Speaking Irish (DVD Edition): Take your language skills beyond basics [Hardcover]

Siuan Ni Mhaonaigh (Author), Antain Mac Lochlainn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071475621 | ISBN-13: 978-0071475624 | Publication Date: December 12, 2007 | Edition: 1

Take a big step toward fluency in Irish

Speaking Irish is a unique opportunity to sharpen your listening and conversational skills in the company of speakers from all corners of Ireland. Filmed on location throughout Ireland, the DVD features authentic, unrehearsed interviews with more than twenty Irish speakers, representing all three regional dialects.

Just put the disc in your DVD player, and your journey begins. Hear Aoife weigh the pros and cons of life in Dublin as opposed to the Irish countryside. Listen to Máirín describe a good friend. Learn about Gaelic games and their place in the community from Donncha. And enjoy animated discussions of other topics like family, education, the environment, the Gaeltacht, and the Irish in America. The companion book provides a transcript of all the interviews, plus extensive exercises and notes on vocabulary, grammar, regional variations, and more.

Download additional classroom activities at mhprofessional.com.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Siuán Ní Mhaonaigh and Antain Mac Lochlainn are leading authors of Irish language learning materials. Siuán specializes in language testing and teacher training, while Antain develops training materials for English-Irish translators and editors.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071475621
• ISBN-13: 978-0071475624
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Gaelic
  • #22 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Celtic Languages

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for learners of Irish., January 23, 2008

By 

R. Johnson "The Shamroq Dude" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speaking Irish (DVD Edition): Take your language skills beyond basics (Hardcover)

I've been studying irish on and off for a few years now, but always felt frustrated over the fact that I couldn't listen to native speakers on a regular conversational level or struggling with not being able to understand the dialects that veer off from standard book irish.

I just got this speaking Irish DVD and book yesterday and was blown away.
It totally submerges you 100% into pure untainted Irish (NO ENGLISH)...it's just like you are in the gaeltacht. You get to hear the differences in dialect and accent from different parts of Ireland and the text book has complete unedited transcripts so you can follow along. It even has a vocabulary list for each segment on the dialect words used and what they would actually be in standard Irish so you can creatively incorporate them into your own way of speaking as well as practice exercises after each segment so you can practice what you've learned!

This is a GOLD mine of information and an ABSOLUTE MUST for learners who have some Irish, but are looking to get more in order to obtain a measure of conversational fluency.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A supplement for intermedaiate students, February 16, 2008

By 

John McGuire "Seán Mag Uidhir" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speaking Irish (DVD Edition): Take your language skills beyond basics (Hardcover)

The DVD is all Irish with no option for subtitles. It provides 2 hours of listening to a wide range of speakers to tune your ear to recognizing Irish in a variety of settings and dialects. The book provides guidance on how to get the most out of the DVD and some extra information on the language itself. The interviews are transcribed in both Irish and English so you do get some reading practice. The exercises in the book for each segment are brief. The book and DVD provide a good supplement to a more complete course, but does not stand alone. If you are following another course such as Progress in Irish, Buntus Cainte this is a good next step once your well acquainted with the language.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent product, March 4, 2008

By 

Shayn Mccallum (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speaking Irish (DVD Edition): Take your language skills beyond basics (Hardcover)

What a delightful, well-produced and useful piece of work this book/DVD is! I was pleasantly surprised by just how very useful it turned out to be. The interviews on the DVD are fascinating in that they involve interesting, articulate people speaking naturally and unaffectedly, in Irish, on a wide variety of subjects. With the inclusion of speakers of Irish sign language as well as hearing respondents from very different walks of life, and speaking various Irish dialects, this DVD provides a valuable picture of linguistic and cultural diversity among modern gaelgeori.
I would rarely go so far as to give a product 5 stars but I felt that this book/DVD is exactly right for people who have some Irish and who want to improve aural comprehension using authentic materials. The book provides transcripts, translations at the back and just enough information to be helpful without swamping the student or blocking discovery. I would like to wish a hearty "comhghairdeas" and extend a heartfelt "go raibh maith agaibh" to everyone involved in the production of this wonderful resource. Well done!