Scríobhann Dr. Aisling Ní Dhíorbáin agus Patrick Burke ón Ionad SEALBHÚ in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath faoin taighde nua atá déanta acu faoi theagasc na Gaeilge.
Is am ar leith é don Ghaeilge i láthair na huaire agus ní mór dúinn gníomhú!
Tá an Ghaeilge go mór i mbéal an phobail na laethanta seo.
Cibé acu má bhí tú ag léamh faoin éileamh atá ar cheolchoirmeacha Kneecap nó ag léamh faoi na pleananna atá ag Catherine Connolly an Ghaeilge a úsaid mar theanga oibre in Áras an Uachtaráin, níl aon amhras faoi ach go bhfuil spéis sa teanga ag dul i méid. Tá dóchas nua acu siúd atá tiomanta don Ghaeilge go nglacfar léi ar bhonn ní ba leithne ná mar ábhar scoile amháin. Táthar ag súil go gcuirfí chun cinn í mar mhodh cumarsáide, mar lionsa chun breathnú ar an domhan agus mar bhealach chun ár gcultúr a shaibhriú. Ach má táthar chun an fhís seo a bhaint amach, tá gá le gníomh.
Léiríonn taighde a rinne SEALBHÚ, Lárionad Taighde DCU um Fhoghlaim agus Teagasc na Gaeilge, i gcomhpháirt leis an Roinn Oideachais agus Óige, cad ar chóir dúinn a dhéanamh san am atá romhainn chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. San alt seo, déanfaimid cur síos ar thrí phríomhtheachtaireacht a d'eascair ón meid a dúirt breis is 200 duine óg linn faoin nGaeilge, agus ar na himpleachtaí atá ann do thodhchaí na Gaeilge i scoileanna a fheidhmíonn trí mheán an Bhéarla.
1. Bimís ag caint: Is mian le páistí agus daoine óga a bheith in ann Gaeilge a labhairt
Is iondúil go mbíonn páistí - agus déagóirí ach go háirithe - iontach ionraic agus a gcuid dtuairimí á roinnt. Ba é an príomhthéama an d’eascair ón gcomhairliúchán leis na daltaí ná go raibh an chuid is mó acu ag iarraidh a bheith in ann Gaeilge a labhairt. Is é sin ráite, cuireann go leor acu frustrachas in iúl maidir leis an gcaighdeán líofachta a bhíonn bainte amach acu faoi dheireadh rang a sé sa bhunscoil nó faoi dheireadh an séú bliain san iar-bhunscoil. Léiríonn siad tuiscint ar an ról tábhachtach atá ag an nGaeilge chun tacú linn ár dtír a thuiscint agus chun ceangal a dhéanamh lenár gcultúr agus lenár bhféiniúlacht. Mar a dúirt páiste bunscoile amháin: "It’s the country’s language. We are in Ireland. It can’t die out."
Cad is ciall leis seo?
Go bunúsach, más féidir linn teagasc, foghlaim agus measúnú na Gaeilge a fháil i gceart tá sé léirithe ag daltaí go bhfuil siad i bhfabhar fhoghlaim na Gaeilge. Ar ámharaí an tsaoil, tá go leor taighde náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta againn a léiríonn dúinn cad ba chóir dúinn a dhéanamh chun barr feabhais a chur ar theagasc agus ar fhoghlaim na Gaeilge. Tá a fhios ag na daoine óga féin céard atá le déanamh. Dúirt siad linn gurb iad na heispéiris foghlama is dearfaí a bhíonn acu ar scoil ná nuair a bhíonn deis acu an teanga a úsáid trí amhráin, dhánta, chluichí, ról-imirt agus i ngnáthchomhrá nó nuair a úsáideann siad an Ghaeilge i ngníomhaíochtaí eile ar nós spóirt, imeachtaí cultúrtha nó gníomhaíochtaí scoile (e.g. Seachtain na Gaeilge).
2. Tógaigí (nó caithigí!) amach an téacsleabhair - ní leor iad!
Cé go mbíonn claonadh ag leanaí óga a bheith iontach dearfach faoi eispéiris teanga na luath-bhunscoile, is minic go n-éiríonn siad níos diúltaí agus iad níos déanaí ar aghaidh sa bhunscoil agus san iar-bhunscoil. De réir mar a théann páistí tríd an gcóras, is minic go gcaitear an t-am teoranta atá acu don Ghaeilge ar léitheoireacht agus ar scríbhneoireacht téacsleabhar-bhunaithe ag an mbunleibhéal agus ar ullmhú do scrúduithe Stáit ag an iar-bhunleibhéal. Dar leis na daltaí, ní bhíonn go leor deiseanna acu chun 'comhrá’ a dhéanamh agus chun ‘foghlaim conas cumarsáid ó bhéal’ a dhéanamh. Cé go dtacaíonn an léitheoireacht agus an scríbhneoireacht leis an bhfoghlaim teanga, tá sé ríthábhachtach go mbeadh neart deiseanna ag foghlaimeoirí an teanga a labhairt. Is iad na tosca is tábhachtaí agus teanga ar bith á foghlaim ná an líon teagmhála a bhíonn ag an bhfoghlaimeoir leis an teanga agus na deiseanna cumarsáide a bhíonn acu. Ar bhonn níos leithne, ní mór dúinn smaoineamh ar bhealaí chun daoine óga a chur ag úsáid na Gaeilge lasmuigh den scoil, bíodh sé sin trí thurais mhaoinithe chuig an nGaeltacht nó trí thionscadail a bhfuil baint ag an bpobal áitiúil leo.
