A growing number of adults who are taking Irish classes are opting to sit an EU-recognised exam in the subject. Some of these students and their teacher Patricia Nic Eoin explain to JUDY MURPHY how this approach is helping  their fluency and confidence, and also how the TEG system allows them to make real progress by giving them a goal.

Belfast group Kneecap, who have put the Irish language front and centre of all they do, were one of the hits of this year’s Arts Festival, with a sold-out show at the Big Top. That followed the success of their self-titled film which swept the boards at the Galway Film Fleadh, having already been a success at the Sundance Film Festival in the US – Kneecap the film goes on general release this week.

Their grá for the language is part of a broader momentum that has led to increased numbers of adults studying the language countrywide. And Galway, on the edge of the Conamara Gaeltacht, is no exception.

Some people study Irish for their own satisfaction, while others, as teacher Patricia Nic Eoin puts it, like to have a ‘sprioc’ or goal.

“When you’re teaching adults, it’s great to have a goal,” says the Kinvara woman who runs the website All About Irish, which offers a range of online courses – many of them live.

Patricia also teaches Irish in areas where Irish-language Planning Officers were appointed as part of a Government initiative to nurture the language in places where it’s spoken but isn’t strong.

They include Knocknacarra and Barna on the west of Galway City which is home to the organisation, Gaeilge ABC. Meanwhile, An Bruach Thoir serves areas east of the City, including Menlo, Castlegar, Tirellan and Ballinfoile.

In June, 18 of Patricia’s students from these courses sat Irish exams for Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge/The European Certificate (TEG).

The TEG is administered by the Centre for Irish Language at Maynooth University and it’s the only system of certification for adults who are learning Irish.

Exams are offered at five levels, from Elementary 1 (A1) to Advanced 1 (C1), and people are tested across four areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Patricia first began teaching the TEG a couple of years ago, after a student asked for her help in preparing for it.

Initially, she wasn’t sure about the value of an exam, but based on her initial experience, she realised how relevant the syllabus was – and that doing this exam and passing it would boost people’s confidence.

The TEG A1 exam is entry-level, explains Patricia, and her students were more advanced, so she entered them for the A2.

That involves “simple enough writing and conversations about relevant, everyday topics” as well as about past events and future plans.

The civil service is increasingly beginning to accept the TEG and it’s the only recognised classification for Irish, apart from a degree or a diploma, Patricia says.

It’s also a standardised EU system, with an A2 in French being the equivalent to an A2 in Irish, she adds.

A mixture of Patricia’s students sat the TEG in June. Some were from her All About Irish online courses and others had attended the weekly in-person classes that she gave in the Language Planning areas.

Tommy Roddy, originally from Roscommon, and a longtime resident of Galway City, attends classes at An Bruach Thoir in Menlo. He was delighted to get 88 per cent in his A2 exam.

The ‘listening’ section was the most challenging aspect, he says, because the Irish for the comprehension was delivered in a strong Ulster dialect.

Students of the TEG course must study all three dialects – Connacht, Munster and Ulster – but this canúint was particularly pronounced, he explains.

Pictured: Students Tommy Roddy (left) and John Farrell who were both successful in the TEG examinations