8 Things I did to Learn Scottish Gaelic

You can learn Scottish Gaelic today, and Scottish history tour guide Bruce Fummey has some suggestions from his own experiences learning Gaelic. He'd tried eight different ways and gives his opinions on which are best.
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[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Watch Forbidden Clan here kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYK0qqSAdruYftE

[@BillyBones4365]

Yer erse is oot the windae

[@stuartpenman6387]

Gaelic is to Scotland as much as French or Latin is , our history proves it

[@GudGudTheKid]

Was funny the mention of mallaig because once I saw your videos I swear I met you while working at the west Highland hotel mallaig waiting tables. If you've visited their would be funny if you let me know

[@duncancroal2668]

Remember my dad had tapes back in the 80s never learned though.maybe I should have a look at audible and see what's on there. Really like the videos make me realize how much history we didn't learn in school.

[@Zeldaplayer838]

I a a lb a mucan Mara na na h inseachan agus eirinn a tuath bu choir dhaibh theagasg anns a mhor chuid de sgoiltean an tuig thu ne

[@Bredaxe]

I watch Gaelic with Jason! He's great. I hope the language makes a comeback for Scotland. Erasing a peoples language is a horrible thing.

[@tawnymacleod4022]

I also watch Jason to, He makes it a lot of fun!

[@scribble103]

Nope, our language is dead. They don't even teach it in schools anymore.

[@tawnymacleod4022]

@@scribble103 it’s dead that’s a shame! I’m took it upon myself to learn so I can talk to my Grandmother and grt Grandfather! It’s a beautiful language and Scottish culture.

[@AlasdairMacCaluim]

@@scribble103 Chan eil sin fìor - tha a’ Ghàidhlig beò beothail!

[@ConORiain1]

@@tawnymacleod4022 it's not dead while it's still a spoken language by some. It's a living language, just not widely spoken. Same as my own language (Irish Gaelic). They aren't dead until they are no longer spoken as a 1st language by anyone.

[@irenebas]

As a native Spanish speaker I can tell you that learning a second or a third language is very helpfull for your brain. Not only it makes you think in a different way, it makes you discover a whole new world. My first meeting with Gaelic language was reading a book... aye, a romantic book with Highlanders 😁. and curiosity won because of a joke in Gaelic in the story. But the very first time I heard it was here!! So I have to thank you Bruce and I'll tell you in Spanish: Gracias por tu maravilloso trabajo, que tengas un hermoso día. Beannachd caraid

[@dambrooks7578]

While at uni, in actual fact it was her that inspired me to apply for uni, she is Spanish but we were together for seven or so years and in the summer that she spent in London because of a summer of attending Midlesex uni, I recall her amazement at beginning to dream in English.

[@IsMiseStiùbhart]

I know that this comment is 2 years old, but I wanted to say how much I love it. The first thing that stands out to me is how we identify with things in English vs in Gaelic. In the former, we would say "I am depressed" whereas in the latter, it would be "I have depression on me". That would suggest to me that a language structure such as that in Gaelic can have profound implications for identity and even mental health. I would love to see some research exploring how those who Gaelic (or similar languages) identify with mental health difficulties.

[@reimer0015]

you can have different personalities for each language you know which is very interesting

[@1Coursier]

As teenager (American but very interested in the Scottish side of my family) I tried to learn Scottish Gaelic from a book I bought from Borders. It was brutally hard and I was heartbroken to give up. I have since learned French fairly well, but you’ve motivated me to look at my options now in the internet age and see if I can do it! Alas it won’t help for my trip to Scotland in a few weeks, but maybe for next year!

[@1830mof]

By far the worst bit is the whacky way the letters sound but keep at it.

[@l.jagilamplighterwright9211]

I had that experience as a teen with Welsh.

[@brucehartnell1475]

As an old punk rocker, I suggest buying a record by Oi Polloi. One of Scotland’s finest. This channel is great. Very informative and hilarious. My interests stem from a woman from Edinburgh I met in Germany in 1983. She is a life long friend and the one that got away. This channel brings back great memories of her for me.

[@LiyemEanapay]

I’ve been meaning to get my hands on some Oi Polloi. I’ve been listening to Mànran at work. Òran na Cloiche goes so fvcking hard

[@brucehartnell1475]

@@LiyemEanapay great! Definitely a good place to start. A legendary band

[@Schizopantheist]

Punk learning Gaelic here, thanks for the band recommendation!

