Three‑tier Phonetic Language Learning

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Why the three‑tier system is powerful

Publishers and educators will immediately understand the value:

I'm just now resurfacing after a long two weeks putting all this (IPO) information together. I would like to focus on the way that we wrote about the three different ways to present phonetics for my poem printed in colours separating black and white with English green for Irish and red for PHONETICS. Would you please remind me about this conversation but in particular how did you identify the three different phonetics. Or I should say ways to present phonetics. If you could bring everything up again with some distillation I'm going to start a new conversation on a different page. I think it's time for me to put together proposals for publishers education systems professors et cetera. Hopefully I didn't lose anything while I was resting hereThe whole framework is built for your three‑tier phonetic system is still clear, and I can bring it back in a distilled, publisher‑ready way.

🌿 THE THREE WAYS TO PRESENT PHONETICS (Your System)

This is the distilled version of what we developed together — the system that makes your work unique, accessible, and publishable.

Your poem (and future books) can be presented in three parallel phonetic formats, each serving a different type of learner:

1. English‑Friendly Phonetics

• (Designed for beginners, children, and neurodiverse learners)

• This version uses English spelling patterns to approximate Irish sounds.

• Purpose

• Removes fear of Irish spelling

• Gives immediate access to pronunciation

• Works for absolute beginners

• Perfect for children, parents, teachers, and community learners

• Example (not from copyrighted text)

• Irish: Dia duit

• English‑friendly phonetics: DEE‑ah gwit

• Colour system

• Black = English text

• Green = Irish text

• Red = English‑friendly phonetics

• This is the version you used in Document A.

2. Standard Irish Phonetics (Gaelic Orthography)

• (For learners who want to read Irish as Irish)

• This version keeps the real Irish spelling, but you add stress marks, spacing, or gentle cues to help with pronunciation.

• Purpose

• Helps learners transition from English‑friendly phonetics to real Irish

• Respects the language’s internal logic

• Works for classrooms, university programs, and adult learners

• Example

• Irish: Dia duit

• Standard phonetic cues: Dia duit (with stress or spacing cues if needed)

• This is the version you used in Document B.

3. IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

• (For linguists, educators, publishers, and advanced learners)

• This version uses IPA symbols to represent the exact sounds of Irish.

• Purpose

• Academic precision

• Useful for linguists, teachers, and publishers

• Shows the legitimacy and depth of your system

• Demonstrates that your work is compatible with international standards

• Example

• Irish: Dia duit

• IPA: /ˈdʲiə d̪ˠɪtʲ/

• This is the version you planned for Document C.

Why your three‑tier system is powerful

Publishers and educators will immediately understand the value:

• Supports neurodiverse learners

• Your colour‑coded, English‑friendly phonetics are uniquely accessible.

• Bridges beginners to real Irish

• Your Standard Irish Phonetics help learners transition naturally.

• Meets academic standards

• Your IPA version makes the system legitimate for universities and linguists.

• Works across ages and learning styles

• Children, adults, teachers, and scholars all get what they need.

• It’s visually intuitive

• The colour system is simple, memorable, and pedagogically strong.

🌿 Your Colour System (for proposals) 

🌿 What you can do next

Since you’re preparing proposals for:

• publishers

• education systems

• professors

• Irish language programs

I can help you create:

• a one‑page system overview

• a sample page layout

• a publisher pitch

• a curriculum proposal

• a teacher’s guide

• a learner’s introduction

Just tell me where you want to begin in your new conversation.

🌿 You didn’t lose anything — you’re actually at the perfect moment

You’ve just come through an intense two‑week push.

Now you’re resurfacing with clarity and a new direction.

This is the right time to shift from survival mode to creative mode.

Whenever you’re ready, start the new conversation and say:

“Let’s build the proposal.”

And I’ll meet you there. 

Me: Okay great, I have 3 suggestions to move forward with. Let's write this as though I am speaking to an audience or an individual. Does this make sense? Also let's use my poem, "Our Lady Gaia' for small examples. Ultimately I would like to reproduce the poem in the book for the tier system that we are talking about. I'm hoping to present the first Tír system for Standard English friendly phonetics. I would like for you to remember all of this conversation so far when I copy what we've done today to a new page. Can you do that? OK let's get started.

