A certificate designed for adult learners
Adults learning Irish in the Republic of Ireland, and abroad, need a way to show what they can do that does not depend on the school Leaving Certificate. Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) is one such system. This article summarises the TEG website, including its introduction, its FAQs and its page for the Civil Service. Most statements about TEG’s standing, such as being the first or only system of its kind or being recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, are TEG’s own claims and are attributed accordingly. The article concerns Ireland. Irish-language provision in Northern Ireland is covered separately on this site.
What TEG is
TEG describes itself as a series of general Irish-language proficiency examinations and qualifications for adult learners, and says it is administered by the Centre for Irish Language at Maynooth University. It says exams are offered at five levels: Bonnleibhéal 1 (A1), Bonnleibhéal 2 (A2), Meánleibhéal 1 (B1), Meánleibhéal 2 (B2) and Ardleibhéal 1 (C1). The levels are broadly based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and the exams assess speaking, listening, reading and writing.
TEG says candidates range from absolute beginners to fluent speakers, and gives examples that include adult evening-class learners, Irish tutors at a university, county council staff, journalists, teachers and students at a Canadian university. It says exams take place in ten centres in Ireland and four abroad, with exam dates and centres published for each year on its site.
Full and partial certification
The TEG FAQs say a candidate can sit the entire exam, covering listening, reading, writing and speaking, and be awarded full certification at that level, or can sit the oral exam only for partial certification. Marks for an oral-only exam are shown on the certificate of successful candidates. This suits learners whose main goal is spoken Irish, for example for work or family reasons.
The FAQs also state that each exam is independent, so a candidate does not have to pass A1 before sitting A2 and can choose whichever level is most suitable. TEG suggests that candidates talk to a teacher or TEG staff and use the syllabuses, sample papers and its online language test to judge the right level. It also says all oral exams are audio-recorded, not video-recorded.
Who can take it
According to the FAQs, anyone can sit a TEG exam, with no requirement to attend a particular course and no age restriction. That makes TEG usable by self-taught learners and by people who studied with different providers. TEG also offers an online language test, which its FAQs suggest candidates might take to get a general idea of their ability in the language before choosing a level. The test gives an indication only and is separate from the certificate exams. TEG also provides exam materials at each level, including syllabuses, exam guides, sample papers and answers, sample listening and oral exams, and chief examiner reports, which it says teachers are strongly advised to read.
Where TEG says it is recognised
TEG says its certification is recognised by the Department of Education and Skills. It states that the B2 level satisfies the entry requirement for undergraduate and postgraduate primary education courses in teacher training colleges, which it presents as an option for people who lack the required Leaving Certificate Irish grade. It also says a pass at B1 can satisfy the Irish requirement for matriculation for candidates presenting a qualification other than the Leaving Certificate, such as the International Baccalaureate or the French Baccalauréat, whose education has been in the Republic of Ireland.
TEG further says that a number of organisations in Ireland specify TEG certification as a basic requirement for employees or use TEG exams to assess applicants, and that this is particularly relevant since the Official Languages Act 2003. Anyone relying on TEG for a particular job or course should confirm the requirement directly with the employer or institution, because these statements are TEG’s own summary.
Its Civil Service page states that TEG collaborates with OneLearning and Gaelchultúr to provide Irish-language tests to civil service employees, with exams run twice a year from A1 to C1.
Choosing between TEG and a general language course
TEG is an exam and certificate, not a course. TEG’s exam-material page says the official TEG logo should not be used to advertise Irish courses, including courses that prepare for TEG or that follow TEG syllabuses, so a course that advertises itself with the TEG logo is not following TEG’s stated rule. Learners can instead check that a course is based on the published syllabus for the level they need.
The bottom line
TEG is a five-level, CEFR-based certificate for adult learners of Irish, run from Maynooth University, with full or oral-only certification and no age limit or course requirement. Its stated recognition, including by the Department of Education and Skills for teacher-training entry, comes from TEG itself and should be confirmed with the relevant employer or college. It complements classes rather than replacing them.
Sources
- Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, “Welcome to Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge”
- Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, “FAQs”
- Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, “TEG & the Civil Service”
- Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, “Exam Material”