[@mairianncullen8753]

I did Duolingo and then moved on to online beginners' course LearnGaelic. Also added in KZbin SpeakGaelic, plus linked podcasts, then the linked online lesson. Time and repetition are key. Recently added Miss MacDonald's KZbin channel for kids, to try to remember days of the week, months of the year, numbers etc. 🙂

[@KrisHughes]

The Duolingo Gaelic thing is a great place to start. Quite a bit better than other Duo languages, in my opinion, because it uses recordings of real native speakers - with a wide variety of accents - and you need to be prepared for that!

[@HIMaina]

@@daemondaugherty9207 I can relate to this. I can hear the man perfectly, but I can't understand a thing when the lady speaks. Even the word "agus" sounds so different when she says it. The man says literally "agus" and the lady sounds like "aius" or something. I'm not sure if it's about the accent or something else. It's challenging for me even more, because I'm not a native english speaker and Duolingo doesn't offer courses in my native language, so sometimes (eventhough after years understanding english has become natural to me) I have to translate things from s. gaelic to english and from english to polish or all the way around. There are literally no courses or even dictionaries for Poles and it's frustrating, but also exciting. BTW I don't find Duolingo helpful with anything else than vocabulary and to some point listening. Just out of curiosity I've once chosen my native language to "learn" and duolingo lessons make no sense. It's full of phrases that no one would ever use. The same with italian and german.

[@Mybassgruvin]

I agree. I started using duolingo for Gaelic and I like it, I have learned a lot already.

[@jimburton1]

@@daemondaugherty9207 the old lady has a Lewis accent. That's where biggest concentration of speakers is, so it's a good thing to hear and understand it.

[@alicemilne1444]

I just started doing the Duolingo Gaelic course a few days ago. I had started doing the Italian course a few weeks before that. The Italian course also has different speakers with different accents. I have no trouble understanding the accents, but that's because I heard Gaelic spoken at least once a week on the radio when I was a child and we knew Gaelic speakers from the Isles.

[@Indyghurl]

@@daemondaugherty9207 bear with her, the more you learn, the easier it becomes to make out her accent

[@deanworsley2244]

I wanted to learn since I discovered Runrig, loads of their songs obviously in Gaelic and I just love the sound of the language

[@jamieduncombe9729]

I'm Scottish started learning in p4 never kept it up embarrassed too say our government should try and bring it into the schools there's more gaelic speakers abroad love the vids big man

[@johnkelly3886]

Never make it compulsory. That will destroy interest in the language, and cause hostility towards it. What is needed is a Gaelic language appreciation course, along with a culture and history course. All should be soft options.

[@jamieduncombe9729]

@@johnkelly3886 I didn't say compulsory but should at least be an option in all Scottish schools

[@johnkelly3886]

@@jamieduncombe9729 I know you didn't. And I accept that you have no such intension. But, I think it important to caution the over enthusiastic.

[@theyoutubeguy1]

@@johnkelly3886 Welsh is compulsory in Welsh schools and it has helped save the language. I don't know how exposing a people to the language of their country would make 'destroy interest'.

[@leviway8874]

Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r bobl yn fy nosbarth i yn ei chasáu achos mae RHAID iddynt ei dysgu. Mae'r un peth yn digwydd yn Iwerddon yn anffodus.

[@macleod1602]

I'm a Gaelic learner so thank you for this one!

[@marksadventures3889]

you're not alone there cousin!

[@ConnorKD1876]

I speak a decent amount but this will all help! I'm also from Argyll and Bute, Dunoon to be exact, you should give it a visit mate, tapadh leat a charaid!

[@stonemarten1400]

If you climb the Munroes (mountains over 3000 feet) in Scotland, or enjoy exploring the Highlands, it's useful to know some Gallic, as many names are descriptions in the language; Ben More means Big Mountain, for example.

[@allano937]

Some of the OS maps for the North West are entirely Gaelic. It was hillwalking that made me want to learn

[@hughmac13]

Like "claymore": claidheamh-mór: "big sword" or "great sword."

[@architexturalchaos1862]

I can never tell anyone where exactly have I been on my holidays in Scotland. I am part ashamed of my inability to pronounce it, part scared to accidentally summon Satan if I try.

[@crywlf9103]

Gallic and Gaelic are different things lad. Gallic was spoken in mainland Europe in Gaul, France

[@hughmac13]

@@crywlf9103 The language spoken in mainland European region known by the Romans as Gaul is much more typically called the Gaulish language. Using "Gallic" to refer specifically to the language is something of an improper usage in that way.

[@annegreen9499]

I can thoroughly recommend Jason's channel. He's got a great teaching style & my Gaelic has improved loads since I found his lessons.

