Duolingo's Irish courses
Forum rules
The purpose of this forum is to provide a place for people who are interested in the Irish language and various Celtic languages to discuss them, to practice them, and to share information about them, particularly (but not exclusively) in the context of traditional music and culture.
This is not a "translation forum," per se, though translation requests may occasionally be honored at the discretion of the moderators. If you're seeking a one-time translation for something like a tattoo, engraving, wedding vow, or other such purpose, we strongly recommend that you visit our friends at ILF: http://irishlearner.awyr.com
The purpose of this forum is to provide a place for people who are interested in the Irish language and various Celtic languages to discuss them, to practice them, and to share information about them, particularly (but not exclusively) in the context of traditional music and culture.
This is not a "translation forum," per se, though translation requests may occasionally be honored at the discretion of the moderators. If you're seeking a one-time translation for something like a tattoo, engraving, wedding vow, or other such purpose, we strongly recommend that you visit our friends at ILF: http://irishlearner.awyr.com
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John Driscoll
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- Tell us something.: I've been playing Irish flute and whistles since January 2016. It's been a great departure from percussion, which has been my primary form of musicianship since I was a boy.
- Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Duolingo's Irish courses
Has anyone spent time with Duolingo lately? Seems like a nice way to get an introduction to Irish.
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MooglePower
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- Tell us something.: I'm an ITM enthusiast who has been learning instruments like the whistle and smallpipes. I've been playing various different musical instruments for years.
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Re: Duolingo's Irish courses
For what it's worth, I've been doing enough Irish on Duolingo to reach level 15 (the highest level that I am in any language). It's helped to reinforce some of Irish's more difficult concepts (eclipsis and lenition, for sure), and it's definitely helped solidify a core vocabulary for me. With that being said, it hasn't really gotten me to speaker status, even on a more basic level. I also wish that the voice read the sentences aloud a bit more, which is a feature of many of the other languages. There are some sentences that are read, but most are silent.
I picked up Teanga Bheo when I was in Ireland and I've had a lot of success with that one. I think that using a bunch of different programs in conjunction with each other is really a strong way to tackle any language. I've found that the reading and exercises in Teanga Bheo plus Duolingo exercises plus listening to a bunch of Irish-language music (Sean-nós singing is a great place to start because it's often in free verse without instruments to muddy up the recordings) has really helped me to grow as an Irish speaker. Keep in mind that, whatever you do, progress will be slow, but it's worth it in the end. A short conversation I had about musical instruments with a woman in a pub on Inis Oírr was one of the most gratifying moments of my Ireland trip.
I picked up Teanga Bheo when I was in Ireland and I've had a lot of success with that one. I think that using a bunch of different programs in conjunction with each other is really a strong way to tackle any language. I've found that the reading and exercises in Teanga Bheo plus Duolingo exercises plus listening to a bunch of Irish-language music (Sean-nós singing is a great place to start because it's often in free verse without instruments to muddy up the recordings) has really helped me to grow as an Irish speaker. Keep in mind that, whatever you do, progress will be slow, but it's worth it in the end. A short conversation I had about musical instruments with a woman in a pub on Inis Oírr was one of the most gratifying moments of my Ireland trip.
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Outromusico
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- Tell us something.: Hi! I’m a Galician musician, interested on all kinds of traditional flute playing and on traditional music in general.
- Location: Galicia (Spain)
Re: Duolingo's Irish courses
One great feature in Duolingo if you want to learn a little everyday is that you can activate a notification reminding you that you have to do your daily exercise. It can get a bit annoying, but it's helpful nonetheless.
Anyway, I also think a combination of methods/sources is the best way to go, both when learning languages or music.
Anyway, I also think a combination of methods/sources is the best way to go, both when learning languages or music.