Today we will share the interview that we made to Emma Cairns, an Erasmus student from the University of Aberdeen, although she is from Banbridge Co. Down, Northern Ireland. Here you can read the Script, but please note that we only added the initials:
- Interviewee:
- Emma Cairns (E).
- Interviewers:
- Borja Serrano (B).
- Álvaro Pérez (Álv).
- Jessica García (Je).
- Julia García (Ju).
- Alba Fernández (A).
- Anna-Leena Launonen (Ann).
B: Hello, we are here today with Emma Cairns, an Erasmus student from Northern Ireland.
Hello Emma!
E: Hi!
Álv: We would like to ask you some questions about your home country. Do you think there are any stereotypes in the image of the Irish people? And if so, do you agree?
E: ehh... I think everyone has the idea that irish people are drunken farmers and that love Guiness and drink Guiness all day and from that I can understand... because believe it or not, Guiness was given as a medicine in Ireland whenever people had a low iron count in the blood but ... ehh I don't think that everyone drinks, I personally don't like Guiness and I think that the idea of farmer, of people being farmers is very outdated.
B: Ok, so, what do the Irish think about Spanish people?
E: Ehh... Before coming here the general idea was that irish people were very err, spanish people, sorry, were very lazy, and... they love partying and there was always 'fiestas' all the time, and... and to be honest with you now, I ... I don't think that you are lazy, I think that the idea of 'siestas' during the day is a very good idea, and ... but the ehh... you're... you're very loud. That's something that I, that I had the opinion that people in Spain, they speak very loudly with one another...
Je: Can you distinguish the different types of dialects which exist in Ireland?
E: Eh... In Ireland we have two languages, at least we have the English and Gaelic and there are no specific English dialects down South, in the Republic of Ireland, but in Northern Ireland, where I am from, we have proper English which is spoken in Britain and in America. And then we also have a dialect called 'Ullans'. 'Ullans' is from people who are from Ulster Scot in origin, so they came over from Scotland in the 1600s and they merely live in the coast... on the coast of Antrim, County Antrim in Ireland and they would talk like this all the way and that would be very long and very drawn out.
Je: And, umm, sorry, which is, in your opinion, the hardest one to understand?
E: Eh... In Ireland we have two languages, at least we have the English and Gaelic and there are no specific English dialects down South, in the Republic of Ireland, but in Northern Ireland, where I am from, we have proper English which is spoken in Britain and in America. And then we also have a dialect called 'Ullans'. 'Ullans' is from people who are from Ulster Scot in origin, so they came over from Scotland in the 1600s and they merely live in the coast... on the coast of Antrim, County Antrim in Ireland and they would talk like this all the way and that would be very long and very drawn out.
Je: And, umm, sorry, which is, in your opinion, the hardest one to understand?
E: Ehh... well, in my... in my opinion, emm... it depends on... on accents and there are lots of different accents between ehh short geographical differences in Ireland. So, for example, if you go down 10 minutes down the road, from my place someone could talk completely different to you an accent, and you know where they are from. And the same in Ireland, if you go waaay downsouth to Cork it is very hard to understand what they are saying because 'they talk really, really quickly and they don't really ta-' it's so difficult for us but it's sort to have to listen out to it and you catch a couple of words and then you get the jist.
Je: Ok, thanks a lot.
Je: Ok, thanks a lot.
Ju: And so... have you studied Gaelic at school?
E: Emm... being from Northern Ireland I went to a Protestant school so Gaelic wasn't offered on the curriculum but I have been trying to... to learn some Ulster Gaelic and so that... maybe one day I can practice it in the Gaeltacht, which is in County Donegal and where they all speak, all speak Gaelic instead of English.
Ju: And... when did you start?
E: Emm... being from Northern Ireland I went to a Protestant school so Gaelic wasn't offered on the curriculum but I have been trying to... to learn some Ulster Gaelic and so that... maybe one day I can practice it in the Gaeltacht, which is in County Donegal and where they all speak, all speak Gaelic instead of English.
Ju: And... when did you start?
E: I've been trying to learn it for about a year now, but tiny tiny tiny bits of it. But we have the word craic for example, which I like to call a gaelicism and which is progressing into english, so people in England now use this word meaning fun or good times, and they use in everyday situations now.
A: What are the main differences between the Universities in Spain and Ireland?
E: Emm... I'd like to say that the biggest difference is the funding that they receive and, in Spain here you... you have to pay so little to study... and that's... that's really really good. In Ireland our bill will be about four times a month, and in Aberdeen, if you... if I went, where I study myself, I... you would have to pay a 9000 pounds a year, and ... so, this is... that's a really big difference and I... I think that a lot of... a lot of your money sort of things... like it's a lot public, publicly funding and because has been cut at the minute I think it's very sad that you guys are being affected by this and I think... I think it's sad that Ireland doesn´t do more to publicly fund universities.
Ann: Now I would like you to answer... briefly these questions. For example: How do you call “Gym shoes”?
E: Ehh... they would either be plimsolls or trainers.
Ann: Ok, and what do you say to address a group of people?
E: Emm... in an informal setting you go: 'Well lads what's the craic?'
Ann: And what do you call your grandparents?
E: Emm... Granny and Granda.
Ann: Ok, and what is the thing you change the TV channels with?
E: Eh... that would be a TV remote, the remote.
Ann: What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
E: Ehh... that would... Either it would be like Cocacola or Lemonade or else it just would be fizzy drink.
Ann: What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry the groceries at the supermarket?
E: And that's a trolley.
Je: And to finish this podcast we would like you to read you a list of words so our audience can appreciate the Northern Irish accent.
E: Aunt, Roof, Oil, Pecan, Water, Pajamas, Alabama, Crayon, Data, Ruin, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Mayonnaise, Lawyer, Film, Town.
A: Well Emma, thank you so much for your cooperation.
E: You are very welcome.
E: You are very welcome.
