San Francisco Bay Area
Irish Language Immersion Weekend

September 26–28, 2008
(6 pm Friday through 4:30 pm Sunday)

This year, we celebrate the tenth annual SF Deireadh Seachtaine Gaeltachta!

Intensive tutorials focusing on spoken language and increasing fluency. Four class levels! The teachers are native Irish speakers, and most travel in especially for this event.

Meals and snacks provided. Continue practicing Irish over breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Seisiúin! Bring instruments and your voices for sessions each evening, when we'll enjoy playing music, and sharing songs, poetry, stories, and craic, as Gaeilge

• Leibhéal 1 (no Irish, or a smidgin), for absolute beginners, and those who may have made a start already, but are still learning beginner basics.
  
  
• Leibhéal 2 (lag), for intermediate learners: those who've studied Irish enough to know the basics reasonably well, can participate in a very simple conversation, and want to increase their skills.
  
  
• Leibhéal 3 (sásúil), for higher intermediate students who may understand or read a good bit of Irish, yet lack practice with hearing or speaking Irish, and seek more experience and confidence to help them make that wild leap into more conversation.
  
  
• Leibhéal 4 (maith), do dhaoine ar mhaith leo snas a chur ar a gcuid Gaeilge.
  Déanfar staidéar ar fhoclóir nua-aimseartha, saibhreas na teanga, litríocht, filíocht, béaloideas agus an saol chomh-aimseartha. Bainfear sult as!

See 1999 & 2000 Course Photos (agus alt faoin imeacht fosta)!

This language course is geared to accommodate adults at all learning stages, from those just starting to those who are more advanced but wanting practice. There will be three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Class tuition will be by specialist teachers who use proven methods of language teaching and are themselves native speakers. The teachers are being coordinated by Oideas Gael, and travel to San Francisco especially for this course. Each day's study will consist of intensive morning and afternoon tutorials with attention directed toward spoken Irish and aimed at correct pronunciation, proper idiom, and development of vocabulary, particularly contemporary vocabulary. The intention is to foster conversational ability and fluency. Between classes, over meals, and during our seisiún each evening, you will be encouraged to keep practicing your Irish with people from all levels, while enjoying the craic! (There will be the opportunity for an extra seisiún Sunday evening after the course ends, for those who want to stay.)

The fee includes tuition and food (sandwiches & fruit for supper Friday evening; cheese & Irish bread & coffee/tea available each morning; coffee/tea breaks; full meals for lunch and dinner Saturday and lunch on Sunday). Out-of-town attendees to make their own accommodation arrangements. We will provide suggestions for nearby motels if needed. The course will be held at the United Irish Cultural Center, in S.F.

Each year's fee is based on that year's current costs. Last year's fee was $315, and it is likely this year's will be close to that amount. If you would like to be contacted when the form is up, please write to me and I will add you to my announcement list. gaeilge@onesourcegraphics.com
For more information, call 510-881-5958 or e-mail me.
Nikki Ragsdale, Coordinator
Treoraí na Gaeilge, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Cooley-Keegan Branch.