[@sassandsavvy007]

I'm a Bavarian living in the Bavarian Highlands, the alpine region. No Gaelic speaking people around here. However, I love languages and my heart beats Scottish, sooooo at a tender age of 59 I am learning my 7th language - Scottish Gaelic. I can inly applaude to everything you said in this video. Learning Gaelic is fun and with constant repetition it works quite well. I worked with an old BBC course on KZbin for a while but the audio quality wasn't sgoinnel, no real interaction. Now I'm doing endless repetitions on duolingo and for grammar and the fun factor, I'm watching Jason's videos which are a great help.. This guy is one heck of a language teacher, his love for Gaelic is contagious if you're not infected already.. If an old goat fromrural Bavaria can learn Gaelic - everyone can. It's very unlikly to find one here but in my younger days my secret of quick progress in learning a language was to find a boyfriend who's a native speaker... just saying 😉 Sadly, my friends in Scotlad don't have Gaelic and sven if I'll never meet anyone I could speak Gaelic with, it's still worth learning.... if you have Scotland in your heart. Beannachdan blàth à Bavaria🙋🏻‍♀️

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Wow

[@tK-be6ns]

I've been learning Irish in fits and bursts. The phrases and words that stick with me over the years is the ones I hear or use with native speakers

[@McConnachy]

I've been on duolingo for 1500 days now. Coming from the north east of Scotland, I find pronunciation very easy. What surprised me was the number of words we would use in NE Scots dialect that are Gaelic words, but then we arent too many generations away from when our forebearers spoke it. In my area it was banned by the lairds after the act of 'union'. But in a glen further north, Strathdon, the last Gaelic speaker passed away in the 1980s

[@tricksandtunesHQ]

I began my journey learning gaelic at the start of the first UK lockdown, started with the duolingo course, and then moving on to books, gaelic in 12 weeks, blas na gàidhlig. I also discovered around the same time that my partner was expecting my son. So I made it my goal, no I made it my personal mission to have the first words to my son be in gaelic. My advice to people that are looking to start learning gaelic is, go for it! You will never learn if you don't try, yes there will be days where you have very little motivation. But you will get through it.

[@LiyemEanapay]

Blas na Gàidhlig has been an indispensable resource for me.

[@Mybassgruvin]

I have always wanted to learn Gaelic, especially when I found out I have Scottish ancestry. I started about four months ago with Duolingo. I took your advise from this video and looked up Jason Bond. I enrolled in his online course about one month ago. Jason is great, he has a really good teaching method and helps the Gaelic stick in your mind...thank you for the recommendation.

[@dabsafe]

“Oh, there’s a bar!” 🤣🥃🍺 Being a retired Canadian I have found myself relearning the French that I studied in secondary school 50 years ago. The downside is that unless you use the language around native speakers it becomes forgotten. The last time I visited Quebec where French is the primary language spoken, I found myself subconsciously sliding back in to the language and then being “shocked” when I returned to the English speaking world. My Scottish Gran grew up around her Gran that spoke Gaelic exclusively and learning my heritage language is something I would like to try in the near future. Thanks for the videos and keep them coming. 🇨🇦🎸😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@johnlynch78]

I’m using Duolingo for French s as well. I’ve got a tripped planned for Quebec, Lachute and St. Andrews regions in Argentueil for some ancestors that migrated to Canada from Islay-to New York-to Vermont before coming back to America.

[@johnmarks936]

But Quebecois is not the French taught in Ontario schools; Parisian French is. Quebecois is 1600s French. Just as the Gaelic spoken in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is from about the same period.

[@stanrogers5613]

@@johnmarks936 Cape Breton Gaelic isn't nearly that old - it's from the Clearances for the most part, so mid-19th century. Most of the earlier Scottish imports spoke Scots and English. And "Québecois" isn't really a thing either - that's like saying "British English" expecting it to cover everything from Doric through RP and on to whatever the kids are speaking down the estuary these days. (My own French is from southeast Northern Ontario, and both "proper" Montréal French and joual might as well be foreign languages to me until I've had a while to get my ear around it _and_ make a bunch of grammar and vocabulary adjustments.) That reflects the fact that French wasn't really _a_ thing until fairly recently either; both within the langue d'oil and langue d'oc there were a number of... well, they're on the border of whether you'd call them distinct languages or merely dialects, and that doesn't count anything that was shading into Savoyard.

