Rating: 
Summary: A Comparison Of Two Language Textbooks
Review: After researching Irish language courses at my local libraries and on-line, I selected two textbooks for my own study of this language. The two books are Teach Yourself Irish by Diarmuid O Se (1993 edition) and Learning Irish by Micheal O. Siadhail (1995 edition). Before reviewing each one, let me first warn those wishing to learn the rudiments of this language that you may find Irish grammar, spelling, and pronunciation hopelessly complex and illogical. (Fortunately, it uses the Roman alphabet.) Whichever book you chose, proceed in small steps. Read just a chapter a day to keep your frustration to a minimum. I recommend beginning with Teach Yourself Irish, which I found the more enjoyable of the two. Each of its 20 chapters opens with short dialogues, topical as well as interesting. Next comes a review of grammar clearly explained at a very basic level. All of the chapters conclude with exercises requiring the reader to answer in short phrases or sentences. There are also illustrations scattered throughout the book, thus breaking up the monotony of the text. Too many other language books, like Learning Irish, lack pictures to liven up the text for the beginner. On the audiotapes for Teach Yourself Irish the dialogues have been re-created by native speakers who demonstrate, as I understand it, the Munster dialect.
If you want a more thorough grounding in the language, read Learning Irish next. In its 36 chapters it will reinforce what you have learned in Teach Yourself Irish, explain the grammar in greater depth, and expand your vocabulary. Each chapter begins with a laundry list of words. It is followed by a presentation of grammar which I found quite dry and boring. (It will put you to sleep if you are not careful!) Next there is a paragraph or two to translate, drawing on the words in the vocabulary list. Finally, there are sets of exercises to test your skills, including one English-to-Irish exercise. As a do-it-yourself language student, I found myself too lazy to write out the answers for the exercises in both books. Instead, I would translate by sight, while taking quick peeks at the answer key provided at the back of each book. The audiotapes for Learning Irish offer a detailed treatment of what the author considers the more standardised pronunciation found in Ireland today.
A word about dictionaries: The selection of Irish dictionaries currently on the market is disappointing. I ended up buying the Pocket Oxford Irish Dictionary because I thought that it was the best one for beginners. I am still waiting for the big publishing houses, namely Cassell's, Collins, or the Oxford University Press, to put out an up-to-date, standard Irish-English/English-Irish dictionary with a phonetic pronunciation guide for each entry. This book would serve as an essential reference for the intermediate or advanced student.
Rating: 
Summary: A Tip For Buying This Product
Review: Amazon.com seems to sell this Irish course two ways-- with the book and tapes separately, and also together as a set. If you are looking for the set, the top part of the cover is green with "Learning Irish" in orange letters, the word "Irish" being large and in a Gaelic style font, and the bottom has 4 photographs on it (girls in traditional costume, a hill and water, a row of buildings, and two men playing music). I hope that this helps prevent some confusion.I am working through this course now and enjoying it. It has quite a bit of grammar, relatively few exercises, and long vocabulary lists, so it will take a bit of effort on your part to get through it and learn all the material. It is a pretty good course, all told.
Rating:
Summary: Learning Irish
Review: Date: Sunday, February 06, 2000 As someone who had started before on various other courses, I found LEARNING IRISH simply excellent. You get the feeling from the beginning that the author is building your confidence while introducing you step by step to the Irish language. The boxed-off tables in the initial lessons are particularly useful. The build up of the vocabulary and the gradual introduction of the two verbs 'to be' and the handling of the noun are all outstanding. The texts attached to each lesson give it a life and context which is most helpful. This is a course with no gimmicks. It's demanding but it works. The cassettes which accompany the book are clear and natural and I found them very helpful. I recommend LEARNING IRISH heartily to anyone who wishes to learn the Irish Language.
Rating:
Summary: only the book itself is needed
Review: good beginning course in irish. i'm getting a lot out of it. i especially appreciate the fact that the transcriptions are done in IPA and not in the writer's own system. i've had to buy and return several other courses because they thought it would be easier on me if they wrote the pronounciations in english graphemes. his descriptions of irish sounds are done with a linguist's eye, but in a way that is easily accessable to those not familiar with linguistic jargon.
Rating:
Summary: only the book itself is needed
Review: good beginning course in irish. i'm getting a lot out of it. i especially appreciate the fact that the transcriptions are done in IPA and not in the writer's own system. i've had to buy and return several other courses because they thought it would be easier on me if they wrote the pronounciations in english graphemes. his descriptions of irish sounds are done with a linguist's eye, but in a way that is easily accessable to those not familiar with linguistic jargon.
Rating:
Summary: Watch out! Book and tapes are sold separately.
Review: I bought the audio cassette edition for obvious reasons (I'm trying to learn on my own without the benefit of a native speaker to guide me and drill pronunciation with me.) The quality of the spoken recordings is very high, though I was somewhat irked to find the book absent (the cassettes are pretty much useless on their own); so I had to buy the book separately. That makes a total of over 50 dollars - but still,I guess that's a pittance for lifelong access to the magical kingdom of Irish language and literature!
Rating: 
Summary: Learing Irish
Review: I have a problem with the tapes because they are all in Irish. There is no English guide--just four tapes of Irish. Is something missing here? Im' returning them. The tape without a guide are useless to me.
Rating:
Summary: Good for lists and grammar
Review: I have been studying Irish for the last 2 1/2 years from a top professor in the area here in the states. At first we used the "Teach Yourself Irish" book and tapes for an into, and then she made her own materials. This book I have found is a good resource for finding lists of grammar, conjugations, vocab etc. I highly reccomend that since it is such a difficult language to find a qualified teacher who you can work with face to face, since much of the pronunciation is difficult and varies from county to county. But, if that isn't available to you or you have moved on from a class and want to study more, this is a great resource to reflect on! It has more mechanics than the conversation driven Teach Yourself, and goes more in deapth than any other book or book/tape set I've seen. Also, if you're looking for additional resources, check out www.readireland.com
Good luck! lena gra geal mo chroi, slan!
Rating:
Summary: Good for lists and grammar
Review: I have been studying Irish for the last 2 1/2 years from a top professor in the area here in the states. At first we used the "Teach Yourself Irish" book and tapes for an into, and then she made her own materials. This book I have found is a good resource for finding lists of grammar, conjugations, vocab etc. I highly reccomend that since it is such a difficult language to find a qualified teacher who you can work with face to face, since much of the pronunciation is difficult and varies from county to county. But, if that isn't available to you or you have moved on from a class and want to study more, this is a great resource to reflect on! It has more mechanics than the conversation driven Teach Yourself, and goes more in deapth than any other book or book/tape set I've seen. Also, if you're looking for additional resources, check out www.readireland.com
Good luck! lena gra geal mo chroi, slan!
Rating:
Summary: Good for lists and grammar
Review: I have been studying Irish for the last 2 1/2 years from a top professor in the area here in the states. At first we used the "Teach Yourself Irish" book and tapes for an into, and then she made her own materials. This book I have found is a good resource for finding lists of grammar, conjugations, vocab etc. I highly reccomend that since it is such a difficult language to find a qualified teacher who you can work with face to face, since much of the pronunciation is difficult and varies from county to county. But, if that isn't available to you or you have moved on from a class and want to study more, this is a great resource to reflect on! It has more mechanics than the conversation driven Teach Yourself, and goes more in deapth than any other book or book/tape set I've seen. Also, if you're looking for additional resources, check out www.readireland.com
Good luck! lena gra geal mo chroi, slan!
|
