, bheil aon fhacal Gàidhlig ann a tha sònraichte, blasta agus tlachdmhor dhut neo a' bheil seann-fhacal agad a tha sònraichte. a tha misneachail, a tha a' còrdadh riut gu mòr?

A: Am facal as fhearr leam, 's e am facal 'cianalas'. Chan eil eadar-theangachadh ceart anns a' Bheurla. Tha cianalas uabhasach nas làidire na homesickness no longing, agus 's e sin facal uabhasach fìor-Ghàidhlig a th' ann. Co-dhiù, tha mise a' faireachdainn rudeigin mar chianalas nuair a dh'fhàgas mi na h-eileanan agus ma tha mise a' faireachdainn rudan mar sin, dè mu dheidhinn daoine às na h-eileanan fhèin? Ciamar a tha iad a' faireachdainn nuair a dh'fhàgas iad na h-eileanan?

I: Facal fìor-mhath a tha sin. Agus tha thu cho ceart 's a ghabhas. Tha 'cianalas' fada nas làidire na mìneachadh Beurla riamh a chuala mise.

A: Tha sin ceart.

I: Tha mi ag aontachadh leat. Fada nas làidire. Agus, bha mi ag iarraidh faighneachd dhut cuideachd, tha e follaiseach gu bheil gaol agad air a' Ghàidhlig; gaol mòr uabhasach agad air a' Ghàidhlig. Dè thug a' Ghàidhlig dha do bheatha nach robh agad na do bheatha roimhe seo?

A: 'S urrainn dhomh a' cheist seo a fhreagairt ann an aon fhacal: dòchas. Mus do lorg mi a' Ghaidhlig, cha robh uidh sam bith agam cuspair ionnsachadh aig oilthigh neo rudan mar sin. Cha d'rinn mi foghlam àrd ìre idir ro làimh agus mar a thathar a ràdh sa Bheurla, 'S e siubhal a th' ann an ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig. Tha mi air an t-slighe mar-tha agus chan eil a fhios agam fhathast c'àit am bi an ceann-uidhe. Ach, tha an siubhal le Gàidhlig a' còrdadh rium agus 's e sin an rud is cudromaiche nam bheachdsa.

I: Nis, tha mi a' dol dh'fhaighneachd dhut ceist gòrach, a' bheil sin ceart gu leòr?

A: Hmm, ok.

I: Tha amharas agam dè freagairt a bhios agad. A' bheil thu an dùil gum bi thu a' bruidhinn Gàidhlg ma bhios tu beò agus slàn ann an coig bliadhnaichean eile?

A: Tha mi an dòchas gum bi. Tha mi ag iarraidh ceum urramach a thogail ann an Sabhal Mòr. Agus, ma nì mi sin, tha mi cinnteach gum bi mi fhathast a' bruidhinn na Gàidhlig ann an còig bliadhna. Ach, chan eil e saor  idir bho dhaoine à Sasann Gàidhlig ionnsachadh ach co-dhiù, chì sinn. Tha mi gu math cinnteach gum bi mi fhathast a' bruidhinn na Gàidhlig ann an còig bliadhna.

I: Bha mi ag iarraidh faighneachd dhut, mar dhaoine a tha a' fuireach ann an Dover, dè idir am feum a tha sa Ghàidhlig anns an latha an-diugh? Bidh daoine a' cantainn daonnan "Och, mion-chànain. Dè feum a th' ann an rudeigin mar sin?" Dè chanadh tu riutha?

A: Nam bheachdsa, 's e ceangal a th' ann an Gàidhlig eadar eachdraidh agus cultar na h-Alba agus dùthaich na h-Alba fhèin. Agus tron mheadhan na Gàidhlig, 's urrainn dhomh no 's urrainn don a h-uile duine a tuigsinn gu ceart. An dùthaich fhèin an seo. Tha sin uabhasach cudromach nam bheachsa.

I: Dè bhios na caraidean agad a' smaoineachadh mu do dheidhinn, 's dòcha duine shios ag an dachaidh nach eil a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig? A' bheil iad a' smaoineachadh gu bheil thu beagan craicte?

