Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 1 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 Special Provision for the Support of the Irish Language 2019 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, University College Dublin Report on Activities, September 2019 to August 2020 www.ucd.ie/bnag Project 1 Irish Language Courses for UCD Students and Employees o Irish Language Courses o Irish Language Yoga Course Project 2 Irish Language Cultural Program o Fonn, Steip & Ceoil o Cultúr na Céadaoine Project 3 Teach na Gaeilge 2019-2020: Irish Language Student Residential Scholarship Scheme o Residential Scholarship Competition, Orientation, Training o Accredited Module o Meantóirí Theach na Gaeilge, Alumni Mentoring Scheme o Fiche Bliain ag Fás- 20th Anniversary celebration o Student Activities o Gradaim Ghaeltacht UCD 2020/ Online Student Awards Project 4 Gaeltacht UCD Engagement o Local Engagement o ‘Spórt & Spraoi le Gaeltacht UCD’ o National Engagement o International Engagement 2 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 Project 5 Translation and Advisory Service o Translation Project o Facilitation of University’s compliance with language legislation o 2019 Signage Review Project 6 Irish Language Promotional Activities o Publications o Website & Social Media o Irish Language Media o Sponsorship University Support o Structure, Management and Administration 3 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 Overview Gaeltacht UCD, UCD’s Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, actively promotes the use of the Irish language and its associated culture in University College Dublin. The Center’s projects include language courses, cultural activities, a residential scholarship scheme and a summer school, in addition to a translation and advisory service which facilitates the University in its compliance with Irish-language legislation. Throughout 2019-20, Gaeltacht UCD’s projects continued to flourish thus contributing to the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the Irish language. Gaeltacht UCD’s core activity, the provision of Irish language courses for all UCD students and employees, continued to attract learners from beginner to advanced levels from across the University. In 2019-20 the center further developed its cultural program with the initiatives Fonn, Steip & Ceoil UCD 2019 and Cultúr na Céadaoine 2020 which provided additional opportunities for Irish language speakers and learners to actively engage with the language while sharing Ireland’s rich culture and traditions with the University’s global community. Teach na Gaeilge; Gaeltacht UCD’s’s Irish language student residential scholarship scheme, has attracted high achieving students from both Gaeltacht and Galltacht areas to the University since 2000 and is recognized as an example of best practice in language maintenance. In 2020 Gaeltacht UCD hosted the event Fiche Bliain ag Fás which celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of this scheme. The event further strengthened links between the University and its former scholars many of whom continue to play an active role within Saol na Gaeilge, the wider Irish speaking community. Gaeltacht UCD engages with Irish-language speaking communities locally, nationally and internationally. In July 2020, Tionól Gaeilge UCD, the Center’s International Irish Language Summer School was held for a 4th consecutive year. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the 2020 Tionól was delivered online. This event, in its new digital format developed for 2020, once again attracted both national and international participants, engaging Irish-language learners from across the Island of Ireland, mainland Europe, North America and South Africa. 4 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 Gaeltacht UCD facilitates the University in its compliance with Irish-language legislation; the 1997 Universities Act and the Official Languages Act 2002. In 2019-’20 the Center continued to provide a translation and advisory service for all UCD schools, colleges and units. It was in regular communication with language officers and directors throughout the civil and public service, in Universities on the Island of Ireland as well as with minority language practitioners abroad. Throughout 2019-’20, Gaeltacht UCD’s on-campus activities proved successful in cultivating an Irish-language community which supported students, employees and alumni. The Center’s online presence and digital developments expanded the Center’s reach globally, thus bringing the best of the world to Ireland and the best of Ireland and its distinct cultures to the world. Project 1 Irish Language Courses for UCD Students and Employees http://www.ucd.ie/bnag/en/informationoncourses/ Irish Language Courses Gaeltacht UCD Irish language learners are at the core of the University’s diverse Irish- language speaking community. Learners comprise both employees and students and the positive engagement between