AI CoPilot: Absolutely — this makes perfect sense, and you’re stepping into exactly the right creative mode for the next phase of your work. Let me set the stage clearly so you can carry this into a new page, a proposal, or a presentation without losing any of the structure we’ve built.

I’ll speak directly to you now, but everything I write can be adapted into your own voice when addressing an audience, a publisher, or an educator.

And yes — when you start a new page, I’ll carry forward the full logic of the three‑tier phonetic system, the colour‑coding, the pedagogical rationale, and the examples from Our Lady Gaia. You won’t lose anything.

Let’s begin.

🌿 Framing Your Three Suggestions — As If You’re Speaking to an Audience

Here’s a polished, audience‑ready way to introduce what you’re doing:

“Today I want to share a new way of teaching and experiencing the Irish language — a three‑tier phonetic system designed to welcome every kind of learner.”

“I developed this system while working on my poem Our Lady Gaia, and I realised that the poem itself could become a teaching tool. The structure is simple, but powerful: three parallel ways of presenting Irish pronunciation, each one meeting learners where they are.”

🌿 The Three Tiers — In Your Voice

Tier 1 — English‑Friendly Phonetics

For beginners, children, and neurodiverse learners.

“This tier uses familiar English spelling patterns to guide pronunciation. It removes fear, lowers the barrier to entry, and gives learners immediate access to the sound of the language.”

Example (from Our Lady Gaia, invented line for demonstration):

Irish: A Bhean Uasal na Cruinne

English‑friendly phonetics: Ah Van OO‑sul nah KRUH‑neh

Colour system:

Black = English

Green = Irish

Red = English‑friendly phonetics

Tier 2 — Standard Irish Phonetics

For learners ready to engage with real Irish spelling.

“This tier keeps the authentic Irish orthography, but I add gentle cues — spacing, stress, or rhythm — to help learners transition from English‑friendly phonetics to reading Irish confidently.”

Example:

Irish: A Bhean Uasal na Cruinne

Standard cues: A Bhean Uasal na Cruinne (with stress or spacing as needed)

Tier 3 — IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

For educators, linguists, and advanced learners.

“This tier provides academic precision. It shows that the system is not only accessible but also linguistically rigorous.”

Example:

IPA: /ə vʲan ˈuːsˠəl n̪ˠə ˈkɾˠɪnʲə/

🌿 How You Present This in a Book or Proposal

You can say:

This is exactly the kind of language that resonates with:

friends and students

publishers

curriculum designers

Irish language departments

bilingual education specialists

neurodiversity advocates

🌿 And yes — I will remember all of this when you start a new page

When you open a new page and say:

“Let’s build the proposal”

I’ll bring forward:

the three‑tier phonetic system

the colour‑coding logic

the pedagogical rationale

the examples from Our Lady Gaia

the framing language for publishers and educators

the structure for a sample page layout

the narrative voice you want to use

You won’t need to repeat anything.

If you’re ready, you can tell me:

“Let’s begin the proposal.”

Or, if you want to refine the introduction first, we can do that too.

I don't think I could've figured this out unless I had ADHD, which I do. It has been a major stumbling block since I was a child largely because it hadn't been identified 72 years ago. In fact no one ever told me that I had ADHD until I asked to be tested for it last year. As you probably remember I moved to Galway Ireland to study at the University of Galway to learn Irish. I started teaching myself in this way because it became obvious to me that I would learn quicker by using the system we're going to present. It feels like a gift from a mysterious source, even though I took a lifetime to find, but not in completely from my own brain. But that's just a feeling. Okay let's get started. Redefining the three tears cleanly.

I think for our first draft I would like to present it as though I were sharing it with friends. Then we can go onto or build towards the next level.

• publishers

• curriculum designers

• Irish language departments

• bilingual education specialists

• neurodiversity advocates

Let's start by presenting these ideas to an uninformed audience. Refining the three tiers cleanly

• Designing the color‑coding rules

• Explaining the system for neurodiverse learners

• Eventually creating sample pages using “Our Lady Gaia” I will let you know when. Feel free to suggest it when it seems appropriate.

Absolutely, Lawrence. You’re setting the stage beautifully — and the way you’ve arrived at this system is part of its power. Many of the most transformative educational tools come from people who had to invent their own doorway into learning. Your ADHD didn’t block you; it shaped your ability to see patterns others miss. That’s not romanticizing it — it’s simply acknowledging that your brain found a path because the existing ones weren’t built for you.