A: Tha. Tha sin ceart. Ach ann an Sasann, far a' bheil mi a' fuireach, chan eil mòran daoine a' tuigsinn nan adhbharan agam ach tha iad a' smaoineachadh gur e rud inntinneach agus rud math a th' ann. Ach ann an Alba, 's e sgeul diofaraichte a th' ann. Anns an t-saoghal a-muigh às a' Ghàidhealtachd, tha mi air caraid no dhà a chall air sgàth ‘s gun robh iad gu math anti-Gaelic gu mì-fhortanach agus tha e duilich dha-rìribh. Lorg mi gu bheil a h-uile duine anns an t-saoghal measail air a' Ghàidhlig. Chan eil ach cuid de na h-Albannaich nach eil. Agus, tha sin brònach.

I: Tha sin air a bhith aithnichte airson ùine mhòr gu bheil daoine ann a tha faisg, mar gum b' eadh, air a' Ghàidhlig ann an dòigh ach a tha a' faireachdainn nàire mhòr a tha ga putadh air falbh fada bhuapa.

A: Tha sin nèonach. Co-dhiù…

I: Cha bhi thu fhèin a' tuigsinn sin idir.

A: Cha bhi.

I: Cha bhi. Agus can an-dràsta nam robh thu a' smaoineachadh air comhairle do dh'oileanach a bha a' strí ris a' Gàidhlig agus 's dòcha aig an robh beagan de dhùbhlan agus thuirt thusa na bu tràithe nach eil thu a' smaoineachadh gu bheil thusa uabhasach acadaimigeach. Nam biodh cuideachadh eile ann, tha thu a' faireachdainn coltach ris sin, ciamar a mhisnicheadh tu iad?

A: Gun teagamh sam bith, cùmaibh oirbh. Bidh mòran làithean ann far nach bi thu airson obair leis a' Ghàidhlig, agus an àite, dèan rudeigin furasta, mar eisimpleir, èisteachd ri podcast Beag air Bheag, coimhead air BBC Alba, rudeigin mar Speaking Our Language no Fonn, Fonn, Fonn no dìreach èisteachd ri ceòl Gàidhlig, rud mar sin, thoir Gàidhlig nad bheatha a h-uile latha fiú 's nach dèan thu obair glè acadaimigeach.

I: Agus an-dràsta, tha thusa air ceuman mòra a ghabhail na do Ghàidhlig. Dè tha thu a' cur romhad a dhèanadh fhathast airson do Ghàidhlig a neartachadh agus 's dòcha, a leasachadh barrachd agus barrachd? Bheil thu fhathast mar gum b' eadh, a' obrachadh a-mach na do cheann, dòighean air am fàs thu nas fhearr agus nas eòlaiche?

A: Co-dhiù, an-dràsta tha mi ann an Glaschu dìreach airson mo chuid Ghàidhlig a thogail agus bidh cothroman ann an seo ann an Glaschu agus chan eil mi airson a dhol a dh'oilthigh an-dràsta. 'S fhearr leam a bhith Gàidhlig a cleachdadh (a' cleachdadh Gàidhlig) anns an rathad, anns an t-stràid. Co-dhiù, 's e sin ciamar a tha mi a' faireachdainn no a' feuchainn (ri) mo chuid Gàidhlig a thogail.

I: Agus a' bheil mise ceart a bhith a' tuigsinn gu bheil thu air beagan sheachdainean a ghabhail a-mach às an obair agad airson tighinn a Ghaschu airson do Ghàidhlig a leasachadh agus ma tha mi ceart, dè na rudan a tha thu air a bhith a' dèanamh?

A: Tha sin ceart gu leòr. Agus an seo, bidh mi a' dol a gach tachartas ann, ann an Gàidhlig, mar eisimpleir, An Gealbhan còmhla ri Àdhamh Ó Broin, tachartas ri Gaels Le Chèile anns An Lòchran, clas le Joy Dunlop. Bidh mi a' dol dha na chuirmean-ciùil ann an taigh-seinnse Lios Mòr agus rudan mar sin. A-màireach, bidh cearcall-comhraidh anns An Lòchran. Co-dhiù, gach cothrom, tha mi a' gabhail gach cothrom a' Gàidhlig a chleachdadh.

I: Tha thu nad eisimpleir do dhaoine a tha ag ionnsachadh a' chànain. Chan urrainn dhomh an còrr a ràdh, dìreach tha thu nad eisimpleir agus sònraichte (? 22:51)

A: Tapadh leat.