[@johnmarks936]

@@stanrogers5613 The numbers of "Gaelic as a first language" I quoted were from Stats Can. The clearances go back to 1750. Some of the Cape Breton settlements go back almost that far. This is an excerpt from the Nova Scotia Museum page concerning Gaelic speaking highland migration: "Between 1773 and 1850, tens of thousands of Gaels made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in Eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. They tended to settle amongst their own kinship groups - people who came from a particular area of Scotland, sharing similar traditions, dialects and beliefs. The Highlands and Islands of Scotland where the Gaels came from and where Gaelic was traditionally spoken is known to this day as the Gàidhealtachd."

[@scottjones6947]

I thought about learning Gaelic many years ago. I love medieval history and I collect arms and armour as a hobby. I really enjoy your videos Bruce!

[@Diskode48]

Im trying to learn Irish Gaelic first and once I'm fairly fluent in that I'm gonna learn Scottish Gaelic as well since i find them very cool since their my ancestors mother tongue. Learning Scots would be cool as well as its similar to english.

[@odetbeauvoisin]

PS thanks for the super video; it feels like a chat over a cuppa.

[@tireachan6178]

As a native Irish Speaker I've been learning Scots Gaelic recently. My interest was peaked a year ago when my wife was watching 'Outlander' and all of a sudden I was able to hear entire sentences that I understood. It was almost like when I first heard the Ulster Irish Dialect and struggled to follow but got the meaning. It's a fantastic language and it comes with some outstanding benefits of understanding the depth of meaning behind Highland Culture that is conveyed by contemporary Scottish Gaelic musicians who every bit rival their Irish Gaelic counterparts in terms of Gaelic Musical Tradition.

[@nomdeplume2213]

Awesome!!! Ive always wondered if they were similar, like Spain Spanish and Mexico Spanish or if it was entirely different. I unfortunately cant speak Gaelic but have always wanted to learn.

[@tireachan6178]

@@nomdeplume2213 I think the Irish and Scots Gaelic languages could be compared with Spanish and Portuguese. It's essentially a case of divergence from a relatively recent common language. In the case of Irish and Scots Gaelic the parent language of both is Middle Irish. If you were about 1000 years ago and even later you'd find a continous Gaelic World from the South West of Ireland all the way up to to the North East of Scotland where you could speak with any Gael in a common tongue. I thinking learning a Gaelic Language is in many ways an act of cultural conservation that was almost eradicated in the wake of numerous historical events aimed at that very purpose. My only advice in learning a Gaelic Language is to pick one specific one and learn independently of the other until you've developed a good command of it. The other one you'll learn in short order thereafter. Trying to learn both simultaneously will have you all scrambled up.

[@henrybinks978]

Yeah I'm interested in learning Scottish Gaelic as it is my heritage.... Heather

[@Alpvagabund]

I’m actually learning it right now. I don’t really know why, because I’m a German-Norwegian teenager from America, but I am. I just have always been fascinated by Scottish culture and history, and I figured that there’s not much that’s more Scottish than Scottish Gaelic. I’ve been doing it on Duolingo for a while now, and I’m fine at it. I hope to one day be fluent🤞🤞🤞

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Brilliant

[@everleeherdson4925]

Absolutely beautiful language, so unique and exciting!

[@svmadelaine856]

I’m using Duolingo currently along with songs/books. As I want to teach my son so the language doesn’t die.

[@beckyschulte7123]

Always dreamed of going to Scotland, until I can I love your videos thanks from Missouri usa

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Ah thanks so much Becky

[@JustinFairweather-i8g]

Hi 😊 Awesome to meet you. I have just started learning a month ago. I am in Australia. I totally suck at the moment. But I have to just keep having fun . Thanks for doing to your channel.

[@alethearia]

The phrase "more x than you can shake a stick at" comes from mid-19th century America, where a "shake" was a term commonly associated with roofing and building. Essentially it was coined in a newspaper because there were "more Taverns as you can shake a stick at" here meaning, "we have so many taverns that the roofers can't shave the wood fast enough to shingle them."

[@iandunning8342]

Gaelic is fun........it sure is ! got the book .

[@bland-g154]

As a Greek, it was really random but I was always fascinated by Celtic culture so I decided to learn Gaelic.

[@hawfcut2394]

I've been wanting to learn Gaelic for a while now. I want me and my kids to speak what was supposed to be our mother tongue. When I hear it, I feel robbed, cheated of a birth right. Edit: I already had followed Jason, but I'll tell a fib and say you sent me anyway.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😂😂😂 Fib away

[@nancyberg6676]

Just want to say that I've been working my way through all your previous videos and have been enjoying your channel. Also, huge THANKS for directing folks to Jason's channel - it's exactly what I needed to find, because Duo wasn't making the grade for me! Keep 'em coming.

