Helena Ní Rócháin

Biography

Helena Ní Rócháin is a native Irish speaking, hailing from the vibrant Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht community in County Kerry, Ireland. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Irish and History from the University of Limerick and later pursued her Master's degree in Modern Irish at University College Dublin. During her postgraduate studies, her thesis focused on the portrayal of female characters in the works of Irish-language authors. Her academic achievements were recognized when she was awarded the Dara Duais an Dr. TK Whitaker scholarship, which is bestowed upon postgraduate students of Irish who excel in their studies and research. Helena dedicated three years of her career to the Educational Research Centre, where she worked on research related to Irish-language learning in Irish speaking areas of Ireland. She possesses extensive experience in teaching the Irish language at various levels and has worked with organizations such as Tobar Dhuibhne and University College Dublin.

Although Canada presents a completely new adventure for Helena as she has never been here before, she eagerly looks forward to immersing herself in this diverse environment and its rich culture.

What is your favourite thing about teaching?

My favourite thing about teaching is building positive relationships with students in class and having a bit of fun while doing it. I make sure to include a great deal of activities in my classes in order to ensure that they all get to know each other and hopefully form friendships through their interest in their courses. It is an immensely rewarding aspect of the role to see your students gain confidence as they learn a language, and also to see how students begin to embrace the richness and diversity of other cultures through language learning.

What's the last book you read and loved?

I read 'Our Share of Night' by Mariana Enriquez back in August, and it still haunts me! It is an excellent novel, using the Argentinian military dictatorship's reign as a backdrop to explore the effects of collective traumas on individuals and their interpersonal relationships. I was particularly interested in how Mariana Enriquez incorporated aspects of Argentinian folklore and mythology into the book as a means of addressing societal issues such as poverty, violence, crime and economic instability.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would have to choose Japan. I became particularly interested in visiting Japan after taking a module exploring Japanese history during my undergraduate degree. Not only does Japan have a fascinating history, but the more I learned about the natural beauty of the Japanese country combined with its stunning architecture and rich cultural heritage has meant that it quickly moved to the top of my travelling bucket list.

What three words best describe your experience as a teacher?

Enthusiastic, collaborative, humorous.

What is your favourite word in Irish?

My favourite word in Irish is the word 'masmas', meaning a feeling of nausea following excessive eating. I remember when I first heard the word being used in a documentary discussing an exceptionally rare tidal wave that swept into the bay in my local village back in 1942. The speaker, humorously reflecting on the aftermath, mentioned how locals consumed the fish that had washed ashore in the fields for months afterwards. He insisted that they forever associated the sight of a fish with a sense of queasiness thereafter.