Bronnadh teastais TEG (Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge) ar 19 duine ag searmanas bronnta i gComhairle Contae Chiarraí an tseachtain seo caite. Tá scrúduithe TEG déanta ag os cionn 100 fostaí de chuid na Comhairle seo le roinnt blianta anuas agus i mbliana den chéad uair, bronnadh teastais ar dhaoine atá, nó gur mian leo, cur fúthu i dtithíocht shóisialta i nGaeltachtaí Chiarraí.
Ag labhairt di as Gaeilge, dúirt Moira Morrell, Príomh-Fheidhmeannach na Comhairle Contae ag an ócáid “Tá dhá Ghaeltacht againn i gCiarraí, agus dualgas orainn seirbhísí a chur ar fáil i nGaeilge do phobal na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge. Ní rud simplí é an méid sin - tá Comhairle mhór againn, a lán seirbhísí éagsúla agus gach tráth le freastal. Ar an mbonn sin tá foireann na Comhairle an-tábhachtach agus tá an t-ádh linn go bhfuil daoine anseo a bhfuil suim mhór acu sa Ghaelainn.”
Dúirt Aisling Ní Bheacháin ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ag an mbronnadh “Tá Comhairle Contae Chiarraí le tréaslú as na hiarrachtaí atá déanta le tamall de bhlianta anuas a chinntiú go bhfuil foireann na Comhairle oilte agus cumasaithe le seirbhís trí Gaeilge a chur ar fáil do phobal Chiarraí.
“Tá le feiscint go soiléir nuair a shiúlann tú isteach doirse oifigí na Comhairle agus nuair a ghlaonn tú ar Áras an Chontae an t-ardchaighdeán Gaeilge i measc na foirne a chuireann seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge ar fáil don phobal agus leibhéal ard feasachta teanga.”
Is éard atá i gceist le TEG, a bunaíodh in Ionad na dTeangacha Ollscoil na hÉireann Má Nuad sa bhliain 2005, ná córas grádaithe le spriocanna cinnte foghlama don fhoghlaimeoir fásta Gaeilge a chuireann scrúduithe cumais agus cáilíochtaí ar fáil dóibh a léiríonn go soiléir na scileanna teanga atá acu.
Bíonn scrúduithe ar siúl ar fud na tíre gach bliain agus is féidir le foghlaimeoirí tabhairt faoi scrúdú cainte amháin nó faoin scrúdú iomlán. Léiríonn an taighde sa réimse seo go gcabhraíonn córas grádaithe den tsórt seo le foghlaimeoirí cloí leis an staidéar agus barr feabhais a chur ar a gcuid scileanna teanga.
De thoradh obair Oifig Gaeilge na Comhairle Contae, a eagraíonn Cúrsaí Gaeilge don bhfoireann, do Thionóntaí agus tionóntaí ionchasacha sa Ghaeltacht, bronnadh Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge ag Bonnleibhéal A2 agus Meánleibhéal B1 ar naoi nduine dhéag a rinne agus a phasáil Scrúdú Cainte TEG i gCiarraí i mbliana.
----
19 European Certificates in Irish awarded in Kerry
European Certificates in Irish (TEG) were awarded to 19 people at a presentation ceremony in Kerry County Council last week. This now means that over 100 staff members of the Council have now completed and passed the examination. For the first time this year, certificates were also awarded to tenants in or awaiting social housing in the Kerry Gaeltachtaí.
Speaking through Irish, Kerry County Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Moira Murrell said at the ceremony “We have two Gaeltacht areas in Kerry, and an obligation to provide services through Irish to both the Gaeltacht and Irish speaking communities. This is no easy task - we have a large Council, many different services and an obligation to serve all. The Council staff are therefore very important and we are so lucky to have staff with such a strong interest in Irish.”
Also at the ceremony Aisling Ní Bheacháin from Maynooth University said: “Kerry County Council are to be commended for their efforts over recent years to ensure that Council staff are suitably trained and enabled to provide services through Irish for the people of Kerry.
“The high standard of Irish and language awareness among Council staff who provide services through Irish is abundantly clear as soon as you walk through the doors of the Council offices or when you phone them in Áras an Chontae.”
TEG, which was founded by the Language Centre in Maynooth University in 2005, is a graduated system with definitive learning outcomes for the adult learner of Irish. It provides an examination process along with accreditation that clearly defines the learner’s current language skill.
Exams are held across the country every year and the learner can choose between the full exam or the oral exam on it’s own. Research in this area shows us that a graduated system of this kind helps the learner remain with their studies and supports them in improving their language skills.
As a result of the work of Kerry County Council’s Irish Office, who organise Irish Language Courses for staff, and for Tenants and potential tenants in Gaeltacht areas, European Certificates In Irish were presented at Foundation Level A2 and Intermediate Level B1 to 19 people who took the TEG Oral Exam in Kerry this year.