[@paddyblah887]

That's so cool I was already learning with Jason... Its a small Internet..

[@magnusosmond1835]

I take a lot of pride in being a scottish ginger so I've been learning Gaelic on KZbin from a channel called Gaelic with Jason and it's been very help full and I've learned a lot fast and he makes it easy.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😂😂😂Aye ye didnae get time tae watch the video eh?

[@Chief_Brody]

@@ScotlandHistoryTours haha seems he didnae

[@davidmilne6259]

I'm learning Gàidhlig at the moment, it's great fun! Gaelic with Jason is a brilliant channel, much like this one with its great content! Love from Stirling / Sruighlea

[@trikepilot101]

I did a semester of Gaelic in my first year of Uni. What I learned is that I have real trouble learning languages.

[@rippedtorn2310]

No its not you ..its the teaching methods . Look up Finlay MacLeod on Facebook or the Moray Language Centre . You'll be speaking Gadhlig in no time .Immersion with NO translation {i know it sounds counter-intuitive but trust} ..emphasis needs to be on speaking then later if you want to disect it you can ..in gadhlig .

[@schoolingdiana9086]

If they aren’t teaching the way your brain learns, you’ll never retain the information. You can try the Thomas Michel method. My oldest son has learned both Spanish and Mandarin that way. He can spend the entire day saying whatever he needs to say, in either of them, so it’s not just a 15 minute convo he learned that way.

[@carolynmacdonald7024]

If you could learn English as a child, you can pick up another language. Our brains are wired for it. You may just have to find your own way of doing it. Perhaps a more organic way.

[@zulkiflijamil4033]

Slàinte. Tha a'bhidio agad cho math. Mòran taing dhuit. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇

[@johnmackay996]

Speaking Gaelic is very interesting to me. I've tried to learn on and off for years now. My desire stems mostly from my Grandmother MacAulay, who grew up in a small fishing town on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She remembered being able to understand older people speaking in Gaelic, but by then the people her age didn't learn to speak it anymore. Thanks for this video and info.

[@markberry4198]

Duolingo is also great, perhaps not for conversational Gaelic but for expanding your vocabulary. Also Jason does some really good short novels for Gaelic learners.

[@judem1359]

“I’m cold, wet, tired and the English did it” 🤣🤣🤣. I am so fascinated by this. There’s a bar! What a great idea on holidays. I’m familiar with Irish Gaelic but am rubbish at it and need classes. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 I hope one day to bring my kidlets to Scotland as their Dad was descended from the Scott’s and their last name is appropriately Scott. They luckily have the blend of two branches of the Celts: Irish and Scottish. What could be better 💜

[@graemem111]

Bruce? You’re preachin’ ma pal. Keep it up.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😜

[@MargaretPinard]

Thank you for the resource links, Bruce! Tapadh leat!

[@sarahlovesdonuts9601]

I’m interested🙋🏼‍♀️. KZbin has served me well in learning French

[@kevinstachovak8842]

C'est une langue magnifique! Bonjour aux les Etats-Unis!

[@graywolf4208]

Alright Brucie lad? What a morning. Irish breakfast, Peruvian coffee, Polish bloke and his Scottish marra from KZbin. Day doesn't get any better than that. Just recently I've started to learn Irish and Scots gaelic using duolingo and I must say tá sé go hiontach. I highly recommend learning a second language. It's one of the best things you can do for yourself. Mòran taing Bruce. Sláinte!

[@GreenmanDave]

Tha e sgoinneil gu dearbh! 😁

[@jrogue7715]

I’m a native Texan who studied over a year in Edinburgh. I fell in love with Scotland. Like us Texans, I connected with the level of pride that emulates from the people. My heart breaks that there isn’t more Gaelic speakers and hope that it is changing for the better! Staying connected to the past, culture, and history is important! I wanted to learn the language to connect to a culture that is near and dear to me, connect to the history, and be able to say in a conversation “I speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic”.

[@mariannecormier3021]

I live less than an hour away from Nova Scotia. Love to drive down Main Street in Amherst and look at the beautiful old houses

[@SteveHB59]

Born in Wales, grown up in Australia, wish I’d been able to learn the welsh language before now

[@marconatrix]

What is preventing you, especially with the internet ???

[@exponenttie9707]

Duolingo has a Welsh course available for free

[@marconatrix]

@mike davidson Sut mae hynny yn wir???

