More Children Want To Learn Irish, But Their Needs Are Not Being Met
More Children Want To Learn Irish, But Their Needs Are Not Being Met
So what’s holding us back?
A new piece of research has shown that school children living in Ireland have a positive attitude and outlook when it comes to learning Irish. However, their learning needs are not being met in most schools.
The DCU report, done as part of the Policy for Irish-Medium Education and Action Plan for Irish in English-Medium Schools, surveyed more than 200 students of different ages within the school system. So what is it that needs to be done?
Students involved in the survey were asked how they felt about different parts of the Irish language curriculum, including the amount of time they got to use the language and what motivated them to take part and put effort into Irish lessons. The responses showed an overall desire to learn Irish and speak with confidence among the children surveyed.
However, many of the students also stated that the way Irish is taught in school is making learning more difficult.
The results were different among different ages. Younger pupils said that they enjoyed learning Irish most when lessons were interactive, involving games, music and movement. By secondary school, however, many students reported losing interest, blaming repetitive learning and a heavy focus on textbooks for making Irish feel less engaging.
An issue raised repeatedly throughout the research was the lack of real opportunities students have to actually use Irish. Speaking to The Journal, Dr Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin, who worked on the report, noted that while children understand the cultural and practical value of the language, many feel frustrated by how little time they get to speak it.
“The biggest challenges are probably the lack of contact they have with Irish in-and-outside of school, which makes it hard to solidify their grasp of the language.” – Dr Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin
Overall, the research highlights a clear gap between students’ interest in learning Irish and the way it is taught in schools. Without changes, students’ enthusiasm for Irish risks being lost as they progress through the education system.
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