How to Speak Gaelic

Learn how to speak a second language with Wally Dug

First of all, I would like to apologise for not having the news of Workbench 3.0 that I promised last month. This is because Commodore saw my recent articles and were so pleased that I was given an offer I couldn't refuse and quite willingly signed a new ten-year Non-Disclosure Agreement. Due to this late change, I no longer had a Guide prepared, so to avoid a blank page, I've put together a quick review of an excellent piece of software that I've come across, How To Speak Gaelic.

Bho chiorn ghoirid tha moran iudh air eiridh as a Ghaidhlig, aig aon am cha obh Ghaidhlig air abhnudhinn an aite ann an Alba ach anns a'Ghaidhealtachd, ach an diugn thae fas gu math comantadh anns a Ghautachd. Carson a tha seo? A bheil daoine as a bhaile mhor ag iaraidh an cainnt aigha haggis bashers whasachadh, na bheil an uidh ann an Gaidhlig an luib an oidhirp airson Alba a shaorachadh. Dh'fhaodhadh an da nida bhi fior, ach airson an fhirinn innse, tha e an urrahs an airgid a tha an naghltas air a thoirt seachad airson craobh sgaoleadh naoi million uile gu leircurson an cainan a leasachadh.

In case you didn't understand it, the paragraph above reads: There has been much interest recently in the Scots' language Gaelic, once the preserve of the teuchters in the highlands but now increasingly popular among the keelies in the lowlands. So why is this? Is it just a keen interest by us city people to learn to speak like the haggis bashers, or has it, perhaps, come about with the recent speculation of an independent Scotland? Well, both of these could be true, but it's actually due to the fact that the Government recently announced that Ł9 million of grants was being made available to broadcasters for the preservation of the language.

Heedrum Hodrum Software is, I believe, the very first software house to apply for, and be awarded, a grant under this scheme, and it's first package, How To Speak Gaelic, is an absolute cracker.

There are three disks in this package which is aimed not only at English-speaking adults, but also Gaelic-speaking children.

Disk 2 and Disk 3 are identical in every respect but one - Disk 2 contains nothing but Gaelic and Disk 3 nothing but English. Disk 1 offers a bridge between the two by mixing English with Gaelic. Also in the box is the offer of a free Gaelic phrase book and a Ł2 discount on a Gaelic dictionary. Not bad for a package with an asking price of only Ł24.99 - English software houses, please take note!

The program is based predominately on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles and, as well as being an educational tool, it also offers local information. For example, if the question "How many shops are open in Stornoway on a Sunday?" is asked, the answer is, of course, "Chan eil ginn". (None.)

The English-Gaelic disk offers the teaching of the language from a simple level to a competent standard able to cope with Disk 2. After a short narrative on the language (although this comes directly from the computer rather than it being a load of samples, it is extremely clear - perhaps the programmer of the text-to-speech synthesiser in the Amiga came from Lewis!), you are given your first lesson.

Caic These lessons take the form of a low resolution 32 colour screen containing a relevant picture, the Gaelic and English description of the picture and the Gaelic and English pronunciation of that picture. There are approximately fifty pictures on the disk, with more currently being developed by Heedrum Hodrum.

Muc The lessons cover a wide range of subjects - animals, objects, shops, people's jobs - and are all very easy to use with such options as repeat pronunciation, previous picture and next picture. With this being a dual-language disk, it is suitable not only for English-speaking adults who wish to learn Gaelic but also for pre-school Gaelic-speaking children.

Teth After you've swotted up with Disk 1, you are then able to proceed with Disk 2 or Disk 3, dependent upon your needs. As it is mostly all keelies and sassenachs who are reading this, I shall only describe the Gaelic version of this program (Disk 2), but as I mentioned before, Disk 3 is exactly the same as Disk 2 except that it is in English.

These two disks plot an imaginary day around Lewis from when you leave the aiseig (ferry) until you go to your leabhaidh (bed) in your croit (croft). Again, colour screens and much use of speech and even sound effects, as well as the boring old text, make these disks a joy to use.

During your day, you use everything you learnt with Disk 1 as well as being introduced to new words and phrases. People you meet include Donhhall MacLeoid, an polisman (Donald MacLeod, the policeman) at Brenish and Morag MacDhuill, an gillie (Morag MacDougall, the ghillie) on Scarp.

Further disks are planned by Heedrum Hodrum which will offer increasing difficulty in order to grasp the language more fully. However, as it stands, How To Speak Gaelic is sufficient for you to be able to understand a programme of "De Tha Seo?" ("What Is That?"), the Gaelic equivalent of "Win, Lose, or Draw".

All in all, How To Speak Gaelic is an excellent piece of entertaining educational software.

How To Speak Gaelic is available from Heedrum Hodrum Software, Aig Croit, Aite San Bitu Air An, Eilean Leodhais, and costs Ł24.99.

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