Little by Little Beag air Bheag

Introduction

Foghlam

Education

We reminisced on our schooldays in Unit 20. In this unit we’ll look a bit more at speaking about our education, and some of the subjects we might have studied. To get started, here is some useful vocabulary:

Conversation 1

In conversation 1 Pòl and Iain are talking about the subjects they did at school.

Conversation 1

Listen to the conversation:

Pòl:

An robh thu math air Matamataig?

Were you good at Mathematics?

Iain:

Bha. Chòrd Matamataig rium.

Yes. I enjoyed Mathematics.

Pòl:

Cò an tidsear a b’ fheàrr a bh’ agad?

Who was your best teacher?

Iain:

Mgr Mac a’ Ghobhainn. Bha e uabhasach foighidneach.

Mr Smith. He was extremely patient.

Pòl:

Bha e sin, ach cha robh mise math air Matamataig idir.

He was that, but I was no good at maths at all.

Iain:

Dè an cuspair a b’ fheàrr leat fhèin?

What was your favourite subject?

Pòl:

’S e Ealain a b’ fheàrr leam. Ach chòrd Beurla rium cuideachd.

My favourite was Art. But I enjoyed English as well.

Iain:

An robh thu math air peantadh, no dè?

Were you good at painting, or what?

Pòl:

Cha robh no math. Bha mi truagh.

Not at all [lit. I wasn’t or good]. I was poor.

Iain:

Ciamar a chòrd Ealain riut cho math, ma-thà?

How did you enjoy Art so much, then?

Pòl:

An tidsear. Bha i snog!

The teacher. She was lovely!

Iain:

Ahà. Miss Cairney. Tha thu ceart. Bha i snog!

Aha. Miss Cairney. You’re right. She was lovely!

Pòl:

Cha robh an tidsear Beurla cho snog.

The English teacher wasn’t so nice.

Iain:

Bha i cruaidh, nach robh?

She was hard, wasn’t she?

Pòl:

Ach ’s e deagh thidsear a bh’ innte.

But she was a good teacher.

Iain:

’S e. Mrs Drummond. B’ e an duine aice an tidsear Saidheans agam.

She was. Mrs Drummond. Her husband was my Science teacher.

Pòl:

Bha e agamsa cuideachd.

I also had him.

Iain:

Dè do bheachd air?

What is your opinion of him?

Pòl:

Bha e math air Bith-eòlas agus Ceimigeachd ach cha robh e math air Fiosaig.

He was good at Biology and Chemistry but he wasn’t good at Physics.

Iain:

O, tha sin duilich. B’e Fiosaig an dàrna cuspair a b’ fheàrr leam.

Oh, that’s a pity. Physics was my second best subject.

Pòl:

Aidh, ach tha thusa math air Matamataig.

Yes, but you’re good at Maths.

Iain:

Tha àireamhan furasta. ’S e sgrìobhadh a tha duilich.

Numbers are easy. It’s writing that’s difficult.

Pòl:

Uill, chan e sin mo bheachd fhèin!

Well, that’s not my own opinion!

At university

Foghlam

Education

In Conversation 2, Ceitidh and Anna are discussing their time at University:

Why not listen to Conversation 2?

Conversation 2

Listen to the conversation:

Ceitidh:

Dè rinn thu aig an oilthigh?

What did you do at [the] university?

Anna:

Rinn mi ceum ann an Eachraidh na Roinn Eòrpa.

I did a degree in European History.

Ceitidh:

An robh e inntinneach?

Was it interesting?

Anna:

Bha e uabhasach inntinneach. Bha deagh òraidichean agam.

It was extremely interesting. I had good lecturers.

Ceitidh:

Cha do chòrd na h-òraidean agamsa rium idir.

I didn’t enjoy my own lectures at all.

Anna:

Carson? Dè an cuspair a rinn thu?

Why? What subject did you do?

Ceitidh:

Rinn mi ceum ann an Cruinn-eòlas.

I did a degree in Geography.

Anna:

Bhiodh Cruinn-eòlas inntinneach.

Geography would be interesting.

Ceitidh:

Bha an cuspair fhèin math. Ach cha robh na h-òraidean math.

The subject itself was good. But the lectures weren’t good.

Anna:

An deach sibh gu àiteachan inntinneach?

Did you go to interesting places?

Ceitidh:

Chaidh – a dh’Innis Tìle agus Graonlainn.

Yes – to Iceland and Greenland.

Anna:

Abair e! Bhiodh sin math.

Wow. That would be good!

Ceitidh:

Ach tha mi cinnteach gun deach thusa gu àiteachan matha cuideachd.

But I’m certain you went to good places as well.

Anna:

Chaidh. Àiteachan nas blàithe na Innis Tìle is Graonlainn!

I did. Places [that are] warmer than Iceland and Greenland!

Ceitidh:

Càite an deach thu?

Where did you go?

Anna:

Chaidh don Ròimh agus a dh’Istanbul.

[Went] to Rome and Istanbul.

Ceitidh:

Is toigh leam an Ròimh. Cha robh mi riamh ann an Istanbul.

I like Rome. I was never in Istanbul.

Anna:

Bha sinn a’ coimhead air na Ròmanaich agus Byzantium.

We were looking at the Romans and Byzantium.

Ceitidh:

Is toigh leam Eachdraidh.

I like History.

Anna:

Is toigh leamsa Cruinn-eòlas cuideachd!

I like Geography as well!

Ceitidh:

An do rinn thu àrd-cheum?

Did you do a higher degree?

Anna:

Thòisich mi air PhD. Ach leig mi seachad e.

I started a PhD. But I let it go.

Ceitidh:

Carson a bha sin?

Why was that?

Anna:

Phòs mi. An uair sin bha clann agam.

I got married. And then I had children.

Ceitidh:

’S e seann stòiridh a tha sin.

That’s an old story.

Anna:

Ach tha mi a’ dol air ais don oilthigh an ath-bhliadhna.

But I’m going back to university next year.

Ceitidh:

Sgoinneil!

Excellent!