Dia duit! That’s Irish for hello, if you’re not brushed up on your Gaelige. Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge is taught at the UW in non-credit, informal classes by language sciences instructor Rebecca Shields. The in-person courses are part of a UW–Madison community outreach service where students and Madison community members are invited to join conversations in Irish and learn the language, without needing any previous experience. For UW–Madison students especially taken with the language, the UW encourages learners to apply for international summer study programs including the Summer Gaeltacht Awards through Fulbright Ireland-USA and the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship. But if you’re looking for a more immersive Irish experience stateside, advanced language learners can join the UW’s Irish language table which meets in the School of Human Ecology each week. The group practices speaking, reading, and singing in Irish, and fáilte roimh achan duine. And there’s no better time to start practicing, since the Badger football team is set to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in Doublin in 2027.
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