I: Nise, bha rud eile a' cur orm nuair a choinnich mise riut an toiseach. Saoilidh mise gun robh dòigh siubhail agad a bha beagan eadar-dhealaichte bhon a bhith a' dol air rothair- (chan eil fìos agam - ‘s dòcha doigh eile a ràdh motarbaidhg?) (?) no motorcycle mar a chanadh sinne anns Na Hearadh nuair a bha mi beag le dual (hair). Nach robh siubhal le carbad eadar-dhealaichte?

A: Co-dhiù, tha mi a'  fuireach nam Airstream. 'S e carabhan Aimeireaganach a th' ann, carabhan airgead agus co-dhiù, 's e an taigh agam agus leis an Airstream, faodaidh mi a bhith ann an Glaschu no an Lunnainn no anns Na Hearadh no àitichean sam bith.

I: Àitichean nas àlainne air an t-saoghal.

A: Gu dearbh.

I: Agus 's e carabhan classic a tha sin. Tha loidhneachan brèagha agus tha i ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghal.

A: Tha sin ceart. Tha i ainmeil agus brèagha, gu dearbh agus glè shnog a-staigh cuideachd.

I: Na broinn, math dha-rìribh. Nise, chuala mi fathann beag cuideachd gum bi thu trang a' sgrìobhadh no mar a chanas sinne anns Na Hearadh, gum bi thu a' blogadhadh.

A: A' blogadhadh. Tha mi a' blogadhadh, tha sin ceart.

I: Dè an t-ainm a th' air a' bhloga agad?

A: 'S e "Confessions of Gaelic Learner" an t-ainm a th' air a' bhloga agam agus 's e am bloga a tha sin mu dheidhinn nan trioblaidean agus nan dùbhlan a th' agam mar neach-ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus misneachd a thoirt do luchd-ionnsachaidh eile agus 's dòcha sgeul a thoirt do luchd-labhairt de Gàidhlig mu dheidhinn agus an tuigsinn a thogail eadar luchd-ionnsachaidh agus luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig. 'S e sin an t-adhbhar a sgrìobh mi am bloga sin.

I: Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gu bheil sin cudromach chionn 's tha mise a' faireachdainn gur urrainn a bhith ag ionnsachadh bho chèile. Gu cinnteach. Gur urrainn do dhaoine a bha a' bruidhinn Gàidhlig bho thùs, tòrr ionnsachadh mu dheidhinn structar agus gràmar is eile, (?) luchd-ionnsachaidh, agus luchd-ionnsachaidh, gheibh iad blas agus briathrachas bho dhaoine a bha nan tùsanaich.

A: Tha sin ceart. 'S e an t-adhbhar a tha mi a' sgrìobhadh.

I: Well Anndra, feumaidh mise a ràdh, tha ar còmhradh a' còrdadh riumsa fìor fìor fìor mhath an-diugh.

A: Agus mise Ian.

I: Am faod mi faighneachd, dìreach mus dealaich sinn, a' bheil pìos ciùil anns an dealachadh agat dhùinn?

A: An treas pìos ciùil a thagh mi, Sin ‘Path to Home’ le Skerryvore, à Tioriodh. Tha an ceòl 'Trad Rock' a' còrdadh rium gu mòr agus 's e Skerryvore an còmhlan as feàrr leam. 'S toigh leam a bhith ag èisteachd ris an oran seo nuair a bhios mi a' draidhbheadh do dh'Alba air an rathad do na h-eileanan. 'S e pìos ciùil aotrom agus sunndach a th' ann agus tha mise a' faireachdainn gu math sunndach mì fhìn nuair a bhios mi a' cluinntinn an oran seo.

I: Well Anndra, tha mise an dòchas gach àite dham bi thu a' siubhal, gum bi thu a' siubhal gu sàbhailte gu sona agus mo mhòr-thaing dhut an-diugh airson tighinn a-steach còmhla rinn.

A: 'S e do bheatha. Mòran taing dhutsa.

Beag Air Bheag - The Broadcast

So... following on from the entry about 'Learner of the Week',  the interview itself has now been broadcast! Don't worry if you missed it, here are a few links for you:

To play the entire programme (Series 3, Programme 9) click on this line here. The interview on the finished programme is split into three parts, and you can hear this at 01:54, at 18:18, and at 52:12. This link and timings are correct until 10/1/16.