3. De réir a chéile...: Leanúnachas agus Ailíniú
Agus muid ag éisteacht le daoine óga ag caint faoina n-eispéiris ar scoil, bhí iontas orainn cé chomh neamhsheasmhach is a bhíonn a gcuid eispéiris go minic. Foghlaimíonn roinnt páistí na frásaí céanna go minic (Is maith liom____, an maith leat ____?) arís agus arís eile sa bhunscoil ach ní dhéantar aon fhorbairt orthu seo. Dar leo, caitheann siad go leor ama i mbun staidéir ar an litríocht ag leibhéal na hiar-bhunscoile, ach is beag dul chun cinn a dhéanann siad maidir lena gcumas féin abairtí a chumadh go neamhspléach. Tá siad den tuairim nach dtugann córas na Scrúduithe Stáit luach saothair don chuspóir is tábahchtaí a bhaineann le teanga ar bith, is é sin a bheith in ann cumarsáid a dhéanamh.
Tá an t-am tagtha don smaointeoireacht chomhleanúnach agus chun iniúchadh dhéanamh ar theagasc, foghlaim agus measúnú na Gaeilge ó thús go deireadh an chórais. Bheadh ailíniú na Gaeilge le Comhchreat Tagartha na hEorpa um Theangacha (CEFR) thar bheith cabhrach chun leanúnachas agus forbairt a chinntiú. Tá an creat ann - ní mór dúinn leas a bhaint as.
Níl anseo ach cuid de na teachtaireachtaí a tháinig ó leanaí agus ó dhaoine óga ar fud na tíre. Tá neart tuairimí eile léirithe sna tuarascálacha comhairliúcháin.
Tá sé in am againn an deis a thapú! Is céim dhearfach atá sa Phlean Gnímh nua don Ghaeilge i scoileanna a fheidhmíonn trí mheán an Bhéarla - Is féidir liom, is féidir linn - chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar theanga bheo do gach duine. Níl le déanamh anois ach an plean gnímh a chur i ngnímh!
Irish is having a moment: Now is the time for action
The Irish language is having a moment.
Whether you have been following the rise of Kneecap or reading about Catherine Connolly’s plans to make Irish the working language of Áras an Uachtaráin, there is little doubt that interest in the language is on the rise. All with a passion for the language are hopeful that we can finally embrace Irish as not only a school subject, but a means of communication, a lens for looking at the world and a way to enrich our culture. But getting beyond the view that Irish is a school subject - and one that is not always well liked - requires action.
Recent research carried out by SEALBHÚ, the DCU Centre for the Learning and Teaching of Irish, in partnership with the Department of Education and Youth, highlights what we need to get right in the time ahead. Here, we recount three big messages from what over 200 young people told us, and more importantly, what this means for the future of Irish in English-medium schools.
1. Bimís ag caint: Children and young people want to be able to speak Irish
Children tend to be fairly honest in their views. Teenagers, even more so. A main theme from the consultation with students was that most want to be able to speak Irish. In fact, many express great frustration with the fluency they achieve by the end of sixth class or sixth year. They understand the important role that Irish plays in understanding the country and connecting us with our culture and identity. As one primary school child put it: "It’s the country’s language. We are in Ireland. It can’t die out."
What does this mean? If we can get the teaching, learning and assessment of Irish right in our primary schools, we may be pushing something of an open door. Fortunately, we have a huge amount of national and international research to tell us how to do this. Young people also know themselves. They told us that their most positive learning experiences in school were when they actually had a chance to use the language through songs, poems, games, role-plays and in general conversation or when they use Irish in activities such as sport, cultural events or school activities (e.g. Seachtain na Gaeilge).
2. Tógaigí (nó caithigí!) amach na leabhair: We need to move beyond textbooks
While young children tend to lap up the language experiences of early primary school, they often become more negative in late primary school and at post-primary level. As children progress through the system, the limited time they have for Irish is often based on reading and writing from a textbook at primary level and preparing for State exams at post-primary level. They report few opportunities for ‘comhrá’ and learning to communicate orally. While reading and writing support language learning, it is critical that language learners have ample opportunities to speak a language.
The most important factors in learning any language is contact with the language and using it for a communicative purpose. More broadly, we need to think about ways to get young people using Irish outside of school, whether this be through funded trips to the Gaeltacht or through projects involving the local community.
3. De réir a chéile…: Continuity and Alignment
Listening to young people talking about their experiences in school, we were struck by how inconsistent their experiences often are. Some children regularly learn the same phrases (Is maith liom____, an maith leat ____?) repeatedly in primary school but don’t progress any further. In their view, they spend much time on exploring Irish literature at post-primary level, but make little progress in their ability to construct their own sentences. They feel that State Examinations do not reward the most fundamental purpose of any language: being able to communicate.
Now is the time for some joined-up thinking and to examine the teaching, learning and assessment of Irish from top to bottom. Aligning Irish with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) could prove very helpful to ensure continuity and development. The framework is there. We need to use it.
These are but a few messages from children and young people across the country. Many more are included in the consultation reports. We need to ensure that this moment does not pass. The new Action Plan for Irish in English-medium schools - Is féidir liom, is féidir linn - is a positive step in making Irish a more realistic language of communication for all. Now is the time to put the action plan into action