[@resourcedragon]

I can definitely recommend the Sabhal Mor Ostaig short Courses. They do also offer distance learning.

[@raydriver7300]

You are so good at what you do. As a physics teacher you may appreciate how I teach science to my 5-8 year old swimmers. Newtons 3rd law - push the wall backwards you go….. forwards. Conservation of angular momentum- the tighter your tuck on your forward roll, the faster you turn etc. 🌞

[@dustinwhitaker9377]

Much respect, Bruce. Lovin' the videos.

[@YakimaGulag]

A couple things help with learning both Irish and Scots Gaelic, learn songs. The grammar is always correct and music is the last form of memory to leave you. If there’s TV shows, watch for a couple hours a day. Take notes. That helps with idiomatic expressions and slang.

[@elkisa6223]

Hi :) What songs or bands would you suggest for learning ?

[@suerose7479]

Yes this Sassanach, living in SW England (Exmoor) has tried to learn the Gàidhlig through Duolingo, mainly because of the Outlander books 💕 and my visit to the Highlands 💕. Got only so far and because you had to answer in written form I gave up, no explanation of any rules if there are some 😳

[@BliffleSplick]

In Duolingo you can hit the speech bubble once you've answered and there are other users talking about the "why" My main issue is some of the spellings vs the spoken are akin to French - you only say half the letters

[@Ev_deGallery]

This sassenach living in Central California started learning Scottish Gaelic on Duolingo. "Chan eil" easy! No obvious pattern, the letters make the wrong sounds or no sounds when they should, but "Tha Gàidhlig cho spòrsail!". I don't know why my brain finds it easier to write it out than to speak it. Same thing happened in High School German and Elementary French.

[@mikem9001]

I encourage you to persevere. After a while, it starts to make sense! Also, if you find some Gaelic music that you like, e.g. Julie Fowlis.

[@thomasbeckett1245]

Ta mah h’air , thanks for 🎉doing this video. I really am interested! And your way of speaking is amazing..

[@darkred83]

Tapadh leat! I needed a nudge to get started on a refresh before the 3rd Gaelic course. I started on Duolingo during the first lockdown with the aim to finally learn to pronounce Gaelic place names. It only took 11 years to get started... Work then began offering courses and 1,5 years later I still haven't stopped. Thanks for the different suggestions, will look them up and see if I can fit in a week on Skye next year :D

[@lsdev4229]

Have been watching Jason prior to seeing this episode...he is a very good tacher. I am actually writing his classes down on paper to re-read.

[@Wee_Langside]

Hi Bruce Thank you for all the hints. My parenal grandparents were both native speakers. One from Dunoon but his family came from Auchindrain and my grandmother came from North Uist. Later this year we're going to North Uist so as I'm retired I'm using KZbin to learn Gaelic. Jason was my first port of call. But there are quite a few sources to try. As far as i can tell there are no classes here in Derby.

[@ritacummings2310]

Thank you so much for all of the time that you took to share this video . Also thank you for picking this topic . It has been on my mind because I do want to learn Gaelic . I am finding that , for me , when I hear it as I do a lot , I am understanding slowly but surely . As for my opinion on learning any language other than one’s own native tongue , I think it has great value in that I learn different concepts and a different culture . I learn about some differences between how my culture is and someone else’s . I grow . I can see things in a different light or perspective. I learn the commonalities we share as people . My father spoke Gaelic as did my grand parents . Although not very often did they speak it . That is another story . Thank you again sir .

[@jimcazador6057]

I tried learning Ulster Gaelic many years ago, forgotten most of it now as I never used it, Coincidentally many Scots Gaelic speakers can understand Donegal Gaelic speakers well, there is a strong connection between them and the Scottish Western isles.

[@resourcedragon]

As I understand it, there is a bit of a spectrum from Irish in the SW of Ireland through Donegal and Ulster, through to the Western Isles of Scotland, through to the north.

[@animeluver45]

I am not Scottish but unsurprisingly I love the Outlander show and now I want to visit Scotland one day. I am learning Scottish Gaelic on Duolingo and only have been learning for 7 days now but it is great. Not to mention there are not many speakers anymore so I would love to get on the train and learn Gaelic

[@rubyarana1401]

I'm learning Gaelic from Jason! I started with his KZbin videos and now I'm doing his Gaelic beginner's course.

