That's my Advanced Higher in Gaelic course lessons completed!

On Monday and Tuesday I had my final lessons for my SQA Advanced Higher in Gaelic (for Learners), taught through e-Sgoil (www.e-sgoil.com) by my two wonderful tutors, Eòghan Stewart and Julie-Anne Mackenzie. It's been an incredible two years with these folk, both for the Higher and the Advanced Higher; my Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) has come on leaps and bounds in that period, particularly with regards to my ability to now hold conversations in the language. Earlier today at Marr College in Troon I had my first exam for the Advanced Higher - a twenty minute conversation with an examiner from Dingwall (thanks Andrew!) conducted solely in Gaelic, and it went swimmingly. 

You can prepare only so much for this exam, and the real test was when I was asked a question that I had not anticipated, to do with the political situation surrounding the Gaelic language just now, for which I was grateful that I had read up on the current Gaelic language bill currently before the Scottish Parliament! I was also asked my thoughts on how useful eSgoil had been, and I lavished praise on it. e-Sgoil was established in 2016, and allows people from across Scotland to participate in the SQA's Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications in Gaelic, with only a small administrative fee (the course registration admin is handled by the University of the Highlands and Islands). You can find more about it at https://www.e-sgoil.com/about-us/our-story/. 

I first started to learn Gaelic when living in Bristol, England, some thirty years ago, where it was not easy to pick up resources to help with learning. Apart from a small group of dedicated learners, the only other support I had was through membership of a learners organisation called Comunn an Luchd-Ionnsachaidh, which sadly no longer exists, after funding for it was withdrawn by Bòrd na Gàidhlig a few years back (which seriously needs looking at again by both the organisation and the Scottish Government). 

I moved to Scotland in 1997, and dabbled with it for a few years more whilst also trying to work in a mad busy TV industry. By 2006 I had stopped learning, having left the BBC in Glasgow, the only place where I could possibly use the language with folk in the building (an especially big shout out to John Martin, mòran taing mo charaid!). It would be the pandemic, some fourteen years later, where I decided that it was ludicrous that I had spent so much time learning it before with so little to show for it, and so I decided on a five-year plan, to try to finally become fluent in that period. e-Sgoil has been a Godsend on this front, a real champion of an initiative in the internet age to not let the geographic restrictions of the past get in the way of those wishing to acquire the language. You can find out more about the eSgoil story via a half-hour video feature at https://www.e-sgoil.com/about-us/our-story/.

I have just the main exam to go in May now, but my language journey will not be ending here. In the summer I am doing a week long course on the Isle of Skye at the Gaelic college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (https://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/?lang=en), and then in September I am hoping to do a one-year course at the University of Glasgow in Gaelic Immersion, to complete my formal learning journey. I was actually there last night for a 'feasgar fosgailte' (open evening), and if my application is accepted, this will be quite a challenge, it being a full time course, and with me needing to continue to work at the same time (not least the small matter of a genealogy cruise in Australia in the middle of it!). However, God loves a trier, and I'm game!

If you're interested in learning Gaelic, the easiest starting point is to use the Duolingo application (www.duolingo.com), where you will find a short course designed with 15 minutes study a day in mind, but I would also suggest a more structured course, such as Teach Yourself Gaelic by Boyd Robertson. The BBC's SpeakGaelic course on the iPlayer and YouTube can also help, it has a website at https://speakgaelic.scot, whilst the LearnGaelic platform is also incredibly helpful at https://learngaelic.scot.

It is possible to learn Gaelic - but only if you make a first move to do so. Heck, if a wee shug from Carrickfergus can do it, there's nothing to stop you from doing so also!

Suas leis a' Ghàidhlig - and good luck!

Chris

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