Association of Celtic Students

European Day of Languages web banner   This Sunday, September 26 2021, is the European Day of Languages, and this year represents 20 years since the initiative began as part of the European Year of Languages in 2001. The European Year of Languages was an initiative by the Council of Europe and the European Union, with the stated aim of promoting linguistic diversity and language learning in Europe. That year, it was decided within the Council of Europe to continue celebrating a European Day of Languages every year on the 26th of September, and it has done so together with the European Commission since. The website dedicated to the day, available in English here , informs us that three of the general objectives of the day are: 1) raising awareness about the importance of language learning to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding, 2) promoting European linguistic and cultural diversity, and 3) encouraging lifelong language learning, be that for the sake of studies,...

Tá scéal suimiúil le hinseacht ag pobal aiteach na Gaeilge i Meán Fómhair i mBaile Átha Cliath agus tá muid sa tóir ar lucht féachana!   Sa léiriú corraitheach úrnua Idir Mise agus Craiceann do Chluaise (24-26/09/2021) béarfar an lucht féachana ar aistear gáire, damhsa is foghlama trí 30 bliain den mhothúchán aerach, trasna na farraige ó Éirinn go Sasana agus ar ais arís.   Sa scéal faoistiniúil a chloisfear in Idir Mise agus Craiceann do Chluaise cíorfaidh an tÉireannach aerach Alan Walpole cuimhní a shaoil go neamhbhalbh. Theith Alan ón duairceas a bhí ag brú ar an bpobal – agus an pobal aiteach go háirithe – in Éirinn sna 1980idí go dtí dathanna na gclubanna aeracha i Sasana. Sa tóir ar shaol níos fearr agus saoirse phearsanta a bhí sé ach i gcaitheamh a shaoil bhí sé scartha ina aigne idir an dá thír. D’fhill sé ar Éirinn sa bhliain 2018, trí bliana tar éis an reifrinn um chomhionannas pósta. Níor aithin sé an tír a bhí roimhe amach ar theacht abhaile dó.   Tá an lé...

In this episode, Alexandra Philbin interviews Chris Oates, a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh whose work focuses on urban Gaelic sociolinguistics. They discuss, among other things, what this focus involves, Chris’ PhD research project and research design and applying academic research to work on language policy and planning. Chris also shares advice with other early career researchers interested in studying Celtic languages in an urban context.  Please consult the list below for more information about some of the themes and organisations that were mentioned in this episode.  Language and Law   Ethnography   Sociolinguistics   Glasgow City Council   Language Policy and Planning   Misneachd  Gaelic Medium Education   PhD Internships  This episode is in English. It was recorded in June 2021.  Host: Alexandra Philbin  Guest: Chris Oates  Music: “Kesh Jig, Leitrim Fancy” by Sláinte, CC BY-SA 3.0 US ( creativecom...

[Gaeilge] San eipeasód seo, labhraíonn Stiofán Ó Briain le hAilbe van der Heide, scoláire béaloidis atá ag obair i gCnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, faoin mbéaloideas agus faoi bhéaloideas na hÉireann. Pléann siad a bhfuil i gceist leis an mbéaloideas, stair an Chnuasaigh, traidisiún an luchta sí, leigheasanna dúchais in Éirinn, béaloideas na rónta agus úsáid an ábhair bhéil mar ionsparáid chruthaitheach.  [English] In this episode, Stiofán Ó Briain talks to Ailbe van der Heide, a folklore scholar who also works in the National Folklore Collection, about folklore and Irish folklore. They discuss what folklore means, the history of the Collection, Irish fairy-lore, traditional cures in Ireland, seal-lore and the use of folklore as a creative inspiration.  Féach ar na háiseanna agus na saothair thíos le tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi bhéaloideas na hÉireann | Take a look at the resources and works below to learn more about Irish folklore:  Máistreacht i mBéaloideas agus Eitneolaío...

Monument to Dolly Pentreath Copyright Pauline E and reused under CC BY-SA 2.0 Cornish is most closely related to Breton and Welsh, and as such makes an interesting language for those with a knowledge of Celtic languages to learn.  The modern revival dates from the publication of Henry Jenner’s ‘Handbook of the Cornish Language’ in 1904 and currently figures for the number of speakers vary between 300 fluent speakers to several thousand with a reasonable knowledge of the language.  We await the analysis of the 2021 census in which people were encouraged to write Cornish as one of the languages they speak and use with interest! Since the Covid pandemic began we have seen a huge uptake in the numbers of people learning Cornish thanks to the provision of online, rather than face-to-face, classes.  It has been possible for people both further afield in the British Isles, as well as others from Europe, the United States and Australia to join in classes and recently when plann...