Our editorial team receives tons of email inquiries regarding Irish Gaelic language courses. As strictly a media company, we don't offer these courses, but we thought that we would dedicate this section of our website to listing current courses that are available, along with important information regarding the courses themselves. The important thing to realize first and foremost, is that this information will be listed strictly as a convenience to our website visitors, and that our staff doesn't have anything to do with the courses themselves. If you have any questions regarding the Irish Gaelic language courses that are listed here, please be sure and direct your questions to the actual host or administrator offering the program. If you notice that any of our listing are outdated, then please feel free to drop us a note, and we will make any updates necessary. We will however do our best to keep all of the listings current.
Just to address some of the questions and concerns that many of web visitors will undoubtedly have towards Irish Gaelic language courses, allow us to go through them one by one. One of the most important aspects of a language course, is whether or not the course is officially accredited by a university or college. If you are interested in taking a language course for college credit, then you need to make sure that the course is not only accredited, but accredited in a way that is accepted by your home university. For example I have come across many language courses in Europe, where they are indeed accredited for the European education system, however many United States based schools will not recognize the courses. So when in doubt, you should always contact your university first with the relevant information regarding any prospective language course, that way you will not waste your time and money in taking one.
Another major issue with regard to taking any language course, is to thoroughly investigate the size of the class. I have found that very larges classes tend to offer a much poorer learning experience, as the instructor will have less time to dedicate to helping each individual student. Learning a language is very difficult, and requires a very interactive learning environment. When I seek out a prospective class, I often choose classes that have no more than 20 total people in them, however classes of 10 individuals are absolutely ideal. The smaller the class size, the more time you'll have to interact with the instructor in learning any particular language. I have also noticed that with smaller class sizes, you can often take fun fields trips where interactive language uses can be undertaken. So before you take any language course, be sure to check with the instructor and ask about how large the language class will be.
Another piece of advice that I would like to give regarding choosing a language course, is to thoroughly investigate the fee schedule. If you are on a tight budget, which usually applies to students, then find out if there are any additional fees associated with the course, that run above and beyond the course admission fee. Find out if the text books are covered in the base tuition, and if additional support materials will be also be included. While the whole list of fees associated with language courses is usually listed upfront, this isn't always the case, particularly if you're taking a private unaccredited course. The last thing I would like to mention regarding fees, is to treat language course like you would any other tangible goods, and shop around for the best deal. Be sensible however in choosing a course based strictly on admission fees alone, as some cheaper courses might offer substandard programs by unqualified teachers.