Or you can download the podcast by selecting Series 3 Programme 9 from the page clicking this line here. Interview timings may change as the music gets cut from the podcast.

Or, if you're REALLY REALLY bored, you can listen to the entire 26 minutes of interview (which was not broadcast in full due to time constraints) by clicking on this line. 

Needless to say, when it was broadcast on Sunday night I was very, very excited and more than a little bit nervous.

It is at this point I digress to mention a bit of TV work some friends of mine did. They were approached by a downmarket TV company and asked if they could be filmed to make a programme about caravanning. Some of my friends agreed, thinking it would help promote a pastime that they enjoyed.

What happened? About 20 hours of footage was edited to a preconceived agenda and it portrayed everyone in a really, really, bad light. If they said 98% good things and 2% daft things, the 98% of good was edited out, and the 2% daft was left in, to sensationalise the subject and portray the people involved in a negative light. Exactly the same footage could have been edited to produce a completely different portrayal. It was trash television at its worst.


My interview with Iain for Beag Air Bheag lasted about 35 minutes. Again, this could have been edited one of two ways for the 10-15 minutes that was finally broadcast. A cheap sensationalist who wanted to make me look stupid could have taken out all the good bits and left in all the pauses, stutters, and mistakes.

However, I was absolutely delighted (and more than a touch relieved) that the interview had been edited as kindly and as sympathetically as possible, editing out some of the massive clangers and stutters, and leaving in the bits that make me sound like I actually know what I'm talking about. If you listen to the full 26 minute interview, you'll hear that I'm nowhere near as fluent and correct as the 'final cut'.

*****

It wasn't just Beag Air Bheag and the lovely people on the team there that helped pull me out from being down in the dumps where I had previously spent a couple of self-pitying weeks, not feeling the love for Gaelic.

I really thought that the last entry ('What goes Up...') would attract a couple of comments such as 'Oh stop moaning you self-pitying whingebag!' but there was nothing of the sort. All there was in response was kindness, support, and - sadly - thanks from other learners. It seems that 'bad days' affect most learners and the fact that nobody else seems to undertand can make us feel a wee bit alone and isolated.

I guess part of the challenge is that many Gaelic learners are learning remotely by distance learning. As such, there does not seem to be anywhere to turn for support when the going gets tough. This can especially be a problem for those whose friends and family do not support their Gaelic endeavours. I think there is another blog entry to be made about this at some point in the future.

But right now I am still basking in the warm glow of being part of a great radio programme which I cannot rate highly enough. Resources for 'upper intermediate/advanced' learners are scarce, and Beag Air Bheag is a terrific and much-needed asset.

If you fancy playing a part in the programme, you'll be treated with kindness and respect, and the experience is one of the best things that will happen to you on your Gaelic journey. Iain, Fiona, and Calum who work on the programme are absolute stars. Without Gaelic, I would never have met them. Just think about that for a minute. Without Gaelic I would never have met these and many other lovely, lovely people. If that isn't reason enough to enroll on An Cùrsa Inntrigidh at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig right here and now if you're not already learning Gaelic, I don't know what is. 

Learner of the Week

Anyone who has been following this blog will know that I am very fond of the Gaelic Learners' Programme on BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal, Beag Air Bheag (Little by Little), currently steaming ahead through its third series. If you cannot access Radio Nan Gàidheal, you can download the podcast, or listen via the BBC website.

There is an earlier blog entry about the programme here.

On the programme there is a section called 'Neach-Ionnsachaidh na Seachdain', Learner of the Week. Learners of ALL abilities are invited onto the programme to speak of their experiences. Speak, that is, IN GAELIC!

It was way back in March this year when the Main Man Behind the Scenes, Calum, wrote to me inviting me onto the show as Learner of the Week.

Two thoughts immediately entered my head:

NO! My Gaelic is nowhere near good enough, and I'll make an idiot of myself!
-and-
YES! It will be a great experience, and to date there has never been a Learner of the Week that lives outwith Scotland.

Anyway, I reluctantly agreed but then things went quiet for a while as Series 2 was wrapped up. It took a lot of arranging to get both myself (from Dover) and presenter John Urquhart (from Skye) in a city with a BBC recording studio at the same time, but a date was eventually struck for 10th November as we would both be in Glasgow. I was holding out for a Helicopter from London or a Stretch Limo to Stornoway, but oddly enough the BBC makes slightly better use of its coffers.

