Notes for teachers

STORYLINE BUILD-UP

1. Students study the pictures on the Gift of the Gab page. After looking at the pictures, they answer the questions at the bottom of the page for themselves. Then they discuss their findings with other students.
2. The Irishness of the Irish. This text is to provide the students with some background information on activity 1. The students have to read the text and complete the quiz at the bottom of the text.
3. Wall reading activity. (See Key to exercises below)
4. Irishisms. The teacher can select some Irishisms of her/his choice to discuss with students.
5. Memory card activity. Put the cards face down on the table. The pupils have to take two at a time to find a match between an Irish idiom/word and its corresponding English word/meaning. If their cards are not a match they have to put them back on the table face down. If their cards are a match they can collect it. The student who collects most matches wins the activity.
6. Create your own Irish character. Instructions, see Create your own Irish character page. This character is the starting for the activity number 8.
7. Video activity: Irish slang. Instructions see Video activity: Irish slang.  Key to exercises: see below under Key to Exercises.
8. Teenagers in Cork. The students, in their newly created roles, meet each other in a pub in Cork. The aim is to get to know each other, exchange personal information and to practise some of the Cork slang that they have just looked at. (see follow up activity Video activity: Irish slang)
9. Working with songs. Folk music is an important cultural manifestation that helps to understand the way people feel and live in Ireland. The song included is a typical "sing-along" that all Irish people know and frequently sing together regardless of age and background. Suggestion on how to work with this activity :
   9.1 have students read through the lyrics so that they get the gist of the text and explain what is expected from them when listening to the song.
   9.2 students listen to the song once - twice if necessary -  filling the gaps and putting the correct forms of the verbs. Correction on interactive whiteboard - if available.
   9.3. students sing along with the song - twice if they prefer.
10. "When in Ireland, don't miss..." and "A Bit O Blarney".  The videos displayed are aimed to create a(n) (semi-)authentic Irish atmosphere and to provide the students with a choice to pick an item/place/theme of their choice. Students can choose any of the proposed themes in either sections -but no two groups the same one. This activity can be done individually, or in pairs if the teacher considers this more useful (students can help each other to get used to ICT tools, work on fluent language,...) Students prepare a PowerPoint presentation or a prezi with information and photos related to the chosen item (the teacher sets a time limit for the presentations).
    Example of guided information:
    e.g. 'leprechaun': Find out what  Leprechauns are; where they come from; how they live, etc. ; 'Riverdance': who are they, what do they do,...
    e.g. a particular place: indicate on map of Ireland, what is it known for, characteristics,... .
    If it is "A Bit O Blarney": Read, choose and explain. 

KEY TO EXERCISES
Wall reading activity 

Here you find:

1.  The Irish jokes to put on the wall.
2.  The questions the pupils have to find the answers to.
3.  The answers to the questions.

A Leprechaun Puzzle

A leprechaun bought himself a jigsaw puzzle with 20 pieces.  It took him a month to fit the pieces together correctly.  He thought this was terrific, but his mate O'Reilly said, 'What's the big deal?'

The Leprechaun said, 'Well it said on the box: 4 to 6 years.'

1.  Find out  what a leprechaun is.

When the Irish say that St. Patrick chased the snakes out of Ireland, what they don't tell you is that he was the only one who saw any snakes!

        2. Who is the patron Saint of Ireland?  

Paddy was shaving when he knocked the mirror off the shelf and it fell to the floor and it cracked across the middle. Paddy gazed in horror. 'Bejabbers, I've cut my throat,' he gasped.

        3.  Find a euphemism for by Jesus.

Alcoholic Insect

Three men walk into a bar: a Frenchman, an Italian and an Irishman. Each orders one beer. Three flies fly into the bar and one fly lands in each man's beer. 

The Italian man plucks the fly out of his beer, says "tutto e bene" (all is well)" and drinks the beer.  
The Frenchman shows his beer with the bug still inside it to the bartender and demands another beer. 
The Irishman yanks the bug out of the beer, grabs it by its wings, shakes it while yelling 

"Cough it up, you wee theivin' bastard!"

        4. Find an idiom that means: to hand over (money or another
            possession), often unwillingly.

        5.  Find a word that is used as a general intensifier and means 'little, very small,...'

Closing time 

The old soldier hopped in, crutch under one arm, and called to Murphy the barman. 'A pint of the dark stuff.'
Too late,' said Murphy, 'we've just closed up.' 'Ah come on,' said the soldier. 'I lost my leg at Dunkirk.' 'Well, you won't find it in this pub,' said Murphy.
        6. Find another way to ask for a pint of Guinness.

Video activity Irish slang:

Ex.  II.

1.  This is me auld lade: This is my mother.
2.  This is me auld man: This is my father.
3.  This is me auld wan: This is my boyfriend/girlfriend.
4.  spastic: you idiot
5.  gat on: let's go drinking
6.  that's a difficult dose: that's hard to endure
7.  spoof: you're joking
8.  beour: girl
9.  biy: boy
10.  jax/jacks: the toilet/bathroom
11.  maul: would you like to kiss? 
12.  C'mere: come here

 OTHER ACTIVITIES/RESOURCES 

Irish Idiomatic Expressions I

Irish Idiomatic Expressions II

Irish Idiomatic Expressions III