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03/06/08

Workshop

Registration form \ Discount | The Question List

Saturday Language Workshop, April 12, 2008

Gaeltacht Minnesota and The Center for Irish Studies offer Ceardlann 2008, a day-long workshop on the Irish language for students at all levels, absolute beginners to advanced, on Saturday, April 12, 2008.

You can download a registration form here. (This is an Acrobat PDF form. If you can't view or print the document, e-mail us with your address and we can mail you a paper form.)

We also have a flyer you can print, a very compact and simple notice. Please feel free to post a notice at your community or church bulletin board, to bring to your knitting circle, to distribute by the billions . . .

We must receive your form and payment by Saturday, April 5 (note: received, not just postmarked).

Discount Available for Early Registration!

The regular fee for the day (more info here) is $54, but you can save $5 by getting your form and payment to us by Saturday, March 29. Early registration helps us plan a better workshop, place you more accurately at the right level, and allocate resources efficiently.

So, drop off or mail your form early and attend for only $49!


Ceisteanna agus Freagraí (Questions and Answers)

Just about everything you need to know about our next Irish language workshop should be answered in one of the following links. If not, contact us with your questions and we'll get back to you with specific information.


What is Ceardlann 2008?{short description of image}(back to questions)

"Ceardlann" is Irish for "workshop," a day-long event scheduled for Saturday, April 12, on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas. It is jointly sponsored by Gaeltacht Minnesota and the Center for Irish Studies of the University.

These workshops have been held for a number of years, and provide instruction and practice in the Irish language for students at all levels. Classroom activity begins at 9:00, and is completed by 4:30 (usually with a few songs).

For beginners, this workshop offers a chance to get a taste of the language without investing a lot of time or money. For more advanced students, the workshop offers a rare opportunity to use your Irish language skills in conversation with others at a similar level of ability.


How much does it cost to attend?{short description of image}(back to questions)

The normal fee for the workshop is $54. However, if you get your payment to us by March 29, you can deduct $5 from this fee (pay only $49 ).

This fee covers your classroom instruction, handouts, and refreshments. It also includes a box lunch -- and last year's participants were very pleased with the quality of the lunches St. Thomas provided.


What will I learn there?{short description of image}(back to questions)

Beginners learn how the alphabet works, how to pronounce things they see written in Irish, how some of the basic grammar works. More importantly, they start working with conversation right away. At the end of a day, you'll be able to say who you are, where you're from, and talk about people a little bit.

At the more advanced levels, working in the language and applying your knowledge of Irish becomes the focus. You'll polish up some grammar, but you'll also spend more time using the Irish you know in conversation.

More specific goals and activities for each group are worked out as we learn the composition of each class. In other words, we adapt each workshop, to some extent, to reflect the numbers and abilities of the people attending. For more about how we determine your ability in the language, click here.


Who should attend?{short description of image}(back to questions)

Anyone who is interested in the Irish language, whether you already study it or not. There are any number of reasons why you might like to attend this workshop:


I want to attend your Monday evening classes. Will this get me in?{short description of image}(back to questions)

YES! The day-long lessons in this workshop are the equivalent of the four weeks of instruction through Community Education, and qualify you to begin attending our classes.

And, of course, once you begin attending our Monday evening classes, you can continue to do so as long as you like, for free. (Workshops and special events do carry fees, naturally.)

(Students who have studied the language before should contact us, we can probably work you into an existing class.)


What if I've never studied Irish before, or only a very little bit?{short description of image}(back to questions)

Then this is your chance! Beginners love our workshops.

This is a perfect opportunity for you to get a taste of the language, because:


Can I really learn some Irish in just one day?{short description of image}(back to questions)

YES! We've been at this a while, and by lunchtime people are greeting in each other in Irish. By the end of the day, you know enough to meet someone and say a few things, to sound out Irish proverbs or other material you might see, and -- most importantly -- you know whether you want to keep doing this.


How do I know I'll end up in the right class at this workshop?{short description of image}(back to questions)

This is a concern for both the beginner and the more advanced student. First, if you're an absolute beginner, relax, we'll put you in a class full of other people who have little or no experience with the language.

We are continually working to improve our ability to meet the needs of students at all levels. That's why we ask you to answer some questions about your language abilities on the placement section of our registration form, to ensure the best fit between student ability and instruction activities.

Our placement system is designed to make the workshop experience more enjoyable and more worthwhile for you. We have been fairly successful at this sort of placement in our past workshops, so most people find themselves at the right level. And if we aren't quite right, you can easily change.


How do I enroll in the workshop?{short description of image}(back to questions)

You enroll by sending in a registration form, with complete information, and a check.

Payment must accompany the registration form, and placement information is required. We need a name and contact information, payment, placement information, and meal information for each participant, so if several members of a family or group want to register together:

You can pay for everyone with one check.

Forms must be received (not postmarked) no later than April 5 (March 29 for the $5 discount).

Very Important Note! once you send in your check, we cannot refund your fee if you do not attend. We incur expenses based on registrations received, so even if something comes up (or you forget), we will not issue a refund.


Where do I park?{short description of image}(back to questions)

Parking is free on Saturdays on campus, and we will send you a map to the parking area when you register.

Now, we have to offer a little disclaimer:

From time to time, St. Thomas schedules a special event that takes over the parking lot, and we usually hear about that at the very last minute, if at all.

We try to keep on top of that, and participants have always been able to find free parking for the event, but once in a while the parking lot is filled and it is a little trickier than expected. We'll have more information in the confirmation we send you.

And you can always check with St. Thomas Public Safety and Parking for more information (651-962-5100).


Tell me more about lunch . . .

Lunch and refreshments are included in your workshop fee. We offer beverages and snacks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks, as well as something to get you started in the morning.

Lunch is in a box-lunch format. People gather in our classrooms to compare experiences while they enjoy their meals. Our workshop participants from last year gave good grades to these lunches, they are high-quality midday meals, provided by the St. Thomas catering service.

We are offering three options this year:

  1. Oriental Chicken Salad: Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast with Mixed Greens, Water Chestnuts, Red Peppers, Mandarin Oranges, Scallions, Ginger Sesame Dressing and Fried Wontons
  2. Vegetarian Wrap box lunch: Hummus, Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Spinach Leaves Rolled in a Spinach Wrap, chips, apple, and cookie
  3. Roast Beef box lunch: Sliced Roast Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Sliced Tomato, Horseradish Mayo on Flat Bread, chips, apple, and cookie

People sometimes ask if they can skip the lunch and pay less for the workshop, and the answer is, "No!" We view the refreshment and lunch times as practice opportunities. Students are encouraged to use a little of their Irish socially during these times, and we view these relaxed practice opportunities as integral parts of the workshop experience.


What about kids?{short description of image}(back to questions)

We don't have a separate section for children, but younger kids have come along successfully to several of our workshops. In fact, more and more often we see families coming to these events together, whether adult siblings, spouses or partners, or parents and children. (Sometimes the kids drag the parents to the workshop!)

Basically, teenagers are ready to take their place with adults in the classroom. We often have high school students in our classes. We think it's important that any students who do come want to be there. We don't recommend dragging a kid along who really has no interest.

For younger kids, we would want a parent or responsible adult to be with them, and we would ask you to think about whether your child can focus on these kinds of activities for an entire day.

If you have questions about whether the workshop is appropriate for your child, e-mail us with your question and phone number, and we'll get back to you.


I have more questions. How do I get them answered?{short description of image}(back to questions)


Comments and questions are welcome via e-mail

(our e-mail address, broken down to reduce spam from 'spambots', is info at gaelminn dot org)