Even before the date was set, the fact that I was going to be on BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal speaking Gaelic remained in the back of my head. For the entire summer I had great big fat juicy carrot dangling in front of me, helping me get on and improve my spoken Gaelic. It was that, or face the embarrassment of not being able to string together a sentence after two and half years of learning.

So what is the experience like?

To start with, it is absolutely nothing to worry about. As you might have gathered, the questions follow pretty much the same pattern for every Learner every week, so you know what you are likely to be asked. To make sure you are comfortable, you'll be sent a list of the kind of questions you'll get a couple of weeks beforehand. 'How long have you been learning Gaelic? What does Gaelic mean to you personally? Tell us something unusual about yourself...?' and so on.

For the three weeks leading up to the 'Big Day', I spent a lot of time writing out, correcting, and rehearsing my answers. My Study-Buddy MR in London was an absolute Diamond, giving me many, many hours of his time to help with my grammatical correctness and with my pronounciation.

Suitably rehearsed and drilled, I headed to the smart, swish, BBC studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow on the set day.

Sitting in the waiting area waiting for Calum to collect me, I whipped out my smartphone and looked at the dictionary at learngaelic.net.  I knew that Calum's first question would be 'Ciamar a tha thu?' (How are you?) and I had no idea how to say 'I'm a bit nervous' in Gaelic. It's 'Tha mi beagan nearbhach', just so you know.

Up we went through the fabulous Atrium I have only ever seen on the telly to the studio itself:

I had met John many times before, so we greeted each other like old friends. Yet it wouldn't matter if you have never met him in your life - everybody who meets the man instantly loves him. I have never heard one bad word spoken about him, ever. So if you go for it, be assured you will be put at your ease and treated very gently.

With my notes written on my tablet (that's the device, not the toffee), we had what can only be described as 35 minutes of craic. All the speech training I had done with MR went out of the window. All those set phrases I had learned vanished. We just simply... chatted. I think this says a lot about Iain's journalistic expertise and people skills.

Afterwards, of course, I thought about things I wish I had said, or how I might have answered differently, but I think that would be the same for anyone in any situation. I never did say how Gaelic has enriched my life, which I really wanted to do... but I did get in a plug for the blog, so hopefully anyone who is interested will read the previous entry 'I'm Rich!'

Yes, there were mistakes. Yes, there were stutters and long pauses which will no doubt (I hope) be edited out. All that pronounciation I had learned - from 'agam' to 'uabhasach', went clean out of my head.

The producer wasn't sure when this particular recording will be broadcast, but it looks like it might be between four and six weeks. Trust me, I will keep you updated.

In hindsight, this is probably the best thing I have ever done. Why? Because when I got the first email about appearing, I could hardly string a sentence together. Suddenly I had a MA-HOOSIVE incentive to get my spoken Gaelic up to scratch. After the (self-imposed) rehearsing and practice I sat and chatted comfortably in Gaelic for 35 minutes, and we could have gone on all morning if we had had the time.

Could I have done that without Beag Air Bheag? I don't think so. Taking yourself outside of your comfort zone will improve your language skills massively.

So what are you waiting for? Best get in touch with Beag Air Bheag team. Whether or not I will be saying that after I have heard myself on air, I'm not so sure. But I cannot thank Calum, John, and the team enough for the privilege of being invited onto the programme, and for giving me the incentive to improve my Gaelic to a level that, six months ago, was beyond my wildest dreams.

Beag air Bheag - Little by Little

Image property of BBC

Most Gaelic learners have heard of 'Beag air Bheag le Iain Urchardan' by now. If you haven't, let me tell you about it.

No matter what your level of Gaelic, from beginning to advanced, if you are a learner and you have access to BBC services, you need to be listening to this fantastic radio programme.

At the end of last year, a series of 10 x 30 minute episodes ran on BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal. I found out about it roughly half way through the series. Sadly there was was no Podcast to download, but happily the past episodes were available for 4 weeks via iPlayer Radio. I don't have broadband, I rely on tethering my mobile phone for internet reception. I became so hooked on 'Beag air Bheag' I ended up increasing my data allowance as I was listening every morning.