[@lauraketteridge324]

Many years ago, I took a couple of weekend courses in Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh. It was great, and I remembered enough to understand "I'm cold, I'm hungry, I'm tired." and I burst out laughing when you said "The English did it" :o) Very soon after these classes, I move to Wales and started learning Welsh. This pushed most of the Gaelic out of ma heid. I started off going to a weekly conversational Welsh class, and that was fine, but progress was slow. The second year, I added in using a website resource run by the BBC. It had text and audio. Ten minutes a day helped me consolidate the foundations, and increased my vocabulary. Next, I started singing songs, and watching children's television. Over time, I was able to watch television aimed at adults, starting with using English subtitles, and then moving on to Welsh subtitles. What worked for me was the combination of many different types of learning, and including it in my daily life.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Brilliant

[@DanieVargas]

THANKS FOR SENDING ME TO JASON’S PAGE!! I’m gonna keep watching him….

[@noraelliott7304]

Thanks for suggesting Gaelic with Jason. Now my daughter is also starting following him as well.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

That is awesome!

[@abrahamtomahawk]

Good to see you continuing to learn it. I heard a great story recently about the children of a family who moved to Stornoway as refugees from Syria getting wonderful plaudits for their learning of Gaidhlig.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Aye, I heard that on the news

[@brendagagnon8589]

Hi Bruce, love your videos!!! Love the bit about the English did it (LOL) I am a member of The Kern County Scottish Society here in the States, look us I, I put together the website, "anyhoo" part of the membership is we learn Gaelic. Actually, I help teach it. I know it is really frustrating at times, but I have come to appreciate what a truly beautiful language it is! And what a shame it would be if it were to become another lost language. We are not going to let that happen in our neck of the woods!! I have never been to Scotland but my heart years for it. I am cianalas for a land I have never been to! Perhaps one day I will go there and look you up! Keep the videos coming mate!

[@calconi6427]

S'math a rinn sibh leis a Ghàidhlig Bruce, sgoinneil! We met and had a Gaelic chat in Perth, Australia of all places a few years ago. Wishing you all the best

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😂

[@CaveMan72]

Thank you for this and all your videos. Keep spreading the knowledge, keep the fire burning

[@aslancallenreese7016]

You’re the best!! Thank you thank you thank you! 😁💕

[@JR-bj3uf]

Yes, I have wanted to learn Gaelic but I have a shockingly bad memory for languages of any kind. My interest started when we were cleaning out my grandmother's house after she had a stroke. We found a book that belonged to her mother and it was a prayer book in Gaelic. The only English in the book was on the fly sheet and it said "Bringing prayer and the word of God the the Highlands." Fascinating

[@elendil7]

Yes, I had an adventurous brush with Irish every Sunday afternoon at a pub called The Black Shamrock ( in the states).

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😂...Not Scottish Gaelic though

[@elendil7]

@@ScotlandHistoryTours 😂 Sadly, not.

[@elendil7]

It was Irish Gaelic. Had a lot of fun☺️

[@free_gold4467]

I've just started learning a bit of Gaelic using Duolingo so your video is well timed for me. I've also discovered the 'speak Gaelic' programme on BBC Alba. I'll make sure to check out Jason's podcast as well. Taing agus tìoraidh!

[@a.macdonald8895]

Duo Lingo now has Gaelic! It’s easy, it’s free, and it teaches reading, writing, and speaking. It’s become the “game” I play on my phone at any down time.

[@glenbucket]

Thanks for all the tips and especially the link to Jason!

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

'S e do bheatha

[@crissuzuki]

Halò! Tha mi 'g ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus tha mi à Braisil 😁 Great chanel! I arrived here through Max Miller and the haggis video. The sentence in Gàidhlig called my attention btw.

[@jo-anbryson466]

I'm in Australia, and learning gaelic online hope to visit the Hebrides next year or so.

[@sabsg3361]

I've been a student virtually of Jason's for a bit over a year...slowly but surely making progress! Lovely to find your video!

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Well done

[@jacquelinemerrick4257]

i would love to.. i am moving to Scotland in October

[@juliestott3178]

I've heard "more ______ than you can shake a stick at" all my life so I've never thought much about it. But we tend to use lots of descriptors like that in "my neck of the woods". I'm definitely going to check some of the video and audio options you suggested. Thanks, Bruce!

