Julia
Don't panic! English follows the Gaelic!
Dè an t-ainm a th' ort? 'S e Julia an t-ainm a th' orm, ach 's e Jules a th' aig mo charaidean agus a h-uile duine eile orm. Cha chreid mi gun togainn mo cheann nan èibheadh tu Julia rium! 'S e Edwards an sloinneadh a th' orm, uabhasach Cuimreach.
Co às a tha thu?/ Càite a bheil thu a' fuireach? Tha mi a' fuireach ann an Iar-tuath Lunnainn ach 's ann à Nottinghamshire a tuath a tha mi. Tha pàirt Cuimreach annam is pàirt Èireannach; chan eil fuil Albannach annam idir.
Dè thog d' ùidh anns a' chànan? Tha mi air a bhith uabhasach dèidheil air Alba bho riamh, 's tha ùidh air a bhith agam ann cho fad 's as cuimhne leam. Bu mhath leam obair fhaighinn ann aon latha, gu h-àraid aig BBC Scotland ann an Glaschu! Tha caraid agam a bhios ag obair air prògraman telebhisean Gàidhlig agus 's e aon de m' adhbharan airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh gur dòcha gum biodh cothrom nas fheàrr agam obair fhaighinn ann an Alba, oir bhiodh tuisge agam air na bhidiothan air am bithinn ag obair, (tha mi airson a bhith nam neach-deasachaidh bhidio). Cha robh mi a-riamh math air cànain, mar Fraingis, a thogail; mar sin bhiodh e math Gàidhlig ionnsachadh oir tha na fuaimean àlainn, tha i gu tùr eadar-dhealaichte agus na pàirt de chultar anns a bheil ùidh mhòr agam.
A bheil molaidhean agad airson luchd-ionnsachaidh eile? Na feuch ri bhith ag ionnsachadh cus aig an aon àm no cha chùm d' eanchainn cuimhne air càil! Sgrìobh abairtean feumail ann an dathan brèagha le na fuaimean, no eadar-theangachadh Beurla ann an litrichean nas lugha fodha. Cuir air balla ris am bidh thu a' sealltainn tric iad. Ionnsaich còmhla ri do caraidean mas urrainn dhut.
Ciamar a tha thu a' cleachdadh Gàidhlig nad bheatha làitheil? Chan eil mi air a bhith ann an Lunnainn fada, chan aithnich mi duine aig a bheil Gàidhlig agus tha mi dìreach a' tòiseachadh ag ionnsachadh, cha bhi mi ga bruidhinn tric ach chuir mi buidheann Facebook air dòigh dhòmsa agus dha caraidean a tha ag ionnsachadh còmhla rium (ann an Lincolnshire agus anns a' Bheilg) agus do dhuine sam bith eile a tha ag iarraidh a thighinn còmhla rinn. Bidh sinn a' cleachdadh a' Ghàidhlig a th' againne son còmhraidhean le chèile. Tha e uabhasach cuideachail oir chan eil duine againne eòlach air daoine eile aig a bheil Gàidhlig.
Dè an abairt Ghàidhlig as fheàrr leat? Chan eil tè agam an-dràsta – tha mi dìreach aig toiseach tòiseachaidh, bu mhath leam ionnsachadh dè a' Ghàidhlig a th' air video editing/video editor, ge-tà oir tha mi gu math dèidheil air. Cuideachd, is toigh leam a bhith a' cur fàilte air mo mhàthair nuair a tha i gam fhònadh, hehehe!
Mo dhealbh – thog caraid seo nuair a thadhal mi air BBC Scotland.
What's your name? My actual name is Julia but my mates started calling me Jules, and it's now got to the point where everyone calls me it and if you call me Julia I probably won't look up! My last name is Edwards - very Welsh.
Where do you stay/are you from? I'm living in North East London but I am actually from North Nottinghamshire. I am 1/2 Welsh, 1/8th Irish and have no Scottish blood at all!
What inspired you to learn Gaelic? I have always loved Scotland and been fascinated by it as long as I remember, and I want to work up there one day, preferably at BBC Scotland in Glasgow! I have a friend who works on Gaelic TV shows, so one of my reasons for learning Gaelic is that it may help me get a job up there as I'd be able to understand the video I'd be working with, (I want to be a video editor). Also I've never been any good at picking up languages like French, so I decided it would be good to learn Gaelic because it sounds really nice, is totally different and a part of a culture I am very interested in.
What tips do you have for other Gaelic learners? Everyone will have their own pace, but don't try and learn too much at once, or your brain won't remember any of it at all! Write key phrases out in big bright highlighter colours on pieces of paper, and the pronunciation and English translation in smaller letters underneath, and stick them on your wall in a place that's in your line of sight a lot. Try and learn and practice with friends if you can.
How do you use Gaelic in your daily life? As I haven't lived in London long, don't know any Gaelic speakers, and have only just started learning Gaelic, I don't use it a lot verbally, but I set up a Facebook group for me and two of my friends (one in Lincolnshire, UK, one in Belgium!) who are learning Gaelic with me, and for anyone else who wants to join in, and we use the Gaelic we know to have basic conversations with each other on there. It really helps, as none of us have any contact with other Gaelic speakers!
Do you have a favourite Gaelic expression? Not yet - only just started! I would love to learn what's Gaelic for 'video editing/video editor' though, as it's my main passion! I also like to confuse my mum by greeting her in Gaelic when she phones me, hehehe!
My picture - this was taken by a friend when I visited BBC Scotland.