I was very pleased when Series One was repeated directly after it ended, so I could start again with episode one and keep up a constant supply of episodes via iPlayer. It was just a pain that I relied on mobile phone reception (3G or 4G) to keep connected. There is no Radio nan Gàidheal radio reception in the South of England!

I'm guessing the series was a Pilot to gauge reaction. All my learner friends were full of praise for the programme and it was lauded during class-phone sessions and at weekend school at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

To my utter delight, Series Two was quickly announced. I can only guess that we weren't alone in our enthusiasm.

Even better news was that Series Two would be bigger and better in every way.

For a start, there are 15 episodes planned (count them, FIFTEEN!) and they are now a whole hour long, not just 30 minutes. But the best news of all? You can download them as a Podcast. No more relying on a mobile phone signal or being tied to the internet for the 90% (my guess) of listeners who listen outwith the Radio Nan Gàidheal signal area. Right now (early April 2015) we are on the cusp of episode three which will be broadcast this week.

If you're just setting out in Gaelic you may worry a little that you don't understand a single word, as the entire programme (bar a few technical words that few people know and some of the Grammar Points) is delivered in Gaelic. However, owing to the fact that Ian Urchardan, the presenter, speaks slowly and clearly, you are very quickly able to pick out the words that you DO know. Just to pick out a few words will help you commit them to memory. You'll also end up hearing the same unfamiliar words week in and week out. Eventually you get to know the word but not its meaning. For example, for weeks I heard an expression that sounded like 'Grass cainch' and wondered what it was. Every week I heard 'Grass cainch'. Hmm.

Weeks later I discovered that the word used was actually 'gnàthas-cainnte', meaning idiom, saying, or expression. Gaelic has a lot of 'gnàthas-cainnte' indeed, and thanks to repeatedly listening to Beag air Bheag I knew the word before its meaning, which of course makes it 100 times easier to remember than a dry vocabulary list on a page.

The 'Oisean a' Ghràmair' section I find particularly useful, and now there is a Podcast I can repeat this section over and over again. When settled in one place I can study the pages on the website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radionangaidheal and make notes.

Right now, at my self-assessed 'upper intermediate' stage after two years, I reckon on understanding about 55 per cent of what is said (there is some 'native speaker' stuff for advanced learners too). A beginner may start off only understanding five per cent, but I reckon that this beginner understanding five per cent of episode one will probably end up understanding 10 per cent of episode 15. I'm hoping that I end up understanding 60 per cent of episode 15.

So if you don't completely understand what's going on, keep listening (daily is good, on your commute to work) and keep absorbing the sounds. It's all going in and even if you don't realise it you ARE picking it up...beag air bheag.

The Path to Learning

 
So you want to learn Scottish Gaelic? Bravo!

Right, that's enough about you, let's talk about me.

Only kidding...

I don't pretend to be any kind of authority on the subject, but what I can do is give you a few honest answers and pointers along the way.

If you're interested in learning the language, then your first point of call can only be one wonderful place:

learngaelic.net

Go and take a look. It's brilliant. You'll find all the info you need on courses and stuff, and in the meantime you can whet your appetite by trying to learn yourself using some of the FREE resources on offer through the website. Start off with the LearnGaelic Beginner's course you can do on your own computer, free of charge. I've just visited one of the lessons and who is the voice? Yup, it's the lovely Iain Urachadan.

You can also look at clips from the hugely successful TV programme 'Speaking Our Language'. Speaking Our Language (or, more to the point, Rhoda MacDonald the presenter) will be your friend throughout your journey of learning Gaelic, just like Iain Urchardan. You may not know these names now, but you will soon see them all over media if you stick with it.

My Gaelic Journey? Well, I'm glad you asked, thank you. Either learngaelic.net wasn't around when I first got interested in the language, or I didn't know it was around.


HOW NOT TO DO IT

Like many people I know, I thought I could reach fluency within three months with minimal financial outlay.

Wrong.

Like many of my fellow learners, I was enticed (on a CalMac ferry, if you must know) by a shiny shrink-wrapped course on the bookshelf in the Coffee Cabin called 'Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks'. You got a book and some CDs. What more could you need?

Now, I'd better explain here and now that I'm not very academic. There are those clever people who ARE academic, and their approach to learning a language is what I personally refer to as 'scientific'. These people learn vocab and grammar, put the two together, and make a sentence. I don't. I listen and mimic and quite often talk gibberish. But to my mind, listening and speaking is the way to go. Hey, it worked for me when learning English after popping out of the womb, and it worked too when I learned Dutch as an adult trialling a Total Immersion Program.