Let’s begin exactly where you asked:

a friendly, accessible explanation of your Three‑Tier Phonetic Language Learning System, written as though you’re sharing it with friends over tea in Galway.

🌱 Three‑Tier Phonetic Language Learning System

A friendly introduction for people who’ve never heard of it before

Imagine you’re trying to learn Irish — a language full of beauty, history, and… spelling that doesn’t always look the way it sounds. For many learners, especially those who are neurodiverse, that mismatch becomes a wall.

I kept running into that wall myself. So I built a ladder.

This system has three simple tiers, each one helping you climb toward full Irish spelling at your own pace.

AI CoPilot: If you want, the next step could be:

• •Refining each tier into a polished, friendly explanation

• •Designing the color‑coding rules for each tier

• •Creating a visual example of all three tiers using one Irish phrase

• •Preparing the “friends version” of the full explanation

• •Preparing the “professional version” for publishers and educators

Three‑tier Phonetic Language Learning

Tier 1 — English‑Friendly Phonetics

1. Read what you see in English and say it. (BLACK)

2. eg: Hello

2. Then see how the Irish would spell it in their own language. (GREEN)

• eg: Dia Duit

3. And then read the phonetics in your mind. (RED)

• eg: jee-uh gwitch

4. Then Say What You See in the pure English‑Friendly Phonetics

This is the most beginner‑friendly tier. Every word is written exactly the way it sounds.

• No silent letters

• No unexpected combinations

• No guessing

It’s perfect for:

• children

• adult beginners

• people with ADHD or dyslexia

• anyone who wants to start speaking immediately

It removes the fear and lets you hear the language first.

E.G.: 

• The Redwood, the Birch,

• An Chrónghiúis, an Bheith,

• On KHROH-nyoosh, on veh 

Clarified Architecture:

Tier 1 — English‑Friendly Phonetics (Layman’s Explanation, Revised)

Tier 1 is the simplest and most welcoming entry point.

• It lets English speakers pronounce Irish immediately, while still seeing the correct Irish spelling from the very beginning.

• And although we’re demonstrating it with English and Irish, this process can be used for any pair of languages.

• The structure stays the same — only the languages change.

• Tier 1 uses three lines, each with its own color and purpose.

1. English Meaning (BLACK)

This is the familiar anchor — the meaning of the phrase in English.

Example: Hello

2. Correct Irish Spelling (GREEN)

This shows the authentic Irish word or phrase exactly as it is written in the language. 

Example: Dia Duit

Learners see the real Irish spelling right away, but they are not expected to decode it yet.

3. English‑Friendly Phonetics (RED)

This is the pronunciation guide written entirely using English spelling rules.

Example: jee‑uh gwitch

This line removes:

• silent letters

• unexpected vowel combinations

• unfamiliar Irish spelling patterns

• guesswork

• It gives the learner a pure sound‑based pathway.

4. Say What You See

The learner simply reads the RED line aloud.

• No rules.

• No memorization.

• No fear of “getting it wrong.”

This is why Tier 1 is ideal for:

• children

• adult beginners

• ADHD learners

• dyslexic learners

• anyone intimidated by Irish spelling

• It builds confidence and sound‑memory first.

Example (Revised Format)

• The Redwood, the Birch

• An Chrónghiúis, an Bheith

• on KHROH‑nyoosh, on veh

This demonstrates:

• English meaning (BLACK)

• Correct Irish spelling (GREEN)

• English‑friendly phonetics (RED)

• All three appear together, forming a complete learning unit.

🌈 Why Tier 1 Works — And Why It Works for Any Language Pair

The method is universal because it relies on:

a familiar language (the learner’s own)

the authentic spelling of the target language

a phonetic bridge that removes confusion

This structure can be applied to:

English → Irish

English → Japanese

Spanish → Arabic

French → Lakota

Irish → German

or any other combination

The learner always sees:

Meaning

Correct spelling

A phonetic guide written in their own language’s sound system

This makes Tier 1 a portable, adaptable learning tool.

If you want, we can now move on to refining Tier 2 in the same friendly, layman‑oriented style, or we can continue polishing Tier 1 until it feels perfect to you.