New website for adult Irish learners
Deireadh Fómhair 7, 2014
A new website for prospective students of Irish has been launched by Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, the only system of certification for adult learners of the language.
The website carries information and advice for students, teachers and employers on the TEG exam.
Students are tested on their listening, reading, writing and speaking ability of Irish, while it is possible to do an oral exam for a partial certificate.
Sample teaching material is available on the website for all levels from beginners to upper intermediate.
It can be used as a teaching resource by teachers who want to follow the syllabus or by learners who wish to prepare for the exams independently.
It includes reading, audio and video material, as well as vocabulary, grammar and speaking activities for each of the topics covered in the syllabuses, to help teachers and independent learners develop each of the major language skills assessed in the exams.
Employers can also find out the best way to recruit employees on the website.
Earlier, this week the Department of Public Expenditure said that six in every 100 clerical staff in its current recruitment competition will be competent in the Irish language.
The department said in a report that new arrangements for recruiting what it calls “Irish language functional bilinguals” are being piloted in the Clerical Officer (CO) competition that is currently under way.
The report was welcomed by Minister of State with responsibility of Gaeltacht Affairs Joe McHugh who said significant progress had been made by the Department of the Gaeltacht and other Government departments in implementing the State’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language.
In July, it was confirmed the Donegal North East TD had booked himself in for an Irish language course on becoming Minister of State.
At the time, Taoiseach Enda Kenny Kenny said it was an example of someone whose Irish “may be a bit rusty” and who was “getting back into action and getting it up to standard”.
Referring to his recent experience in “relearning the language”, Mr McHugh described TEG this week as “a path to fluency in Irish through a structured, flexible and graduated system”.
www.rte.ie
