Abair Leat! -Overview

Learning to speak Gaeilge with confidence is a matter of practice (a lot of practice) – nothing else.
It may be obvious, but the best way to get better at Gaeilge is to speak it:
While classwork and course work are useful there is no substitute for living the language, which is using Gaeilge in real live situations.
A good reason for learning Gaeilge would be to try and attain a level of confidence / competency in using / speaking the language in informal / social interaction.
A major achievement for learners would be to be able to partake / contribute to basic everyday dialogue.
Using Gaeilge in meaningful interaction is a crucial part of developing a bond with the language.
The desire to learn the language for its own sake is substantially more effective in long-term language learning than external rewards such as high grades or praise.
Willingness to communicate as Gaeilge is absolutely essential for learners and needs to be developed and encouraged at every opportunity.
Abair Leat! is best suited to learners who wish to learn the language for its own sake as opposed to those preparing for academic examinations in school or in college.

The emphasis is on practical, conversational Gaeilge as used in ordinary everyday chit chat by native speakers.
This aspect of the language is unfortunately absent from both the junior and leaving cert syllabi.

Gaeilge is a highly relevant, vibrant, contemporary language which has a strong appeal to many people of all ages and backgrounds from all over the country.
While it is the case that expectations for the education system to produce competent Irish speakers is quite low It is also true that there are many people throughout the country are positively predisposed to learning / speaking the language.
The biggest obstacle facing people who feel a natural inclination towards the language is the lack of opportunities to use Gaeilge in any meaningful manner either informally or socially in their everyday lives.
Clever use of the internet could be a valuable tool in contacting /supporting / connecting and facilitating a disperse group who wish to partake in a community where Gaeilge has pride of place.