New Irish-language app to help children learn as Gaeilge

30 Apr 2014

A new app called Mo Chéad Foclóir (My First Dictionary) that aims to help young children improve their vocabulary while they learn Irish is the result of a partnership between educational publisher Folens and interactive content publisher StoryToys.

This is not the first time StoryToys has worked on developing language apps for the younger generation, having previously released versions of this app in French, Spanish, German and Chinese.

Mo Chéad Foclóir works by using a combination of colourful photographs and simple word labels that pop up on screen as a 3D scene, in order to teach children in a fun and encouraging way.

The app encourages children to follow simple instructions, tap on pictures to hear a word spoken in English, and then tap again to have it repeated in Irish.

The understanding among the app’s developers is that this process ensures a reinforcement of word meanings in both languages for the child.

Suzy O’Keefe, senior marketing manager at Folens, said Mo Chéad Foclóir is essentially a book that “harnesses the fascination children have with apps and technology and brings both worlds together.”

The app is now available for download from the App Store and Google Play.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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