Changes could be coming.
Gaelgoirs might be feeling go hiontach when they walk into their Irish classes every morning but for other students, they might think that studying our native language is uafásach when compared to their other subjects.
Everyone will has their own opinion regarding how Irish is taught in schools but a new proposal by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called for a change in the way that we learn the language. At their recent annual congress, it was revealed that they’re prepared to work alongside Irish language organisations, teacher-training colleges, teachers’ unions and students to create a more immersive and interactive approach to learning the language.
USI president, Kevin Donoghue, has said “The way Irish is taught in schools isn’t working. There needs to be more of an emphasis on the spoken language. Fluency is best reached through submersion, which is why we’re recommending all students go to the Gaeltacht. USI is concerned about the teaching of the Irish language at secondary level in Ireland and noted that many students believe that the Irish language is not “taught as a language” and that too much focus is put on literature instead of the oral practice”.
If this proposal is accepted, an emphasis will be placed on teaching/practicing Irish as a living and breathing language, rather than just some text, grammatical rules and quotations that only exist on the page.
Essentially, this means that if you’re studying for your Leaving Cert then you might be spending a bit more time in the Gaeltacht.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
