'Ó aois an-óg bhí an-dúil agam sa Ghaeilge, agus airím gur mór an phribhléid í a bheith ag obair in earnáil inar féidir liom an dúil sin a roinnt le mic léinn'

Is mise Trevor Herbert, agus is mise comhordaitheoir chúrsa Gaeilge (GAE1015) an MGO (Máistreacht Ghairmiúil san Oideachas) san Oideachas Bunscoile. Bhain mé céim dhochtúireachta sa Ghaeilge Chlasaiceach amach i gColáiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath. Ó aois an-óg bhí an-dúil agam sa Ghaeilge, agus airím gur mór an phribhléid í a bheith ag obair in earnáil inar féidir liom an dúil sin a roinnt le mic léinn.

My name is Trevor Herbert and I’m co-ordinator of the Irish course (GAE1015) for the PME in Primary Education. I graduated with a doctorate in Classical Irish from Trinity College, Dublin in 2012. From a very early age I was passionate about the Irish language and I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to work in a sector where I can share that passion with my students.

Tá mé ag múineadh ar Chúrsa Gaeilge an MGO ó bhí 2015 ann, agus ceapadh mé mar chomhordaitheoir ar an gcúrsa i mbliana. Bainim an-sásamh as a bheith mar chuid de chúrsa a bhfuil cohórt chomh hilghnéitheach sin aige, ó thaobh taithí, oideachais agus cúlra proifisiúnta de.

I have been teaching on the PMEP Irish course since 2015, and appointed as co-ordinator this year. I find it very rewarding to be part of a course which involves such a diverse student cohort, in regards to experience and educational and professional background. 

Tá dhá shnáithe Gaeilge mar chuid den MGO san Oideachas Bunscoile. Is í an chéad snáithe ná Teagasc na Gaeilge, ina múintear do mhic conas Gaeilge a mhúineadh. An dara snáithe ná GAE1015, ina múintear an teanga féin do mhic léinn. Is í aidhm an chúrsa seo ná mic léinn a theagasc go leibhéal chaighdeán B2 de Comhchreat Tagartha na hEorpa um Theangacha. Fágann sé seo gur féidir le hábhair oide aschuir d’ardchaighdeáin a chur ar fáil dá ndaltaí, ar féidir leis na daltaí sin aithris a dhéanamh orthu. Ina theannta sin, cabhraíonn sé go mór le hábhair oide Foghlaim Chomhtháite Ábhar agus Teanga a chur i bhfeidhm ina seomraí ranga. Tá sé cruthaithe go bhfeabhsaíonn an straitéis seo sealbhú teanga i measc daltaí. Anuas air sin, cuireann sé ar chumas ábhar oide an teanga a úsáid go neamhfhoirmiúil agus go cruinn le linn an lae, agus ar an gcaoi sin teagasc na
teanga a dhéanamh níos tumthaí agus dá réir sin, níos éifeachtaí. 

There are two Irish language elements to the PME in Primary Education. The first is Teagasc na Gaeilge, where students are taught how to teach Irish. The second is GAE1015 where students are taught the language itself. The aim of this course is to bring students to minimum B2 standard on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This allows future teachers to provide high-standard outputs which their pupils can emulate. It also greatly assists future teachers in implementing Content Language Integrated Learning in classrooms. This has been shown to boost language acquisition in students. Furthermore, it allows future teachers use the language informally and accurately throughout the day, thereby making language teaching more immersive and as a result, more effective.

Sa chúrsa, dírítear ar fheasacht chultúir agus ar fheasacht teanga araon. Tá gnéithe foirmdhírithe aige amhail gramadach agus comhréir, chomh maith le cur chuige cumarsáideach i ndáil le hábhar foirmdhírithe a athneartú. Cuirtear béim ar na scileanna teanga ar fad, labhairt, scríbhneoireacht, tuiscint, léitheoireacht agus idirghníomhaíocht. Maidir le feasacht cultúir, tá dhá fhomhodúl mar chuid de, Litríocht na nÓg ina ndírítear ar litríocht na nÓg a chumtar i nGaeilge agus Amhráin na Gaeilge ina bpléitear le hamhránaíocht Thraidisiúnta na teanga. 

The course focuses both on cultural awareness and linguistic awareness of the Irish language. It has both form-focused elements such as grammar and syntax as well as a communicative approach to reinforce those form-focused aspects. Emphasis is placed on all the linguistic skills, speaking, writing, understanding, reading and interactivity. Regarding culture awareness, there are two sub-modules, Litríocht na nÓg, which focuses on children’s literature produced in Irish and Amhráin na Gaeilge which engages with the singing tradition of Irish. 

Tá 3 uair an chloig d’am teagmhála in aghaidh na seachtaine mar chuid de. Is ionann é seo agus léacht uair an chloig in aghaidh na seachtaine ina múintear modúil Litríocht na nÓg agus Amhráin na Gaeilge, agus seimineár 2 uair an chloig in aghaidh na seachtaine ina dtugtar an deis do mhic léinn a gcuid Gaeilge labhartha a chleachtadh, eolas a chur ar ábhair dhílse fuaime agus léitheoireachta ó chainteoirí dúchasacha agus nuachainteoirí. Cuirfidh mic léinn lena stór focal is foghlaimeoidh siad faoi ghnéithe gramadaí anseo freisin. 

This is course comprises of three hours a week contact time. This consists of a one hour lecture a week where Litríocht na nÓg and the Amhráin na Gaeilge modules are taught, and one two hour seminar a week where students are given the opportunity to practice their spoken Irish, encounter authentic recording and texts of native and non-native Irish speakers, and to expand their vocabulary and learn about essential aspects of grammar.

An aidhm fhoriomlán atá againn ná cur ar chumas ábhar oide an Ghaeilge a úsáid ar bhealach cumarsáideach lasmuigh agus laistigh den seomra ranga.

Our overall aim is to enable future teachers to use Irish communicatively both outside and inside the classroom.

DCU Prospectus - Professional Master of Education (Primary Education)