Irish - Professional Certificate - Levels 2 - 6

The Certificate in Professional Irish will be run entirely online for the autumn 2023 semester.

Venue: Online

€745** (exam fees, e-learning and materials included).

**Discount can be arranged if more than one person from the same organisation attends a course.

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How do I register for the course?
You can register for the Certificate in Professional Irish on www.gaelchultur.com. The registration process on the website includes an assessment survey. If the course is being funded by your workplace you must seek permission (from your manager or training unit) prior to booking your place.

Who is this course for?
The Certificate in Professional Irish is a part-time programme aimed at public sector employees who deal with the public on a regular basis and are required on occasion to provide a service through Irish. Those who undertake the course have an opportunity to learn specialised language relating to their work and to gain a recognised qualification at the same time.

The aim of the course
The Certificate in Professional Irish seeks to provide participants with the confidence and language skills necessary to communicate through Irish with the public in the context of their work, and to also use the language in social situations.

The course helps participants provide a higher standard of customer service through Irish, and this in turn helps the bodies in which they work to fulfil their obligations under the Official Languages Act 2003.

Levels
The Certificate in Professional Irish is available at Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The level of competency in Irish required to undertake those various levels is explained in the "Comment" section.

Course Structure
Students attend a classroom-based session or live online class, usually once a week. In addition to this, an account is created for them on ranganna.com, Gaelchultúr’s e-learning website, and they have the opportunity to do interactive exercises on that site and receive instant feedback. They can also use this resource to revise what they have covered in class and to prepare for upcoming classes.

Material
Both general everyday language and work-related language are taught in the course. Participants learn phrases and terminology relating to the workplace and they are also taught how to deal with customers through Irish on the phone and face to face.

Teaching Approach
The Certificate in Professional Irish teachers use a modern learner-centred approach in the classroom. Pair work and group work, role play activities and language games feature prominently, giving students an opportunity to practise what they’ve been taught.

While some grammar is taught during the course, it is made accessible and precedence is given to interactive, consciousness-raising exercises. Only grammar that helps students communicate more effectively is taught and complicated terminology is avoided.

Learning Outcomes:
Level 2 (A1)
These are the learning outcomes that will be achieved by students who successfully complete the Level 2 course:
• They will be able to greet people and introduce themselves and others.
• They will be able to give basic information about their background and work and participate in simple social interactions.
• They will be able to communicate through Irish at a very basic level in the workplace.

Level 3 (A2)
These are the learning outcomes that will be achieved by students who successfully complete the Level 3 course:
• They will be able to put together simple and accurate sentences.
• They will be able to direct the customer with whom they are dealing to the relevant person in the organisation.
• They will be able to take contact details (e.g. phone number or email address) given to them.

Level 4 (B1)
These are the learning outcomes that will be achieved by students who successfully complete the Level 4 course:
• They will be able to engage in a simple conversation with the customer.
• They will be able to provide a basic service to the customer without assistance.
• They will have a knowledge of a certain amount of work-related language.

Level 5 (B2)
These are the learning outcomes that will be achieved by students who successfully complete the Level 5 course:
• They will have the verbal skills to provide a comprehensive service to the customer.
• They will be able to translate simple sentences (e.g. on signs) to Irish.
• They will have a good understanding of the written language but they will be limited in their written skills.

Level 6 (C1)
These are the learning outcomes that will be achieved by students who successfully complete the course:
• They will have the verbal skills to provide a comprehensive service to the customer.
• They will have a reasonable understanding of Irish language grammar and be able to deal with written queries from customers.
• They will be able to translate sentences and simple English language texts to Irish.
• They will be familiar with the range of technological resources available to those working through Irish (especially those online) and they will be able to use them effectively.

What happens during the live online classes?
The live online classes last for three hours and are held one day a week for 10 weeks. They are highly interactive: the participants have an opportunity to speak to the teacher and to take part in pair and group work activities. A computer situated in a quiet space, a USB headset with microphone and a good broadband connection are necessary. We ask that a webcam is used but this is not a requirement.

