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If you plan on making Gaelic the main language of your relationship and of your home, it is vital that you both have an open and honest conversation about how you use the language with each other.
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Do you tend to use English with each other rather than Gaelic? Why is that?
"It feels 'artificial'."
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If it feels a bit strange speaking Gaelic to each other at the moment, there's one or two things you can do to get past this:
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Begin and end each conversation in Gaelic
Make an agreement between the both of you to begin and end every conversation in Gaelic. Keep with it until it becomes habit, and little by little the heart of the conversation will turn to Gaelic as well.​
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Make time for Gaelic
Arrange a specific time of the day in which you speak Gaelic to each other. Try to stick to Gaelic as much as possible without switching to English.
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This is, unfortunately, something we hear all too often from younger Gaelic speakers.
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Remember that it is simply not fair to compare your language abilities to those of the older generations. Communities have changed a great deal over the last few decades and the opportunities to be fully immersed in the language have, in certain instances, become fewer.
Don't let the fear of making mistakes stop you from speaking Gaelic. And if someone does correct you, it is most likely not their intention to make you feel bad about your Gaelic, but rather give you support and guidance.
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If you find that Gaelic isn't quite on the tip of your tongue as it was when you were younger, you have no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
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As bilingual people, we go often go through stages in our life when we use one language more than the other, and this means that we might not feel as confident and capable when speaking our lesser used language.
The more you start to use it, the more comfortable and confident you will feel speaking it again.
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