Irish language.

sambongo

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Irish has experienced a revival in recent years. It'd hardly make sense to cut back on spending just as it's gaining popularity.

Very true... it almost died in the 70s but is definitely on the rise again. I am 16 and I've come across loads of Bebo comments from users my age as Gaeilge! And people like Des Bishop taking an interest helps the language too.

You Suck!

I for one would wish that government stop wasting money on architects and use engineers instead, Also I wish we dump the department of lesure arts and culture as all this cultural artys fartsy stuff is a waste of my(its never seen as "ours" for some strange reason :rolleyes: ) tax money.

Pah!
If this were even an issue in the collective tax payers mind we would know, but as is clear the position against is held by a minority, some of whom can be quite bitter and petty about it. Fact is the population dosn't begrudge the cupla focal.

That said tho, I can agree with certain aspects of the disenters opinion, such that the money spent should be spent better, and also that the education of the language is a disaster. It's ridiculous that you can receive 12 years schooling in a language and not be fluent in it. I also feel that its requirement for university can lead to some disenfranchisement with the language, just as people end up hating math for the same reason. A reconciliation of sorts is needed, in terms of how we the citizens and the state view the language, and how we wish to utilise it in future.

Its a pity the way things worked out, other countries manage to keep their own language and still have good english as the secondary language. There are some good models of bi-lingual states out there such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. As things stand in Ireland, I don't see any way in which we could approach this.

Calina

sambongo wrote: »

Well, for one thing, they could teach it the way they teach French, with the emphasis on oral Irish. None of yer 'Peig' rubbish and less poetry.

Another would be to make going to the Gaeltacht fun as opposed to something everyone dreads.

The way they teach French leaves a lot to be desired also, it must be said.

A key issue in this country - in comparison with other countries - is that far too many people think they are "not good at languages" and correspondingly don't put in the effort. If they did, half the country would be reasonably bilingual in French and Irish which they are not.

I think you'll find there's a sea change attitude amongst kids though because TG4 has started giving them things that we never had growing up, like youth programming in Irish.

Our media is very Anglo-centric. If you spend any time listening to pop radio in France, you'll get pop music in several languages. Here you get it in one. I happen to have a special interest in French so I know a little more about it and I have some great music from there that never gets airplay here. Same in Italian and Spanish.

Admittedly any Irish language pop music I've heard has been s h i t e bad but then we haven't produced much English language pop music of note lately either. But these are the things that make a language more attractive to kids and teens and we don't have them for any language in this country. As for the Gaeltacht, it's what you make it, unfortunately, young people tend not to understand that.