By purchasing a lesson, the student agrees to adhere to these Terms and Conditions. As you go through my website I am sure that you will have questions that you would like to ask about my Skype/Zoom Lessons. Below I have compiled the most frequently asked questions that prospective students and I have answered them as fully as I can. For anything not answered below please contact me:
Absolutely – I offer one free, 15-minute online Irish lesson on Skype and Zoom without any charge.
I realize that learning a new language is a time commitment. By offering you a free lesson you get the opportunity to know me better.
A free trial online Irish lesson is only available to first-time Students. This free lesson is both an evaluative session, as well as an informative one. My goal is to understand your level and your desire in learning Irish!
Log in to your Skype account 5 minutes before the class time and wait for my call. Once it’s time for the class to begin, I will call you. You will see an “answer” and a “reject” button. Click on the “answer” button to start the lesson.
How to Participate in a Zoom Meeting. I will send Invite by email one minute before the class time. Just click on the invitation to join the meeting.
I believe in the most important method to teaching a language is conversational. This is also the aspect where most students suffer vs. reading and writing. Thus I will focus on the building blocks to making your conversational skills in Irish reach new heights. These include teaching new vocabulary, pronunciations, grammar, and colloquial speaking habits – the latter is especially difficult to learn in a textbook! Just like a conversation, a teaching session is dynamic and will go as slow or fast as the student needs before they move on.
I will assess your language level and discuss your specific learning goals during the trial session. I will then customize the lessons based on this.
I will try to speak as much Irish as possible during practice and instruction. Your brain will learn best when it is stretched in a new capacity, in this case, speaking a higher-level of Irish! There will be times where English may be used for complete understanding, but you will find that this will be less and less as you improve.
Any level and the effort you put into it.
At the end of the day, “learning” a language is communicating verbally. This is what I focus on, in a 1-on-1 environment.
The fact of the matter is that everyone learns at different paces, and has different learning goals. You have the flexibility on focusing on certain topics, grammatical points etc, in which you are having trouble with.
Beginner Irish students will learn things like understanding and saying frequently used expressions (ie. How are you? What is your name? Where is the bathroom?) Advanced Irish students can express their ideas and feelings articulately, and understand various complex situations. Lastly, students preferring to focus on a subject such as “traveling to Ireland”, the lessons will focus on learning how to deal in everyday situations when traveling in Gaeltacht regions.
Paraic Donoghue actively encourages student progress and commitment to self-study, but cannot take responsibility for lack of individual progress.
As long as you can hear and be heard through your computer, then you do not. However, I do recommend the use of them simply as it allows you to clearly hear my pronunciation. Listening to a new language is tough enough, let alone in a low-decibel, muffled environment.
The webcam option is completely up to you. Most students tend to use them, so if you feel that it will add to your experience, then, by all means, request to use with me.
Yes. iPhones, ipads and other smartphones and tablets work with Skype and Zoom. All you need is a good internet connection.
Classes start punctually, and so does the end of the lesson. The best thing to do is to email me letting me know how long you will be late.
Consistency is key. If you want to become fluent quickly, you must practice the Irish language every day. For maximum effectiveness, lessons should be held as often as possible. So deciding how often to take lessons really depends on your goals.
No. I don’t require you to buy specific books. However, I do offer material for classes
I utilize two programs called Skype and Zoom, that you will need to download. Skype/Zoom is very easy to download and use, and allows people to call each other’s computer You can download or learn more about Skype/Zoom directly at skype.com and zoom.com for Windows, Mac and Linux.2. Like anything, the faster the internet, the better -DSL or Cable are optimal https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12413/how-do-i-create-a-skype-account
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
Skype and Zoom are the most popular voice and video communication services in the world. You can make unlimited free video calls to anyone in the world provided that person is using the same service too.
How do I use Zoom?
Getting ready for your Skype or Zoom Irish lesson with me is pretty easy. Just download the free software from either Skype.com or Zoom.com, create a free account and you will be ready to go in minutes! If your computer does not already have a built-in microphone (and/or camera), you may need to purchase a microphone (and/or camera + headset).
You can even use these services from your smartphone or tablet!
Yes. Things happen and sometimes you need to tend to priorities. I ask for 24 hours notice in event of a cancellation. Students who fail to provide 24 hours advanced notice will be charged in full for that scheduled lesson. No more than 2 cancellations per lesson is considered a forfeited lesson. Paraic Donoghue holds the right to cancel lessons due to illness, emergencies or at times of technical difficulties and where this occurs, Paraic Donoghue will reschedule the lesson, or when this is not possible, issue a full refund.
A paid student will set the first lesson with me immediately after purchase. A great idea would be to set a weekly schedule for yourself.
I will discuss a schedule with each student to accommodate your individual needs. From time to time, I will not be available to teach (Some weekdays and holidays etc.) but you will be informed of this well in advance.
The purchased lessons have an expiration of 3 months. For the “contract,” the student has 3 months to complete the lessons stipulated in said contract, starting from the onset of these lessons. I therefore ask you to use your lessons during this period to avoid losing them. After that period, the lessons cannot be used and their value is lost.
45 Minutes. This is an optimal length as it allows for a lot to be covered and for students to maintain their concentration levels. It’s also short enough to squeeze into students busy lives! I often work back-to-back lessons and may need the few minutes for a quick breather in between lessons. This also helps make sure that the lesson does not overlap with another.
Lessons will take place on a date and time suitable to both student and teacher, taking into account international time zones.
Lessons will start on the hour and last for 45minutes. Lesson start times will be agreed on at the time of booking.
Lessons are charged at the rates specified on the website, which will be reviewed periodically. Paraic Donoghue holds the right to change the services offered on the website.
No. The class fee is all you pay. I accept Paypal payments where you have the freedom to use popular credit cards.
Please see my pricing section to find the price for the lessons.
Paraic Donoghue will not undertake any lessons if payment is outstanding.
Paraic Donoghue requires the payment is received in advance of each lesson package.
Payment will be taken online via PayPal (operated by PayPal).All payments through my website are handled and processed by Pay Pal on their secure server. Pay Pal’s system, secure server and 3D encryption offers the highest level of security that you can be confident with. What currency is used? My prices are shown in Canadian dollars.
Paraic Donoghue cannot be held liable for any technical difficulties or service interruptions to Broadband services or to Skype/Zoom. If such difficulties arise, I will reschedule the lesson.
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