Are you teaching Irish outside of Ireland? A new course is being developed to help make your job a lot easier
Sean Kyne, the Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, has announced a funding package which will make the teaching of the Irish language in the US far more accessible.
Read More: Best ways to learn Irish for free online
The funding package, which totals $303,000 (€270,129), will be given to Maynooth University over the course of three years to develop and implement an online university certificate course in the training of Irish to adult learners. The course will be the first of its kind in Irish language teaching.
Anyone interested in teaching Irish to adults in the US will be able to access online materials and short films developed by experts in the Irish language field.
“I am delighted that my Department is in a position to fund this very exciting development in the Irish-language teaching landscape,” Minister Kyne said, upon the announcement of the course.
“It will benefit the teachers of Irish and adult learners here in Ireland, and will also enable us to support the Irish diaspora and those teaching Irish in hundreds of centers abroad.”
Read More: The Irish language represents “some of the best of human nature”
The Center for Irish Language Research, Teaching, and Testing at Maynooth University was responsible for the development of the program, which will make use of the latest learning technology in order to reach a wide international audience, as well as an Irish one.
Director of the Center, Anna Ní Ghallachair, said that the new program was going to offer support to Irish teachers “from Inis Meain to Iowa.”
“Our course director, Ailín Ní Chonchúir, a native of the Kerry Gaeltacht, has both Irish and international experience in the teaching of the language and bases her practice on the best international research. Technology will now allow her and her colleagues to share their expertise beyond the university campus.”
This August, we're celebrating Gaeilge (the Irish language) and Irish music with a series highlighting those around the world speaking and learning Irish, and playing Irish music.
Visit our dedicated music section here or our Irish language section here to read more. You can follow throughout the month by using the hashtags #ICMusic, #ICGaeilge or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Are you an Irish language student? Tell us how it's going in the comments!
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