IRELAND IV

When I was planning my semester abroad to Ireland, I was aware that there was this other language besides English – Irish. To be prepared, I researched on the Internet and wanted to find a translator for the basic words. Unfortunately, I did not find one, but I did come across an app that offered an Irish language course. I used this after arriving in Galway and wrote down the most important phrases with phonetic transcriptions. Gradually I noticed that no one seemed to speak the language. Indeed, all the signs on the street, all the information notices and all the e-mails from the university are bilingual, i.e. English, and Irish. Nevertheless, I never heard anyone speak Irish. All the better, I thought, because this language is difficult to learn, as it is of Celtic origin and therefore not derived from Germanic or Romance languages. I also learned that Irish is still spoken only in the Gaeltacht areas, which includes Galway. However, I soon realised that English is also not the same English as it is spoken in Great Britain, for example. As in my home country Austria, there are different dialects per region in Ireland. This means that depending on the region, I may or may not be able to understand people better. In order to gain a basic understanding of the differences between the dialects as well as the words that the Irish use in a different context than the British, the International Office offered four evening events called ‘Culture through Comedy’. At these events, a comedian together with other people from Ireland taught the international students about Irish culture, peculiarities, and language. For example, we learned that 'Good luck' is used to say goodbye. Two other important words in Ireland are 'Grand' (depending on the feeling and tone of voice, it can mean good, moderate, or bad) and 'Sound' which is used to say thank you or to describe a person (‘Steve is sound’ means ‘Steve is a good person’). Humour and irony also have a strong presence in Ireland, which is reflected in the language. To really understand the language and the special words, it is necessary to learn and understand the culture of the country. Besides listening to the radio, watching movies and series, and reading books, I think that practising and improving a foreign language is always most effective when it happens directly in the country where it is the local language. In this way it is possible to meet and talk to locals in everyday situations, whether in the supermarket or on the bus. The current situation makes this more difficult because a lot of things happen through the computer screen. It is not easy to meet people in person. Especially in lectures that are not interactive, I do not get to know people at all. I am lucky to have met some international students through the student residence. I meet them on Saturdays at the food market or to go for a walk. Although only a few of us are native English-speakers, it is exciting to learn about different cultural habits from around the world. The nations of the students vary from Spain, Italy, and France to California and Texas. This way, I can not only improve my English but also my Spanish and French language skills. I also got to know Irish students through group work in several courses. I am also in the Choral Society, which holds weekly online choir rehearsals and has occasional social evenings where we talk and play games. There are also other activities that the university offers to connect students. For example, there was a Gaelic language course and on Wednesdays there is always a games event. So despite the current circumstances, there is a wide range of events where you can meet new people. I try to attend these regularly to hear and speak the language as often as possible. Miriam Berchtel Galway, Ireland 03/28/202