How to say ‘Happy Thanksgiving!’ in Irish

Ani, an Irish learner in Turkey, compares similarities between Irish and Turkish, and helps us to pick up a few Turkish words in the process!

The two languages are similar enough that someone who can speak one of them comfortably may be able to comprehend the other, albeit with help from a dictionary at times. Irish and Scottish Gaelic sometimes draw comparisons to Spanish and Portuguese, which can be quite similar and share a high degree of mutual intelligibility in their written forms.

Finally, another part of the Aran Islands’ identity comes from being a Gaeltacht. Although Oliver Cromwell did arrive on the islands during his conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century and set up a defensive fort there, he eventually left with his troops. The population of the islands increased afterwards, as some people from the mainland moved to the Aran Islands to escape the reach of the English. Because inhabitants were ultimately less harried by the colonizers, the Irish language was able to persist. Today, Irish remains the first language of the islands.

Despite its popularity, Duolingo has notable limitations compared with live online instruction. Technology can open access and build foundational skills for Irish learners, but it cannot replace the socially-embedded interaction of successful language learning. Recent research strongly suggests that Duolingo is most effective as a supporting tool rather than a standalone solution. App-based learning cannot provide the corrective feedback and sociolinguistic engagement of class instruction, conversation sessions, workshops or book club meetings.