Making the future of Irish multi-lingual.

anladmór

Sorry yeah I mean making Irish people speak more than one language.

I speak both English and Portuguese(my parents language) but I find that Irish people have a problem of being unable to speak more than one language(English), contrast that to the Netherlands where students can often speak 3 different languages.

How would you advise we revive the Irish language and also as the question states make the irish population become multi-lingual?

Soldie

Correct me if I'm wrong, but by 'Irish' I assume you mean Ireland, and by 'multi-lingual' I assume you mean bi-lingual. If that's the case, why should we strive towards that?

I don't think Irish should be mandatory in schools, but I do think it should be taught a lot better - the entire syllabus needs to be overhauled.

passive

I think..um.. yes... what?

LordSutch

To speak Irish in other languages in the future?

Dob74

Polish will be our native tougne, if current immigration trends continue

sceptre

Dob74 wrote: »

Polish will be our native tougne, if current immigration trends continue

And if other trends continue the Sugababes will be entirely caucasian by 2015 and bad teen pop will never die, just like disco.

Grudaire

Well....

Any immigrants should be able to speak both Irish and English to a reasonable degree, and should be made take classes

However the attitude towards Irish needs to change in the country. I sent an email to the local politicians half in Irish. none of them replied with the slightest piece of Irish. Ryanair can't handle fada's on flights... unless you are flying from France...

oscarBravo

Cliste wrote: »

Any immigrants should be able to speak both Irish and English to a reasonable degree, and should be made take classes

As someone who lives with an immigrant - one with better English than a substantial percentage of Irish people - when more than 50% of Irish people are fluent in Irish, I'll support a call for immigrants to be required to speak it.

Mena

Cliste wrote: »

Well....

Any immigrants should be able to speak both Irish and English to a reasonable degree, and should be made take classes

I speak four languages already, I don't necessarily want to speak a fifth, but can I ask you, what your reason would be behind requiring Irish to be taught? I've been here going on nine years now and not once have I ever had the need to be able to speak, read or comprehend Irish.

If we were in France for example, I would expect myself and any other immigrant to speak French and English at the very least, however in Ireland, from an immigrants point-of-view... and I apologise in advance for saying this, but the Irish language appears to be dead, or at least dying.

And I don't see much call to revive it currently either.

Permabear

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Grudaire

oscarBravo wrote: »

As someone who lives with an immigrant - one with better English than a substantial percentage of Irish people - when more than 50% of Irish people are fluent in Irish, I'll support a call for immigrants to be required to speak it.

Given the OP's question: How would you advise we revive the Irish language.

I'd prefere if this was a thread about how, not why (and given the wording of the question I think it is, however you are the mod )

Mena wrote: »

I speak four languages already, I don't necessarily want to speak a fifth, but can I ask you, what your reason would be behind requiring Irish to be taught? I've been here going on nine years now and not once have I ever had the need to be able to speak, read or comprehend Irish.

If we were in France for example, I would expect myself and any other immigrant to speak French and English at the very least, however in Ireland, from an immigrants point-of-view... and I apologise in advance for saying this, but the Irish language appears to be dead, or at least dying.

And I don't see much call to revive it currently either.

Again above, however if this is the whole 'should we bother' debate tell me.

And you say it's dead but it's not.

donegalfella wrote: »

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Speak all 20 something official languages?

Mena

Cliste wrote: »

Again above, however if this is the whole 'should we bother' debate tell me.

I don't know, but from what I can see, not many Irish appear to think we should... However, with my daughter being taught Irish both my Wife and I feel it is something we'll have a crack at in the very near future.

Cliste wrote: »

And you say it's dead but it's not.

Point of clarification: I said it "appears" to be dead, I did not say that it is.

Grudaire

Mena wrote: »

I don't know, but from what I can see, not many Irish appear to think we should... However, with my daughter being taught Irish both my Wife and I feel it is something we'll have a crack at in the very near future.

Well if and when you do don't get put off by any Gaelgeoir's who insist on perfect grammer.

Mena wrote: »

Point of clarification: I said it "appears" to be dead, I did not say that it is.

Apologies, however I wouldn't say that it's dying either. Stagnant would be a fair description

Permabear

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Grudaire

donegalfella wrote: »

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Then what do you want?

donegalfella wrote: »

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I think that while only 3% speak it daily that far far more have a pretty damn good level of Irish (ie more then the cúpla focal)

Permabear

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LordSutch

I would love to know the real reason why only 3% (approx) of people in Ireland are fluent in speaking Irish, I mean to say, there must be some deep seated reason for this anomoly seeing as students are coming straight out of Secondary School & 'Uni' fluent in Spanish/ French/ German etc.

