Having and Keeping Irish in Your Life You Mindset I Can Do This! Having and Keeping Irish in Your Life You Mindset Bitesize Beo 2017-03-11 Copyright 2017 Mike O'Regan - moregan@stresscafe.com

Mike O'Regan - moregan@stresscafe.com I'm a learner who ended up teaching. I began and did almost all my learning of Irish here in Chicago. After being at it for a number of years, I through circumstances ended up helping others learning Irish, and now I teach an intermediate Irish class every Saturday. Na Gaeil, the organization I learned with and teach for, teaches and supports the Irish language in Chicagoland. Feel free to be in touch with us: info@nagaeil.org http://www.nagaeil.org https://www.facebook.com/nagaeilchicago/ asdfasdfasdf

Outline I can do this! Make Irish automatic in your life Keeping at it [Finding other people] When you hit an obstacle And then your comments, questions, stories

I Can Do This! Learning a language is difficult? Irish is difficult? If you couldn't learn a language, you wouldn't be speaking one now You learned a language once, you can do it again If Irish were unlearnable, nobody would be speaking it I can do this! You're here on Bitesize Beo, so you're in pretty good shape. Say "I can do this!" out loud before we go on.

Make Irish Automatic in Your Life You learn better with frequent contact with a language Frequent contact/encounters/sessions, even if short, are better than infrequent, long ones. (Can you say "bitesize"?) Subscribe to emails and newsletters, enable app notifications, Twitter, etc. so that Irish automatically comes to you No more "out of sight, out of mind" You won't have to make as many conscious decisions to do something with Irish You avoid indecision, dread, that "blah" feeling You'll have more variety Have it come with no effort from you

Automatic Word of the day (TransparentLanguage), daily: https://www.transparent.com/word-of-the-day/today/irish.html Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast, weekly: http://www.bitesize.irish/blog/subscribe- to-podcast/ GaelMinn Gazette (Gaeltacht Minnesota), monthly: http://www.gaelminn.org/mailform.htm Set your Irish Facebook groups up to notify you of new postings Enable Duolingo "Email me when I forget to practice Irish" notification Anything that will bring Irish to your attention with no effort from you (Things that are almost automatic can help, too)

(Almost Automatic Can Help, Too) Frása an Lae (GaelChultúr), daily, but you have to visit them or follow them on Twitter: http://www.gaelchultur.com/ga/frasa_an_lae.aspx Develop a well-entrenched habit. Then develop another. "The Secrets to Practicing Irish Gaelic Every Day" (Audrey Nickel) "50 Ways to use your Irish": http://www.gaelminn.org/pdf/fifty%20ways.pdf Tune into Raidió na Gaeltachta when you wake up or when a favorite show is on Set aside the same times every week to study, talk with people, etc.

Keeping at It Be generous with your time for Irish. It's not a chore. Avoid "if only" -- more time, access to native speaker, etc. Use Irish for something you enjoy, are interested in short stories, novels, poetry, drama, folklore, non-fiction trad/pop songs, sean-nós, trad/pop music family, children, pets, friends, prayers radio, TV, current events in Ireland, celebrities sports whatever your friends/contacts are doing Little moments of joy making a good sentence recognizing words on the radio saying something without having thought hard about it

Find Others You're looking for others; they're looking for you, too There are lots of city/state/country-centered Irish groups on Facebook. Join one. Join many. Start one (or more). Ask around: at Irish cultural events, Irish Consulate, Irish import store, Irish dance school, Irish musicians, societies, Irish people Ads in the paper, fliers Attend an Irish language event Find a class. Start a study group. Your friends should know about your Irish (they have lots of friends) Once you have a start on your network, it gets easier.

When You Hit an Obstacle Internal or external, don't worry, it happens to everyone Get back to "I can do this!" Be proud of what you've already achieved Be generous with yourself. Most people's frustration is usually not due to failure but pace. Look back at what you were working on 3, 6, 12 months ago. So easy! Little moments of joy don't expire. Revisit them. You'll be helped through dry spells and rough patches by: using Irish in the ways you enjoy "automatic Irish" you've set up habits you've developed other people your mindset