How to Speak Scottish Gaelic

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Scottish Gaelic is spoken natively in the Highlands and Isles of Scotland by around 60,000 people, as well as parts of Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) and Prince Edward Island. Scottish Gaelic is considered an endangered language but has been resurgent in recent years. Learning Scottish Gaelic, like other languages, requires an open mind and a determination to learn and master the language. This will take a lot of patience to learn, but in the end, it is well worth it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Building Vocabulary

1
Set a learning plan. Learning any language takes dedication. Figure out how much time you can spend each week on learning Scottish Gaelic, then set reasonable goals for yourself to meet. You want to immerse yourself as much as your schedule allows, but even if you can only set aside a few hours each week, you can set a realistic goal.
- Try learning 50 new words to get you started on your first week.^{[1]
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  Research source} Memorize and practice using and pronouncing these words as much as you can. Then adjust your plan to increase or decrease the pace depending on the results.
2
Learn the Gaelic alphabet. There are 18 letters in the Gaelic alphabet. This is different than many languages. Learning which letters are used and aren't part of the language will make learning spelling much easier.
- Letters in the Gaelic alphabet^{[2]
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  Research source}: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U
- A "V" sound can also be made when you combine the letters "mh" or "bh."
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3
Use the internet. There are a number of online courses available to learn Scottish Gaelic. Some even have a free beginner course that you can try out and see if it works for you. If you want to learn Scottish Gaelic without paying for classes or courses, there are still a number of free ways to learn more words.
- You can use an online dictionary to translate simple words from your native language into Scottish Gaelic. Since Gaelic uses a very different way to pronounce some letters, look for an online dictionary that plays an audio version of the word.
- You might want to try changing the language on your computer and browser to display websites in Gaelic. Then you will find you can pick up many words as you browse sites you are familiar with. Go to Languages on your computer, then select add a language, and select Scottish Gaelic.
4
Label your house in Gaelic. Make note cards with the words for ordinary items found in your home with their Scottish Gaelic Translation. Then, stick the notecards to the items. Practice by using the Scottish Gaelic term for the items on a regular basis. This will help build your vocabulary in a way that will be beneficial toward speaking conversationally.
- Here are some examples of items in your house you can label to get started:
  - table - bòrd
  - chair - tèithear
  - shower - frasair
  - couch - cùiste
  - car - càr
  - sink - dòirteal
  - lamp - lampa
  - photo - dealbh-camara
5
Get a textbook. You can find a textbook online to help learn beginning-level Gaelic. Be sure the textbook isn't going to be too advanced for a beginner.
- Look for a textbook that includes a CD or audio files so you can hear the language. This is particularly important in learning Scottish Gaelic because the pronunciation of many words is not phonetic to the spelling.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Learning Grammar

1
Learn to identify masculine, feminine and plural nouns. Scottish Gaelic nouns are all either masculine or feminine. This is similar to the structure of the romance languages like French, Spanish and Italian, but may seem very strange for English speakers.
- Gaelic grammar makes no distinction between the gender of plural nouns.^{[4]
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2
Read Gaelic children's books.^{[5]
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Research source} Aside from the fact the a children's book is going to be focused toward readers with a limited vocabulary, they will also have simple sentence structures that will make it easier to learn basic grammar rules.
3
Learn grammar conversationally. Don't try to focus on memorizing too many grammatical rules. Instead, stay focused on speaking and hearing the language. Native speakers learn the vast majority of grammatical rules for a language without ever being taught. Some language teachers and linguists believe focusing on grammar too much can be a detriment to the learning process.^{[6]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Becoming Fluent

1
Find a partner. Learning a language can be much easier when you are able to practice with someone else. Get your friend, roommate or significant other to learn along with you. It will give you someone who you can practice conversing with in Gaelic. It will also help you to stay engaged in studying the language when you have someone to try and keep up with. ^{[7]
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2
Speak Gaelic as much as you can. Speaking a foreign language is the best thing you can do. It helps develop a sort of fluency. If you can't find native speakers to practice with, try finding penpals through various website and/or try teaching your friends what you're teaching to yourself. You can try posting a message on sites about speaking Gaelic to try and meet some native speakers.
- If you're feeling brave, you can try to blog and tweet in Gaelic. Writing in Gaelic online may even be able to help you to make contact with native Gaelic speakers who can give you some guidance and additional practice speaking the language.
- Once you manage to make a friend that speaks Gaelic, see if you can converse on a video conference so you can hear how Gaelic is spoken and practice it yourself, too.
3
Watch and listen to a Gaelic show or movie. Maybe find a movie that has Scottish Gaelic in an audio feature or a Scottish film. Tune in online to BBC Alba for Gaelic television and BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal for Gaelıc radio. Turn on the subtitles to help see how the language is translated into English.
4
Keep it fun. Always remember the reason you decided to learn Scottish Gaelic. This will help you to stay motivated to learn more and use the language on a regular basis. If the reason you wanted to learn the language was because you enjoy some of the music, try writing some songs of your own in Gaelic. This will make all your efforts seem well worth it!^{[8]
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5
Travel to Scotland or Nova Scotia. This is probably the best way to learn Scottish Gaelic as you will definitely pick up more vocabulary. The Isle of Skye is home to various fantastic immersion programs through the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig school for Gaelic language and Gaelic culture. Challenge yourself, go to a village away from English speaking areas to help a lot more with communication. If in Canada, check out the array of Gaelic culture events and immersion camps and crash courses available at your disposal.