Think of this English sentence: The swan is big.
Do you think every language lines those words up in the same order? Today we listen for where the action word (the being-word or verb) lands, and we find out why Irish often puts it first.
Listen as we play each row: same bird, different languages. Which two sound closest?
We will say the English and Irish names together. The other languages are for curious ears: listen only.
Listen to each clip and name the language.
Then listen once more. Watch the board: your teacher will show whether that language usually puts the action word early, in the middle, or near the end. Point left, middle, or right with them. You are hunting position, not translating every word.
Irish often puts the verb (the being-word) first.
'Tá mé' (taw may) lines up more like am I than I am.
Watch one full sentence with arrows for what moved:
Say Tá an eala mhór together after the audio.
Open your copy. Copy the worked pair from the board, then draw an arrow (or underline) to mark what moved.
Board pair:
You are marking the move of the being-word, not inventing a new sentence.
We will play bird bingo from the board. When you hear a bird you know, show a thumbs-up or chorus the bird name. First full line the class agrees on wins a cheer. Listen hard: the same bird may arrive in more than one language.
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