learners, tutors and facilitators facilitates the smooth running of many other Irish language activities. During 2019-2020, the Centre offered language tuition at levels A1, A2, B1 & B2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and registered a total of 300 learners; 126 in semester 1 and 174 in semester 2 with a further 50 at its summer school, Tionól Gaeilge UCD, July 2020. All learners are requested to complete an on-line placement test before choosing their language level: https://www.ranganna.com/tastail.aspx?id=2&lang=en. The Center employed 8 qualified tutors, experienced in adult education, on a part-time basis, to facilitate delivery of its 2019- ‘20 courses and a specific training course in the Gaeltacht UCD teaching materials was 5 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 6 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 7 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 provided to all tutors on its teaching panel. Learners included both students and staff. A total of 50% of learners were registered on UCD’s Erasmus, Study Abroad (USA) or Non-EU exchange programs. Courses were offered at 4 levels in September 2019 and again in January 2020. Questionnaires were distributed to all learners at the end of each course and the center was satisfied with the feedback received. Both Irish and international Gaeltacht UCD learners can be heard commenting on their learning experience: http://www.ucd.ie/bnag/en/videos/ The greatest demand for courses is at level A1 (CEFR). In 2018- ‘19, further to the distribution of an invitation to tender, Gaeltacht UCD invested in the design of new course materials at this level. In September 2019, the design of a new 20-unit course was completed and tutors completed training in its delivery. The new course was very well received by the 2019-2020 learners. Irish Language Yoga Course http://www.ucd.ie/bnag/en/services/yoga/ Lunchtime yoga in Irish was offered in trimesters 1 and 2 in association with the company Óga Yoga. The course was held in the UCD Sports Centre and was attended by UCD employees, undergraduate and postgraduate students. The course was very well-attended, and Gaeltacht UCD was very pleased with the high quality of the language component. The yoga in Irish course contributes to the University’s initiatives Healthy UCD and UCD Culture and Engagement. Feedback from the participants (26 in total) was positive and it is hoped to offer the course again in September 2020 while respecting new health guidelines. Project 2 Irish Language Cultural Program Learners registered on the Gaeltacht UCD courses are offered a program of social and cultural activities which accompany their language courses. The 2019-’20 activities included dance workshops, traditional music recitals and social events and were open to all students and employees in trimesters 1 and 2. 8 Gaeltacht UCD, UCD Global Centre for Irish Language and Culture, 2019-20 Fonn, Steip & Ceoil UCD 2019 During 2019-2020, two new initiatives were founded the first of which was an event to promote the practice of the traditional arts; music song and dance, among 3rd level students. This initiative took the form of an intervarsity talent competition, Fonn, Steip & Ceoil UCD 2019, and was supported by Oireachtas na Gaeilge winners and TG4 presenters, Sibéal Davitt and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Gaeltacht UCD also worked in close cooperation with the student societies Cumann Gaelach UCD and UCD Trad Soc. Applicants from various educational institutions in Ireland as well as visiting students in UCD submitted videos for shortlisting and auditions were held on campus for the talent show. The company Meon eile recorded a video of the final event which can be viewed at: https://www.meoneile.ie/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Fonn+Steip Fonn, Steip & Ceoil UCD 2019 was held though the medium of Irish and was attended by UCD students both Irish and international. It enhanced communication between Irish- speaking students on campus and international students who wished to learn more about the Irish language and culture. Cultúr na Céadaoine 2020 The second cultural initiative began in 2020 as a pilot program and comprised a workshop held each Wednesday lunch time for a period of 6 weeks. Each workshop related to an aspect of the Irish language and culture and was facilitated by a Gaeltacht UCD tutor or scholar. Workshops were conducted through the medium of Irish or bilingually and attended by a combination of students and employees. The topics covered included Irish-language place names, Irish dance, Irish tin-whistle and traditional Irish song. Cultúr na Céadaoine also included the celebration of St Bridget’s Festival in February 2020. The St Bridget’s workshop was organized in cooperation with Cnuasach Béaloideas Éireann/ The National Irish Folklore Collection. Students learned about the traditions associated with this feast day in Ireland and crafted their own St Bridget’s cross.