Irish: Beginners (A0)

This course is designed for people with very little or no experience of Irish.

It will introduce you to the language, giving you the basic tools to communicate with others with a focus on speaking and interacting in Irish. You will learn how to talk about your hobbies and local area, your daily life and much more. The emphasis will be on speaking and listening, but reading and writing activities will also feature.

Learners will play an active part in each class, with group work allowing them to practise what they have learned. The course will be conducted in a warm and friendly atmosphere, and provide the first steps in learning more about a langauge that is all around us.

About the Tutor

Neil Ó Briain is an Irish language tutor with extensive experience in teaching and studying the language.

He has taught adults at every level over the past 10 years, from complete beginners to third level. In their feedback, students noted that his friendly and relaxed approach makes their course enjoyable and approachable.

He has designed and taught a wide variety of courses for those without previous exposure to the language. These ranged from short courses for visiting international students, to semester-long accredited courses for beginners Irish while teaching at Saint Mary's University in Nova Scotia.

He has experience with both in-person and online classes, from beginner to advanced level. He has also taught specialised courses for civil servants and those working in public bodies, and tutorials in QUB. He has an MA in General Linguistics and a BA in Irish and History.