By
Colin MacDonald, Gaelic Interpreter, Colaisde na Gaidhlig
My name is Colin
MacDonald and I work at Colaisde na Gàidhlig as Gaelic/Music Interpreter, and
Tour Guide for the Great Hall of the Clans museum. I took my first Gaelic class when I was in
grade 11 at Dalbrae Academy in Mabou. Margie
Beaton was the Gaelic teacher at the time, and I enjoyed her class so much that
I challenged for credit my grade 10 Gaelic class, and also took Gaelic again in
grade 12.
After
graduating from high school, I continued my pursuit for the Gaelic language at
Cape Breton University, where I began my BACS degree in Fine Arts. Hector MacNeil taught me Gaelic in my first
year and he helped spark my interest in an exchange program offered by CBU to
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Gaelic College in the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
In
my third year at CBU, I went on exchange to the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Being abroad for the first time was like
being in a different world. Arriving at
Sabhal Mòr was an experience in itself; the small modern looking campus stood
at the edge of a body of water that reaches across to a barren, rocky mountain
chain. My bedroom was in a tall building
called the “Tower,” and I had a beautiful view looking across the water to the
small town of Mallaig.
Sabhal
Mòr Ostaig was my first experience of Gaelic immersion, and I don’t think my
brain had worked that hard ever before.
Before going off to our first class, an assembly was held with the principal
and all the teachers and we made a promise to them that we would only speak
Gaelic inside the classroom as well as outside. I enjoyed all my teachers and classes very
much. Some days I felt like I was coming
along fairly well with my Gaelic, but other days I felt like I was climbing up
a steep mountain and I would never reach the top. In a way I was right in thinking that I’d
never reach the top, but that shouldn’t have made me feel overwhelmed or
discouraged. When learning Gaelic, or
any language for that matter, you never reach a point where you’re
finished. I’ve been learning English all
my life and I still make mistakes and learn new words on a daily basis. Many of
my Gaelic teachers explained to me in a similar fashion that when a learner
feels overwhelmed by all they haven’t learned yet, this means they are making
progress.I really enjoyed my Gaelic immersion experience overseas, but I enjoyed coming home to Cape Breton and getting involved in the Gaelic community here even more. When I moved back home and got involved in the Gaelic community here, it gave me a strong sense of identity and connection to my ancestors. Currently, I am working full time at Colaisde na Gàidhlig, I’ve been teaching immersion classes (Gàidhlig aig Baile), and I am extremely grateful to be making a living for myself in my home, Cape Breton.
