I'm in my third week here in Conamara and for those of you who don't know, Conamara is a region that stretches (roughly) from west by northwest of Galway town to Leenan along the coast and is bordered on the east by Loch Corrib and Lock Mask. I was supposed to go out to Carna for a spell to visit with Mícheál Ó Cuaig but he has surgery on his leg and I thought it best to leave him to recover without a stranger in his house!
Another long silence and my apologies. Traveling around Europe while having fun is simply not conducive to keeping up on my blog. It has been three weeks since I posted last and in that time I have traveled to the Isle of Man, London and Berlin bookended with stays in Conamara (western Co. Galway). I'd like to focus on the Isle of Man in this post.
I must first apologize for the silence as of late as I have been sick. In fact, I've been sick since right around xmas and since I've been traveling for nearly as long, my poor little immune system couldn't keep up the fight. I've had an unrelenting cough ever since I struggled back to life after my bout with flu in the States.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/12/24/121224fa_fact_foer?currentPage=all&mobify=0
This was an interesting read! Aside from the drama, the mention of two linguistic theories really lit a fire in my mind--those of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which suggests that language shapes our experienced reality and the Conceptual Metaphor theory established by George Lakoff at UC-Berkeley, which states that the way we think and act is metaphorical in nature.
I've been thinking much on the extent to which the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis applies in Irish (most linguists would accept a "weaker" understanding of it).
Several projects going on here in Muskerry, the cultural region where I'be been for roughly a week and a half now. Yesterday, I made a visit to the local naíonra (daycare center) in Béal Átha 'n Ghaorthaidh to play music for the children and to seek out the possibility of returning to collect poems, sayings and songs that they utilize in their curriculum.
I thought I had my sleep sorted out last night but it's (apparently) the time my brain prefers to process and plan. :-/ Anyhow, all sorts of things popped up today. I woke up at a decent hour (10 a.m.) and made my way to the local naíolann (with Síle and her grandaughter), which funny enough in the dialect of west Cork would be understood as the laundromat.
cc sergey vyaltsev
Good news! We have extended the deadline for purchasing tickets to our very exciting Irish Language Learning Weekend Workshop from Friday 11/2 to Wed. 11/7. We are hoping that the extended deadline will make it possible for more people to attend this event. Also, the price to attend workshops such as this is usually between $250 and $300, so it is important that you jump on this opportunity to attend this event for only $50- $100. We can also work with people who live outside of the Portland or Aurora, OR areas to find accommodations for the weekend. I/f you have any questions regarding this event, please email us at caitlyn@languagehunters.org.
The much anticipated Irish Learning Weekend Workshop starts on Friday Nov. 9th (just a week and a half away)! This weekend will feature our fluent Irish speaker, Brían Ó hAirt and will focus on an immersion game play setting, also known as Language Hunting!
To order tickets for this event and for more information, please visit http://guestli.st/124860 Tickets must be ordered by midnight on Friday Nov. 2nd.
这星期，Willem，Language Hunters的公司总裁,去俄勒冈州的海边出席一个会议，所以我需要自己教我们Language Hunters俄语和爱尔兰语课。我教的学生是差不多六到十二岁，都很想要学新的语文。这星期真的给我看环境真的对 Language Hunting 有很多影响。
教俄语课的时候， 我跟西班牙语和音乐老师需要都在一个课堂在一样的时间教我们的课，所以我们的环境一点热热闹闹。因为我们的环境是这样的，我的学生一者在看右边或者看左边很少时间在看我想要给他们看的东西。我问为什么他们一者看左边一者在看右边的时候，他们给我说是因为我们的环境是热闹的。我这样学到环境对Language Hunting 有很大的影响。
This week, our other Russian teacher is attending a conference on the Oregon beach, so I am solo teaching the Russian classes Language Hunters is providing to a local private school. The children in this class range in ages between six and twelve, and they are all very excited about learning a new language. This week of solo teaching has really taught me how much of an impact an environment has on Language Hunting.
While teaching Russian class, I noticed that there was a direct correlation between how quickly the students were able to pick up new material and how quite and focused their surroundings were. When the music class took a break, the kids were able to absorb the new Russian ideas much more quickly than when the music class was playing. Similarly, when the near-by Spanish class was playing a loud or active game, my students became distracted, as did I.
Once a week Caitlyn, our newest intern and Chinese speaker, will be documenting her experiences leaning language hunting in Chinese.
从今天以后，我就告诉大家们我怎么在学有很多很少说的语文。我总是主在美国俄勒冈州的波特兰城市， 还有我父母只能说英文所以我怎么在学中文，俄语，西班牙语，和爱尔兰语，还能学别的语文？Language Hunters帮我学怎么学语文，所以我就教你们怎么用 Language Hunters 的想法学语文。
Starting now, I will be sharing my experiences learning new and endangered languages. I have always lived in Portland, OR, USA and my family all only speaks English, so how am I learning Chinese, Russian, and Irish, and other languages? Language Hunters is showing me how to learn all theses languages at once, so I am going to share with all of you how Language Hunters is making this happen.
-您好朋友们，
-Hello new friends,
阳光
Caitlyn