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Guid lass

[@DAYBROK3]

i know there is a gaelic collge on cape breton island in nova soctia canada. would love to go. but I'm a broke art student with a major in fiber.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😥

[@DawnShive]

In response to this video, let me tell you a story. LOL. I am 67 and lost my Mom this past year. She grew up speaking Gaelic as a second language. Her Mom was born in Edinburgh. I have cousins in Scotland I stay in touch with. I occasionally have to have them translate if they slip a Gaelic word into our conversation. I want to learn Gaelic before I pass. I am just sorry I didn't do it sooner. I grew up speaking French as my second language because we lived in France when I was a child. French was the second language on my Dad's side of the family.It just always seemed English, then French were the most likely to be spoken in our family. I want to learn Gaelic as a tribute to my Mom.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Yes I have thought of it over the years. Actually in 1985 on Skye there was a mobile Gaelic library. I thought first.....wow! Someone translated books into Gaelic or were some of them taken from original Gaelic manuscript. The Isle of Skye felt like home to me.

[@lindamazur6124]

Och , I wondered if t was Jason . Cool I've been wanting to learn ,just need to spend more time at it .

[@gwynethamy5543]

Thanks for the info on the school in Skye. I’ve added that to my ‘travel and experience’ list. Funny you should mention Jason, I found his KZbin channel the same week I found yours. Thanks for all the great info.

[@brianharris16]

Found Jason's channel a few months ago and pretty much just have you two playing on the TV all day.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😂

[@thebristolianmackem2039]

Thanks for the introduction Bruce me and my dad have just started I learned my name Seac Raibeart Bealaidh

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Rock on!

[@1830mof]

So so funny. I was just about to recommend Jason when you mentioned the long haired guy from Maine! He's great for grammar. For complete immersion on the 'cheap' try Dualingo. You have to try and fathom why the endings change but it uses sound clips of native speakers to help with pronunciations.

[@happycamper23]

Been wanting to learn Gaelic since I was about 7 and I'm 28 now! You're insight is very helpful. I've been considering Jason's subscription for some time now, good to know it works.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Do it

[@Islaview01]

Ileach here ! another great video Bruce , I feel really lucky to have grown up surrounded by gaelic speakers ,it was even part of the curriculum in both primary and high school and i was quite surprised when I learnt that it wasn't a thing outside of the hebrides but then again we still get two weeks holiday in October for picking totties.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Aye tattie hols here in Perthshire an a

[@grendel_nz]

I learnt a little at night classes while a student at Moray House College ~1990. I still understand those useful beginner phrases :) thank you. Loving your enthusiasm and vids. Yes, learn Gaelic if convenient. I left Scotland in 1996 for better weather elsewhere :)

[@mikesands4681]

I wnet to Scotland in 1990 for a year, ancestral curiosity. Then little fits of study over the year. Now as i get close to retire, id like to do the correspondence course with Sabhal.

[@pikeyMcBarkin]

My dad was born in the highlands, and spoke Gaelic natively. He learned french before learning english. I asked him one day why I don't speak it. He said at the time, he saw it as a dead language.

[@sandramarieroberts1172]

One of the things I used to do when I first started was to record myself speaking back to the speaker during the practice sessions. Then I could listen later to hear where I went right or wrong. I used to teach French and I had a little mini digital recorder I used. Probably could do it on a phone these days. I’m also a strong believer in immersing yourself in the language and culture. Even if you can’t get there physically, you can start to think in the language and go about using vocabulary as you go about your daily activities, even talk to yourself in the shower just for practice.

[@CelticGermanicTxWarrior77]

Blew me away when I heard you speak Gaelic and have a Scottish accent! I'm learning mainly on Duolingo since last year. Mòran taing airson a' bhidio!

[@judeross3875]

I started duolingo and also you tuber Jason. Love to learn locally xx Thanks for extra resources xx

[@charlesdriggers199]

I have thought about learning Gaelic for a couple of years now and recently started with Jasons KZbin channel. You are the one who inspired me to go ahead and do it. Agus sin the math. It is still a work in progress.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

I know. I provided a link remember😂😂😂

[@charlesdriggers199]

@@ScotlandHistoryTours You sure did

[@westmichiganbard]

Always wanted to learn Gàidhlig sin e a teenager when I started listening to Scottish and Irish music. Tried a few times from a book I borrowed from the library, but there weren't any classes that I could find here in Michigan. I've been using Duolingo now for a year and a half

[@seanwattles9264]

THANK YOU FOR THE LINK TO THE SHORT COURSES PROGRAM!!!!! Hopefully Covid will finally be either under control or recognized for what it might well be and I will be able to take a lovely week vacation learning the language of my forebears.

[@racheltaylor6578]

I did a distance learning course at Telford College and went to night school for a while in North Lanarkshire.I used to go to Clì Gaelic learning days in different parts of Scotland.Duolingo is great for learning Gaelic and the Learn Gaelic app is great.I used to love Colin and Cumberland Scots Gaelic on BBC and Beag air Bhheag.