Dr Jacqueline de Brún writes about her research which illustrates how reading in Irish has proven to help young readers become better readers in English too.
Bilingualism is a super power! People with two, three, four languages are better at … everything! If you have Irish you have a super power, and you are a legend!
There are a lot of positive vibes and statements around Irish at the minute. Which is great. But are we content with the cúpla focal and the tokenisms? The higher the competence in a language the higher the bilingual superpowers.
How can we raise our competence in Irish? Is there something that can help with vocabulary development, sentence structure, grammar, phonics as well as help us enjoy the language? Of course. Reading!
The advantages of reading are recognised in all languages. People who read often have higher linguistic competencies. Reading in a second language furthers language development in the second language, as well as in the first language. Which means frequent reading in Irish is actually raising competencies in English.
This involves what Jim Cummins calls the 'Common Underlying Proficiencies' that describes how literacy skills and strategies transfer across languages. Skills and strategies are strengthened when they are applied in more than one language and, at the same time, are consolidated in the first language. Therefore, allocating time to learning in Irish is not detracting from learning in English. Proficiency is increased in both languages.
We have a fantastic opportunity, therefore, to encourage and strengthen reading in Irish as early as possible and to continue the practice to empower adult readers.
Choosing a book with the appropriate language and interest level can motivate young readers.
This is not new. Educationalists have been encouraging reading as a way to raise standards of Irish for a long time. But there are two major requirements for young readers to embark on their reading journey in Irish. Skill and will. Reading needs to be taught so that readers know and use skills and strategies with ease. Willingness can be improved with skill. Without skills and strategies children are less willing to read.
Many Common Underlying Proficiencies transfer from English. Readers need to be made aware of these skills and make links to apply them to their reading in Irish. Of course there are differences between the written codes of Irish and English that need to be taught explicitly to young readers. A major aspect of reading is word recognition. Comprehension is blocked when words are not recognised accurately and fluently. Irish grammar changes words in the context of phrases and sentences with implications for word recognition. Knowledge of phonemes and morphemes helps readers break down words to recognise them, make connections with words they know and make links with comprehension. Words need to be encountered in the context of phrases to recognise and understand grammatical structures as part of the learning process. All this can be accomplished in a positive way through reading. Those who read often read best.
You can read more about the research here
Is sár-chumhacht é an dátheangachas! Tá daoine a bhfuil dhá theanga, trí theanga nó ceithre theanga acu níos fearr ag … gach rud! Má tá Gaeilge agat tá sár-chumhacht agat, agus is laoch thú!
Tá go leor scéalta, ráitis agus dearcaí dearfacha ann faoin Ghaeilge faoi láthair. Rud atá go hiontach. Ach an leor an cúpla focal agus frásaí anseo is ansiúd? Dá airde d'inniúlacht sa teanga is ea is airde do chumhachtaí mar dhuine dátheangach.
Cad é mar is féidir d’inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge a ardú? An bhfuil rud ann a chuideoidh le forbairt foclóra, struchtúr abairte, eolas gramadaí, fónaic na teanga agus sult a bhaint as an teanga? Tá cinnte. An léitheoireacht!
Aithnítear buntáistí na léitheoireachta i ngach teanga. Bíonn inniúlacht teanga níos fearr ag daoine a léann go minic. Cuidíonn an léitheoireacht sa dara teanga le forbairt teanga sa dara teanga, agus sa chéad teanga. Mar sin, má léitear go minic i nGaeilge is féidir cur le heolas ar an Ghaeilge chomh maith le heolas ar an Bhéarla.
Baineann sé seo le rud a dtugann Jim Cummins 'An Bhuninniúlacht Choitinn’ air. Is é sin go bhfuil go leor leor scileanna agus straitéisí litearthachta ann a thrasnaíonn teangacha. Neartaítear na scileanna agus na straitéisí má chuirtear i bhfeidhm iad i níos mó ná aon teanga amháin agus daingnítear iad sa chéad teanga. Níl tú ag baint den Bhéarla agus tú ag díriú ar an Ghaeilge. Tá tú ag cur leis an dá theanga.
Is deis iontach é, mar sin, léitheoireacht na Gaeilge a spreagadh agus a neartú chomh luath agus is féidir agus an nós a leanúint le léitheoirí fásta a chumasú. Má dhéantar an rogha cheart leabhar ag caighdeán cuí teanga agus suime, is féidir léitheoirí a spreagadh.
Ní scéal nua é seo. Tá oideachasóirí ag moladh na léitheoireachta le fada an lá mar mhodh le feasacht na Gaeilge a ardú. Ach tá dhá rud mór le baint amach le léitheoirí óga a chur ar thuras na léitheoireachta. Is iad sin scil agus toil. Caithfear an léitheoireacht a theagasc le go mbeidh na scileanna agus na straitéisí ar eolas agus in úsáid gan stró. Gan na scileanna agus na straitéisí tá sé deacair toil na léitheoireachta a éascú. Is féidir toil a ardú trí scil a ardú.
Tá an Bhuninniúlacht Choitinn ann cinnte, agus aistríonn scileanna agus straitéisí ón Bhéarla. Is gá iad sin a chur ar shúile na léitheoirí le naisc a dhéanamh agus le scileanna agus straitéisí atá ar eolas a chur i bhfeidhm sa Ghaeilge. Ach is teanga faoi leith í an Ghaeilge agus tá gnéithe saniúla ann chomh maith i gcód scríofa na Gaeilge a chaithfí a theagasc do léitheoirí óga. Is mórghné léitheoireachta í aithint focal. Gan
focail a aithint go cruinn agus go líofa ní féidir tuiscint na léitheoireachta a bhaint amach. Tá córas gramadaí ag an Ghaeilge a athraíonn focail i gcomhthéacs frásaí agus abairtí agus a imríonn tionchar ar aithint focal. Cuidíonn eolas ar fhóinéimí agus ar mhoirféimí na Gaeilge go mór le focail a bhriseadh síos agus a aithint, ach iad a bheith ar eolas le nasc a dhéanamh le ciall. Is gá focail a fheiceáil i gcomhthéacs frásaí agus na hathruithe gramadaí a aithint agus a thuiscint mar chuid den phróiseas foghlama. Is féidir na rudaí seo ar fad a dhéanamh go sultmhar tríd an léitheoireacht. Na léitheoirí a léann go minic, is iad is fearr.
Tá níos mó eolais le fáil ar an ábhar seo anseo
Dr Jacqueline de Brún, Ollamh Cúnta i Scoil na Teanga, na Litearthachta agus an Oideachais Luath-Óige in DCU
