You and your Computer is suitable for those who use Irish and computers regularly and who would like to both improve their Irish and become familiar with the technological facilities currently available through the medium of Irish. Primary and secondary school teachers, public sector workers, translators, journalists, third level students and lecturers, and Leaving Cert students would find this course useful.

This course aims to provide participants with information that will enable them to:

• work through Irish on their computer
• read Irish with ease
• write accurately in Irish
• make effective use of software and the wide range of online facilities now available.

Authors

This course was written by Cóilín Ó Floinn and Éamonn Ó Dónaill.

There are six units in You and your Computer, and each unit has a different objective:

Unit 1 - Windows XP / Windows Vista

In this unit, you will learn how to:

• set up the operating system, the language, and the keyboard on your computer
• set up Microsoft Word for Irish
• ensure that a capital I won’t appear as you type a lowercase i in Irish
• put the spell checker GaelSpell on your computer

Unit 2 – Various Browsers

In this unit, you will learn:

• how to use the browser IE 8
• how to use the browser Firefox through the medium of Irish
• about the computer suite OpenOffice
• about Windows and Office in Irish

Unit 3 – Resources on the Internet 1

In this unit, you will learn about:

• print media online
• online radio stations / TG4
• podcasts
• blogs
• copying material from the internet
• Wikipedia and Vicipéid

Unit 4 – Resources on the Internet 2

In this unit, you will learn about:

• useful terminology resources on the internet
• useful grammar resources on the internet

Unit 5 – Legal Terminology

In this unit, you will learn how to:

• search for terms on internet sites containing Irish legislation
• search for terms on internet sites containing European legislation
• use Google to search the sites above

Unit 6 – Young and Adult Learners

In this unit, you will learn about:

• resources for adult learners
• resources for young learners
• resources for primary school teachers
• online shops

Course Index

An index is provided to help you locate things quickly in the course You and your Computer.

Using the course

There are six units in You and your Computer and each unit contains advice and information on various technological resources for Irish. It is not necessary to complete the units in the order in which they are presented. However, it is advisable to complete unit one before beginning any of the others.

All the exercises in the course 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.

At the beginning of each unit, you’re told what the focus of that unit is.

In order to move from one screen to another all you need to do is click on the icon, which appears on the right-hand side, at the top and bottom of each screen. You can also click on any line of text under the words ‘PLEAN AN AONAID’ on the left-hand of the screen in order to access another part of the unit.

On the last page of each unit, an leathanach scoir, you’re given an overview of the work that you’ve done in that unit and your total score for the unit. You are given several choices as well: to continue to the next unit, to go back on the unit that you have just completed, or go back to the very beginning of the course.

Forum

A forum will be provided for You and your Computer. Those registered for the course will have an opportunity to contact other learners through the discussion forum. They will be able to send messages, pose and discuss questions, and express ideas.

Important

This course focuses on Microsoft Windows, especially Units 1 and 2, therefore those two units are not suitable for Apple Mac users. Those who use a Mac, however, will find the rest of the course relevant, apart from the section which deals with WinGléacht, a program only available for PCs.

It is not necessary to have advanced computer skills to benefit from this practical online course.

Please note, however, that this course is written in Irish - you must have reasonably good Irish to understand the course content. But don’t be too worried - complicated terminology is avoided!

When can I begin the course?

Immediately! Students study the course independently of a teacher. This means that you can improve your Irish in the office or from the comfort of your home, at your own pace, and at whatever time suits you.

What happens if I have a question?

Write it on the forum! You’ll be able to contact other learners through this discussion forum. You can send messages, ask and answer questions, and express ideas there. Members of the Gaelchultúr team keep an eye on the forum, so they’ll be able to answer any tricky questions.