FAQS
How do I type the Gaelic accents?
You can just copy and paste these
Lowercase letters
Uppercase letters
Keyboard shortcuts
Windows
Some simple ways to type grave accents in MS Windows, depending on which version you use. The grave accent ` is next to the number 1 at top of keyboard
à, è, ì, ò, ù Ctrl+`, release and type letter;
À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù Ctrl+Shift+`, release and type letter
OR
Alt key + character code on the numeric keypad on right of keyboard (laptops will vary). Ensure that the NUMLOCK is on.
à Alt+133 or 0224
è Alt+138 or 0232
ì Alt+141 or 0236
ò Alt+149 or 0242
ù Alt+151 or 0249
À Alt+0192
È Alt+0200
Ì Alt+0204
Ò Alt+0210
Ù Alt+0217
Mac
Push and hold a character to bring up a menu and choose.
E.g. hold the letter e to choose the letter è
What is the Gaelic Alphabet?
> Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu
For more information visit LearnGaelic’s Scottish Gaelic Alphabet https://learngaelic.scot/scottish-gaelic-alphabet.jsp
How do I pronounce Gaelic sounds?
SpeakGaelic always gives you a sound file for the word you are learning. For more information on individual sounds, visit LearnGaelic’ Sounds section https://learngaelic.scot/sounds/index.jsp
What are slender and broad vowels?
The slender vowels are e and i.
All the others are broad.
SpeakGaelic says my email is taken and I can’t log in. Can you help?
This is usually because your account has not been properly activated – there should be an email from us with a link to activate your account (remember to check spam / junk folders too). If you can’t find the email, let us know.
If you have already activated your account, you may be on the wrong page. Please ensure you are on the login page and not the registration page.
Can you fix my link SpeakGaelic emailed to activate my account?
Yes – please forward us the email to fios@speakgaelic.scot and ask us to activate your account.
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Please make your way to the login page.
Can you help me move on after completing a test?
This commonly happens if you have not logged on. You also need to have passed with 60% correct answers, if you think you have been unfairly treated, let us know. We may have a mistake in that particular test and we will fix it.
My dashboard says I’ve completed X number of topics but I should have more. How do I complete all steps to finish my topics?
You should be able to scroll and expand each topic to see which one has a step missed out. In the following example, all the sections apart from the intro and completed topic section have been completed, so the topic is incomplete.
Go into the incomplete section and follow the all the steps in the section to complete the topic.
How can I see how many steps I have missed out?
You can tell how many steps are in each section by the score on the counter at the top of the page.
How can I see what steps I have missed out?
You can see these by going to the left-hand side of screen of any section and selecting See Lesson Content. Mobile users have an extra fist step, you can see this extra step below.
This will pull out all an index of all the pages and you can see your progress – a completed section will have a big green tick, an incomplete section will be empty. To resolve, navigate to the incomplete pages. If a quiz has not been completed it will be blue. if it is complete, the quiz icon is green.
Extra step for small screens
Mobile users will have an extra step: you have to select the three stacked lines (officially known as the hamburger) beofre the other steps.
How do I report an error?
Either use the contact form or send us an email at fios@speakgaelic.scot. Please send us the page title at the top of page (or URL) with a short description of error. If you can send a screengrab, that will help us identify the issue.
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This is usually as something is muted somewhere on your device. Check volume controls, speaker settings and device settings. Please make sure you are pressing the speaker icon.
Why was I marked wrong on this quiz question?
We hate to break it to you, but you might be wrong. Check you have read the question correctly. Please ensure your apostrophes are facing the correct way and finally make sure you don’t have too many spaces.
If you think you have been unfairly treated, let us know. We may have a mistake in that particular test and we will fix it. Either use the contact form or send us an email at fios@speakgaelic.scot. Please send us the quiz title at the top of page (or URL) with a short description of error. If you can send a screengrab, that will help us identify the issue.
Can you translate something for me?
We are a tiny wee team and our main focus is on our resources. There are also professional translators who will talk you through your requirements and provide appropriate translations (some words may be context-dependent). We can send you a list of professional translators if you need them.
I think I’ve found a typo/mistake on the website. How do I report this?
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'S e na dh'fhuiling mi de thàmailt, a thug mo bhàrdachd beò 2
It's the disgrace I suffered that gave rise to my poetry 2
Mary MacDonald was born in 1821 and she was brought up in Skeabost in the Isle of Skye.
Her father was a crofter, Iain Bàn mac Aonghais Òig (Fair John son of Young Angus).
in 1845 Màiri moved to Inverness.
Three years after that, she married Isaac MacPherson, a shoemaker from Inverness, and they made their home in the town.
But Isaac died in 1871, leaving her with six children.
The youngest ones were 12 and 15 years of age.
After the death of Isaac, she got work as a nurse with Mrs Harriet Turner.
After Mrs Turner’s death, Mary was accused of stealing some of her clothes.
She was convicted in (the) court and imprisoned for 40 days.
Some are of the opinion that it was another servant who put Mrs Turner’s clothes in Mary’s trunk, and Mary herself was adamant that she was innocent—that was obvious in many of the songs she made/composed.
As she said herself:
It’s the disgrace I suffered that gave rise to my poetry
After being released from prison, Mary went to Glasgow to look for work as a nurse.
She also got training as a midwife in the city’s Royal Infirmary.
It appears that Mary learned to read and write at this time, because there is no evidence that she could do this before 1872.
In 1876, she moved to Greenock where she was a nurse, but she would often return to Glasgow to the big Skye ceilidhs.
She returned home to the Isle of Skye in 1882, and she lived between Skeabost and Portree.
Through the 1880s she was very much involved in the Land League Agitation [Land Struggle].
She was often present at the crofters’ meetings, and working on poetry which would invigorate her compatriots.
Her songs were very important in broadcasting information to the people of the Highlands about the campaign because many were unable to read at that time.
She died in 1898 in Portree after a short illness and she was buried beside Isaac in the Chapel Yard Graveyard in Inverness.
A collection of her songs was published in 1891.
Cuin a rugadh Màiri?
When was Mary born?
Càit an deach a togail?
Where was she brought up?
Dè an obair a bh’ aig a h–athair?
What was her father’s work?
Dè t–ainm a bh’ air a h–athair?
What was her father’s name?
Cia mheud pàiste a bh’ aig Màiri agus Ìosag?
How many children did Mary and Isaac have?
Seo dhut na freagairtean!
Cuin a rugadh Màiri?
1821
1821
Càit an deach a togail?
Sgèabost [Sgeitheabost], an t–Eilean Sgitheanach
Skeabost, the Isle of Skye
Dè an obair a bh’ aig a h–athair?
Croitear
A crofter
Dè t–ainm a bh’ air a h–athair?
Iain Bàn mac Aonghais Òig
Iain Bàn mac Aonghais Òig (Fair John son of Young Angus).
Cia mheud pàiste a bh’ aig Màiri agus Ìosag?
Sianar (sia)
Six