Dia dhuit, a chairde! That’s hello, friends in Irish, one of the languages I’m currently learning. It’s the native language of Ireland and one of the most beautiful and objectively interesting languages in the world.
Irish is a Celtic language that has a rich history and literature, dating back to the 4th century AD. It is spoken by about 1.3 million people as a first and second language, mostly in Ireland, but also in some parts of the UK, Canada, and the US. Irish is also an official language of the European Union and a recognised minority language in Northern Ireland.
Learning Irish can be challenging but also rewarding. It has quite a different grammar system than English, namely being a verb-subject-object (VSO) language where the verb comes first in a sentence. However, it also has a lot of similarities with other Indo-European languages too, particularly its close cousins Manx and Scottish Gaelic, and its slightly more distant ones, Welsh, Cornish and Breton. And it has some fascinating words and expressions that can enrich your vocabulary and worldview.
One of the best ways to learn Irish is to read books in Irish. Reading can help you improve your comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills, while also exposing you to different aspects of Irish culture and society. But finding books that are suitable for your level and interest can be hard. That’s why I was so excited when I discovered Short Stories in Irish for Beginners by Olly Richards.
This book is part of the Teach Yourself Foreign Language Graded Reader Series, which aims to help learners of different languages enjoy reading at their level. The book contains eight short stories in various genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller. Each story is written in standard Irish, with a glossary of bolded words, a plot summary, a bilingual word list, and comprehension questions at the end of each chapter. The book also comes with an audio recording of the stories by a native Irish speaker from Connemara.
The stories are designed to be engaging and entertaining, while also introducing you to new vocabulary and grammar structures in a natural and stress-free way. You will be able to follow the plot and characters easily, while also learning conversational expressions and cultural references. The stories are mapped to A1-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, so you can choose the ones that suit your level best.
I found this book to be very helpful and enjoyable as a learner of Irish. I liked the variety of stories and the different themes and settings they explored. I also appreciated the controlled language and the clear explanations of the words and phrases I didn’t know. The audio recording was also very useful for improving my listening and pronunciation skills. I felt more confident and motivated to read more in Irish after finishing this book.
If you are looking for a fun and effective way to learn Irish, I highly recommend Short Stories in Irish for Beginners by Olly Richards. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to read for pleasure at their level, expand their vocabulary, and learn Irish the fun way! You can find it on Amazon here.
Happy reading!