TIP - Delivery

The overriding objective of Total Immersion Plus (TIP) is that one acquires Gaelic by way of the subtle use of topics, tasks, strategies, non verbal communication and though not subtle in this aspect, intensive repetition.

The "English Only Room" must be completely separate from the course delivery rooms, so as not to undermine the main objective; this being the acquisition of the Gaelic language as quickly as possible. Notwithstanding, it will allow other language speakers to remove themselves from the "Gaelic only environment" to another place where they can let off five to ten minutes of other language steam and thus return to the "Gaelic only environment", refreshed and ready to embrace the constraints of the "Gaelic environment".

To become a TIP tutor a candidate must undergo ten days of personal training on an approved TIP Tutor Training Course, this to be followed up by two more days of "updating skills", each year.

Students wishing to become conversationally fluent in the stated 200 hours time frame will need to complete this task on a personal contact basis. Ideally, this task is best accomplished in an unbroken block of 6 weeks. Notwithstanding, a student, can complete the course, over a longer period; though they must be aware that it still takes 200 hours to reach the desired conversational fluency, irrespective of the breaks a student takes while on the course.

A TIP course embraces a high degree of flexibility, insomuch as it can with equal success, be served up in the home, workplace, classroom, catering outlets etc. Then again these courses work just as well in occupational venues such as veterinary surgeries, kitchens, fishing boats, garden centres, cultural centres, community halls etc. Indeed, the places one can conduct a TIP centred course are virtually unlimited.

An absolute essential of all TIP centred courses is that they must have the most imaginative, stimulating and widest range possible of everyday equipment, items, objects, tools, materials, and furniture, one can practically gather together.

TIP not only recognises dialects, but also joyfully embraces and indeed, celebrates their diversity.

TIP employs intensive and substantial amounts of repetition, this is a fact. And admittedly, students in the initial stage of a TIP centred course, often find such ploys intimidating, if not irritating. However, given just a little longer time and patience, students quickly, revise this view and come to realise, the real value of repetition. Indeed, feedback from almost every student that has ever partaken of a TIP course, has come to regard repetition as a lifeline. Moreover, most of them claim, that there was never enough repetition on a course, to satisfy their need.