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Accuracy in Irish (Advanced) for Primary School Teachers - 2014

What kind of course is it?

2 months
N/A

Introduction

This course is aimed at those with a very good standard of spoken and written Irish who have a reasonable understanding of the grammar of the language. The focus is on aspects of grammar that are more challenging than those found in the Intermediate Course, including core items that prove difficult for even advanced speakers of Irish to understand. The course will help teachers use more accurate grammar in their teaching and in other professional contexts.

The rules are explained in a simple, accessible way and an attempt has been made to avoid complicated terminology. The grammatical explanations are concise and throughout the course the author draws attention to patterns and to the way in which various structures are used in everyday speech and in the written language.

The course is bilingual - each sentence in Irish is translated into English.

The main objectives of the course are:

  • to improve the participants’ standard of grammar by explaining the more complicated aspects of grammar in a clear, concise manner
  • to draw the teachers’ attention to the importance of accuracy in Irish and to encourage them to put what they have learnt into practice in the classroom, something that will benefit both them and their pupils
  • to give teachers an opportunity to exchange practical ideas for the classroom through the discussion forum.

Authors

This course was written by Éamonn Ó Dónaill, Gaelchultúr’s Director of Education and one of the founders of the company. Lisa Madden edited Accuracy in Irish (Advanced) for Primary School Teachers and wrote some additional exercises as well.


Course Content

The course does not aim to give a comprehensive account of Irish grammar, rather it concentrates on some of the core aspects of the grammar and on points that are perhaps more complicated.

Module 1

  • Part 1: The Genitive Case 1
  • Part 2: The Genitive Case 2

Module 2

  • Part 1: The Adjective 1
  • Part 2: The Adjective 2

Module 3

  • Part 1: The Cardinal Numbers
  • Part 2: The Ordinal Numbers

Module 4

  • Part 1: The Relative Clause 1
  • Part 2: The Relative Clause 2

Module 5

  • Part 1: The Copula Is
  • Part 2: The Conditional Mood / Má and Dá

Course guide

Course layout

There are five modules in the course Accuracy in Irish (Advanced) for Primary School Teachers and each module contains a mixture of grammatical explanation and exercises. After you have read some grammar rules, you have an opportunity to try some exercises based on those rules. Approximately twenty hours must be spent on the online activities.

All the exercises are interactive. Once you have completed an exercise, you can then click on the Seol (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. You’re told which answers were correct and which were incorrect, and you’re given the correct answers and a score. These exercises are not assessed; their aim is to stimulate the user’s interaction with the course content, and to give him/her the opportunity to practise what he/she has learned.

Forum

Participation in the online debate forum is an obligatory part of each module. You must participate in the forum by sharing ideas with the other participants, and by completing written tasks. The participants also have an opportunity to contact the course facilitators on the forum.

Assessment

There are interactive exercises in each module, and once you have completed an exercise you can then click on the Seol (Send) button and receive feedback immediately. While you are given a score for these exercises, they are not assessed for the purposes of the award of EPV days; their aim is to stimulate the user’s interaction with the course content, and to give him/her the opportunity to practise what he/she has learned.

Participation in the online debate forum is an obligatory part of each module. Teachers must participate in the forum by sharing ideas with the other teachers, and by completing written tasks.

At the end of the course, the participants must answer a reflective question. This question will confirm that you have engaged with the course content, and it will give you the opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the course content in the classroom.

Assessment of your work is based predominantly on the standard of your written work, but a record will also be kept of the amount of time you spent working on the course.

Important

In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed between 1 July 2014 and 22 August 2014. During that period, it’s up to you to decide when to study the course content.

Department of Education and Skills criteria for on-line courses stipulate that participants may only complete one on-line course for the awarding of EPV days.


FAQs

When can I register for the course?

Immediately!

When can I start the course?

Any time from the beginning of July onwards. In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed between 1 July 2014 and 22 August 2014.

By what date will I have to have completed the course?

By 22 August. In order to earn 3 EPV days, the course must be completed some time between 1 July 2014 and 22 August 2014. During that period it’s up to you to decide when to study the course content.

What work will I have to do in each module?

You will have to read the material in the module and do all the interactive exercises.
When you have done all that work, you will have to answer the interactive question at the end of the module. You must post this answer on the course forum.
At the very end of the course, you must answer the reflective question. Again, you must post your answer on the course forum.

How many hours must I spend doing the course work?

Approximately twenty hours.

Is the course material written in Irish or in English?

The course is bilingual - each sentence in Irish is translated into English.

Will I have to answer the interactive question at the end of each module in Irish?

No. We would encourage you to use as much Irish as possible in your answers, but you can use English if you need to.

Can I undertake the course using my smart phone or my tablet computer. e.g. iPad?

Most of ranganna.com can be used on smart phones and tablet computers, however the site’s multimedia content does not work on all devices. It would be advisable, therefore, to try a sample unit of the course you’re interested in on the device before registering for that course.

What happens if I have a question?

Write it on the forum or write to your course facilitator. If you have any difficulties with the site, call us on (01) 484 5220 or write to us at eolas@ranganna.com.

Can I do more than one course?

Absolutely! But Department of Education and Skills criteria for online courses stipulate that participants may only complete one such course for the awarding of EPV days.

How will I know when I have completed the course?

You will have completed the course when:

  • you have spent approximately 20 hours working on the course material
  • you have answered the five interactive questions as well as the reflective question
  • the course facilitator is happy that your work is of a suitably high standard
  • we have received your learner contract, your personal details, the reflective learning log and the evaluation form.

You will receive your certificate and CPD record within two working days of having completed the course. It takes a little while to compile the answers, and to prepare the certificate and record.


If you have any other questions, email eolas@ranganna.com, or call either (1890) 252 900 or (01) 484 5220.