The participants undertake continuous assessment tasks throughout the course and this is worth 55% of the overall marks. Students also undertake an oral exam at the end of the programme and this accounts for the remaining 45%.

What method of assessment is used?
Continuous assessment (written exercises, reading comprehensions and listening comprehensions) is a core component of the course and students are required to undergo an oral examination on completing the programme.

Qualification:
Component Certificate in Irish – Level 2, 3, Level 4, Level 5 or Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

The Various Levels Explained:
Level 2 (A1) :
Level 2 is suitable for those who have little or no knowledge of the Irish language (e.g. people who did not learn Irish in school or who left school early) but who would be interested in learning the basics of language.

The emphasis on the course is on the spoken language and on developing listening skills, but students also have some opportunities to read and to write the language.

The course aims to provide participants with the fundamental skills that will enable them to communicate at a basic level in the context of work and to use simple everyday language in social situations.

Level 3 (A2):
Level 3 of the Certificate in Professional Irish is suitable for those who have previously studied the language and are able to communicate at a very basic level in Irish (they can talk about their background and where they live, for example).

The emphasis in the course is on the spoken language and on developing listening skills, but students also have some opportunities to read and to write the language.

Level 4 (B1):
Level 4 of the Certificate in Professional Irish is intended for those who have studied Irish at school, perhaps a number of years ago, who understand a good deal of the language but have had few opportunities to use it in recent years. Some basic language is taught at the beginning of the course, but the classes then progress at a faster pace than those at Level 3.

The emphasis in the course is on the spoken language and on developing listening skills, but students also have some opportunities to read and to write the language. There is a greater focus on reading and writing than in the Level 3 course.

Level 5 (B2):
Level 5 of the Certificate in Professional Irish is suitable for people who are comfortable speaking Irish and who use the language from time to time – in a social context or at work, for example. The course topics are more challenging than those at Level 4, and are discussed in more depth than in the classes at that lower level. The spoken language, listening skills, reading and writing all feature in the programme, and there is a greater focus on those latter two skills than in the Level 4 course.

Level 6 (C1):
Level 6 of the Certificate in Professional Irish is aimed at those who are fluent in Irish and who wish to focus on more challenging topics. The participants have an opportunity to add to the richness of their language and gain a better understanding of grammar, and they also learn useful vocabulary relating to work and contemporary life.

The spoken language, listening skills, reading and writing all feature in the programme, and there is a greater focus on those latter two skills than in any of the other levels of the Certificate in Professional Irish.

Terms and Conditions:
Course fees may be refunded in full to a learner up to five working days prior to the commencement of the course. The refund must by requested by contacting Gaelchultúr’s staff by email or by phone.

If, following the first class, the student decides that he/she would like to discontinue the course, 60% of the total fee will be refunded to him/her. Thereafter, no refund will be made to the student.

Gaelchultúr Teoranta has the right to cancel a class or to amalgamate classes.

If it is necessary to cancel a class, every effort will be made to place the participants in another class or to register them for an online course. A full refund will be made to the customer if these options do not suit him/her.

A student may defer his/her registration only once. If he/she wishes to defer registration, he/she must notify Gaelchultúr’s staff of this by week three of the course.

No refund will be made to the student if he/she does not accept a place on the next course he/she is due to attend.

Gaelchultúr will accept no responsibility in the event that a student registers at the wrong level. We advise our students to do our online Irish test or to seek our advice to ensure that they are undertaking the correct level.

If a student wants to move to another level, we cannot guarantee that a space will be available for him/her at that level. Should a space be available, Gaelchultúr will charge a €10 administration fee for making the change. A change may only be made to another level following the first class.

Course fees must be paid in full prior to commencement of the course. Attendance on a course is subject to full payment of fees.

eolas@gaelchultur.com
www.gaelchultur.com
+353 (1) 484 5220