15 December 2010
Posted in
News -
2010 News Archive
MacKenzie Hall was handsomely decorated with candlelight in the windows and a Christmas tree, full of ornaments, standing by the hearth. People gathered for the celebration from Wolfville to Iona, from New Glasgow to Sydney and its environs, from Truro to East Bay. One man even made the journey from Montreal!
Organizer, Hector MacNeil, points out that the celebration of Christmas brings with it many activities that provide excellent topics for hands'on immersion learning. "Things like decorating the house for the holidays, shopping, wrapping and sharing gifts, cooking and baking and sharing food together – these things are so much a part of Christmas and they provide excellent language learning opportunities. " MacNeil also sites the many opportunities to socialize with family and friends during Christmas. "For Gaelic to continue as a real and relevant language in our communities, it is important that we bring Gaelic into these times of celebration."
Don't imagine there wasn't work to be done by everyone! There were classes morning and afternoon at four levels: Beginner I, Beginner II, Intermediate and Advanced/Fluent. I visited the 2nd beginner class where everyone had fun learning vocabulary around the story of Jesus's birth, like stable, manger, shepherds, the gifts of the three kings—all through the medium of Gaelic, with students learning the names of the various objects as they handled them. In this way, the Christmas story was told, step by step.
Two highlights were the presentation by Dr. Ken Nilsen, Chair of the St. FXU Celtic Department, on the festivals of the Gaelic calendar year, with video and audio testimony from Nova Scotia Gaels; and the fine Christmas dinner prepared by the College cooks.
Humankind loves stories and Gaels most especially do. They passed on by word of mouth to succeeding generations their store of knowledge, history and tales and I believe that's why Gaelic is still alive in our midst. By hearing these stories and making them their own, learners get a grip on the language.
Before everyone dispersed on Sunday, there was opportunity to sit in at a storytelling session, with plenty of laughter in response to the tall tales. Did you ever hear the one about the old lady whose life was 'saved' by a pancake? Or the man who could still chew a 'plug' of tobacco after his head was cut off? Or the child who was an 'old man' by the time he was baptized? Or the woman who fell through the bottom of a water-barrel? Or the corpse that wasn't a corpse at all? Or did you hear the one about how the man escaped from the belly of the deer? It was worth being there just to hear these stories!
The presents under the tree were not the wrapped empty boxes that we are accustomed to seeing. These were real presents that went out to real children on Christmas morning. As an added feature this year, organizers of the weekend invited participants to bring with them a child's Christmas gift. The gifts were wrapped as part of the language immersion workshops and were donated to the Family Place Resource Centre for distribution.
Asked if he had any final comments on the weekend, Hector MacNeil added, "I'd just like to send out a wish to all the friends of the Gaelic College and their families, Nollaig Chridheil Dhuibh Uile agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr Dhuibh – A Merry Christmas to You All and a Happy New Year".
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