So why doesnt 'Irish' stick in peoples brains?

Permabear

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Grudaire

donegalfella wrote: »

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It's a fair complaint. however I would like to see equal opportunities for Irish in Ireland. From the government that is. So that should I choose to speak Irish they reply in Irish, just like should you email the Department of education and the civil servant is a Gaeilgeoir you would expect a reply in English

donegalfella wrote: »

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And I live in Dublin (Now let's put the whole location thing aside)

I said before I thought this thread was the how, not the why..
and the TG4 ones are available, does that make Irish a real used language?

And Camelot you need a statistics lesson , 3% speak it daily at home. lots more can speak Irish

lmtduffy

I believe this to do with Irish never appearing practical to dedicate time to for the vast majority of people.

Unlike Spanish, French or German you may need these to travel and many people travel.

Your probably more likely to need to bump into fluent French, German or Spanish people than fluent Irish speaking people(not any kind of comment on immigration just that most Irish people would speak foreign languages better than Irsish.

I think primary school students at least and probably secondary students should have to spend some amount of time every year in the gaeltachts as part of school. (this would also have a lot of other benefits to students, ie change of surroundings, lifestyle and greater experience all round)

And in my experience those who can speak good level of Irish are those who have been to a gaeltacht.

Permabear

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siobhan.murphy

heaven knows there are loads of irish night classes going on, and we should as Irish people learn our native tongue

Grudaire

donegalfella wrote: »

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:rolleyes:

donegalfella wrote: »

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Ceart go leor mo chara. Ní masla persanta é seo

donegalfella wrote: »

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Don't get me wrong I partially agree. I myself would cut down on the documentation first (nobody reads most of it in any language)

donegalfella wrote: »

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Now hang on listen

-This isn't a 'should we' thread, it's a 'how thread', ask me again in another thread
-don't spout bullsh*t at me, have you actually developed your opinion on the topic at all before posting?

Permabear

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Grudaire

siobhan.murphy wrote: »

heaven knows there are loads of irish night classes going on, and we should as Irish people learn our native tongue

Easier said then done. There is almost an anti-Irish culture here. Many people have a mental block about the language for different reasons.

I think more then classes are needed to have a proper revival of the language. The GAA could have a role to play (as could the other sporting bodies) it is always good to read the page of Irish in the match programmes, and the use of Áth Cliath promotes the language in a non-sinister way (ie you won't fail your leaving)

Crann na Beatha

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Grudaire

Iolar wrote: »

Why is it that Isreal can bring back Hebrew from the dead while we the Irish people flog money continually to this language with little apparent benefits?

Because the Irish people like the idea of Irish (at least I think they do), however when it comes to the effort bit of the job it's less appetising.

I would however like to point out the successes that have gone on without even using State money - Firefox and Linux are available in Irish (In fact lots of stuff is)

To really get Irish going the effort needs to come from the people supported by the government (eg Gaeltachts)

Crann na Beatha

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FruitLover

Cliste wrote: »

Any immigrants should be able to speak both Irish and English to a reasonable degree, and should be made take classes

What's the point of that? Irish people won't be able to understand them.

Iolar wrote: »

we as a nation have to think very seriously of the path we are taking especially in regard to our culture and our language before they are both eroded completely.

What do you mean we "have to"? Why? Is there a significant, appreciable consequence if we don't bother?

You can practice Irish all you like, and best of luck with it, but I couldn't give a sh1te if it dies. And I'd say people with my attitude are probably in the majority.

Camelot wrote: »

So why doesnt 'Irish' stick in peoples brains?

It's worthless to most people, and consequently, uninteresting. It's difficult to learn something you have no interest in. And as pointed out above, if you can't practice something you learned, you can't retain it.

P. Breathnach

Iolar wrote: »

Why is it that Isreal can bring back Hebrew from the dead while we the Irish people flog money continually to this language with little apparent benefits?

The people who settled in Israel spoke a wide variety of languages, and Hebrew served as a lingua franca.

In Ireland, almost all people (except for infants and a few of our more recent immigrants) are able to speak good English, so whenever a group of different language backgrounds meet, English is the common language.

I use Irish a few times a year, usually when I holiday in Gaeltacht areas. It gives me some pleasure to be able to do so.

siobhan.murphy

Cliste wrote: »

Easier said then done. There is almost an anti-Irish culture here. Many people have a mental block about the language for different reasons.

I think more then classes are needed to have a proper revival of the language. The GAA could have a role to play (as could the other sporting bodies) it is always good to read the page of Irish in the match programmes, and the use of Áth Cliath promotes the language in a non-sinister way (ie you won't fail your leaving)

a start could be listening to RnG or even watching the nuacht..