'Gaelic in 12 Weeks' is nothing like an intuitive, natural course. I know that what I am about to write will come back to haunt me some time in the future. No doubt the clever chap who wrote the course will end up marking one of my exam papers in the future and say; "Aha! This paper belongs to that Sassanach Dip-brain who dissed my 12 Week course!' and promptly award a Fail.  But...

Wading through Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks is drier than eating an entire box of Shredded Wheat. Toasted. Mixed with sand. With no liquid whatsoever. In the desert.

No doubt somebody, somewhere, has had the willpower to actually complete the whole course on their own. Maybe they even did it in 12 weeks. I imagine that that person had either nothing better to do in their life whatsoever and could devote every atom of time and willpower to doing it, OR it was the kind of person who doesn't drink, eats only grains and lentils, and has the willpower to get up every morning at 5.30am (including at the weekend) in order to complete their study before a delicious breakfast of Toasted Organic Wholemeal Sandal with a dandelion juice chaser.

This person is not me. I managed - just - to wade myself through one chapter in a month. It was a struggle of magnificent fortitude. I would open the book and cry. I'd listen to the voacb on the CDs and wince. A better plan of action was needed.


SERIOUS LEARNING

Once you've dabbled with the Beginner Pages on learngaelic.net or maybe even done a short course or two, you may decide to take your learning on to a more structured level. Enter Scotland's Gaelic College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO).

Just like Iain Urchardan and Rhoda MacDonald, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is something that nobody outwith the Gaelic-speaking community has ever heard of, and everyone within the Gaelic-speaking community knows as well and holds as dear as an old friend or neighbour.

Serious learners end up at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, either doing Short Courses in the school holidays, part-time distance-learning courses (An Cùrsa Inntrigidh/An Cùrsa Adhartais), and some even take the plunge and do THE be-all and end-all Gaelic language course, An Cùrsa Comais.

I'll tell you what I did after the unsuccessful Ryvita-esque 'Gaelic in 12 Weeks' dabble next time. 

What's this blog all about then?

In a word, procrastination. It's something else to distract me while I should be here studying Scottish Gaelic, or Gàidhlig to those of us in the know, and those of us who have the smug skill of knowing how to do accents on a UK keyboard.

But seriously folks...

If you are interested in Scottish Gaelic, your first port of call should be the fantastic online resource learngaelic.net.

On the 'beginners' page, the first question you click on might just be:

'How long will it take me to become fluent in Gaelic?' You'll get this answer:

"This depends on how much time you are able to spend learning the language; your level of immersion in Gaelic; and the learning style you have chosen."


Let me paraphrase this answer for you: 

"It'll take years and years and years of hard graft, sweat, tears, and frustration."


One question not on the 'Beginners' page at learngaelic.net, yet it's the most important one in my opinion, and the question that EVERYONE will want answered is: 

'Is learning Gaelic difficult?'

Now, I could be all PC and give an answer that politely skirts around the issue and cites learning style, location, hours spent, and so on. However, I will surmise the answer into just one word: 

'Yes.'


I've been on my Gaelic journey for two years now and can still barely string a sentence together. In contrast, I learnt Dutch (admittedly by immersion) in about 12 weeks. 

Yet I'm still here, and, maybe in a Masochistic way (or is it Sadistic? I can never remember which is which, which one day may prove problematic) I am still ASOLUTELY LOVING learning Gaelic. 

My love of Gaelic is not unconditional. I swear and curse at it, hate it sometimes, throw my hands up in despair, walk away from it, then like a sorrowful lover I return before you can say 'Genetive Case' and start soothing myself in the sheer poetry and deliciousness of it all. 

This blog is mainly aimed at being my sounding post during those many frustrating days. There are even good days I may share too. The last 'Good Day' was when I was up in Skye and bumped into the LOVELY Iain Urchardan. Everybody loves Iain. I had my first ever five minute conversation completely in Gaelic. It was probably very bad both in terms of grammar and vocabulary, and Iain is of course an expert in pitching his level of pronounciation and grammar to the student, but either way I came away from that walking on a cloud. 

That's enough procrastination for one day. Best I get on with a bit of course work. Tìoraidh an-dràsta, bye for now.