what do you think of the way irish is taught in schools

Orlaladuck

I see your point there.
I understand how students rely on sample answers and whatnot but there has been quite a few times my teacher has done just as you said your old teacher did. Over the holidays, my teacher set a Pros question on a drama I didn't do last year because I was in a different class. When I said this, she said 'get the notes from someone' but how honestly am I going to get notes from another student, doing the same question over the holidays? I know 'excuses, excuses'. I got little or No help from the book itself, I translated as much as the story as I could, posted it onto a translation site who just told me 'oh most schools do the movie instead', the site in question requires evidence that you have actually Done some work yourself. I've got the essay Half done at this point - No idea how long it's meant to be. I wasn't asking to Not do the question or for a sample answer but a quick summary of the story would have been Extremely helpful.

dolliemix

Orlaladuck wrote: »

I see your point there.
I understand how students rely on sample answers and whatnot but there has been quite a few times my teacher has done just as you said your old teacher did. Over the holidays, my teacher set a Pros question on a drama I didn't do last year because I was in a different class. When I said this, she said 'get the notes from someone' but how honestly am I going to get notes from another student, doing the same question over the holidays? I know 'excuses, excuses'. I got little or No help from the book itself, I translated as much as the story as I could, posted it onto a translation site who just told me 'oh most schools do the movie instead', the site in question requires evidence that you have actually Done some work yourself. I've got the essay Half done at this point - No idea how long it's meant to be. I wasn't asking to Not do the question or for a sample answer but a quick summary of the story would have been Extremely helpful.

Whats the drama/ story you're talking about? Surely there are notes in your book. Did you explain to the teacher that you missed it last year because you were in a different class? Your case is genuine so your teacher shouldn't have a problem giving you more time. If I were you I'd leave it for now. You're probably spending more time stressing over this essay than is necessary. Watch the headlines of the nuacht on RTE player and summarise them in your own words. It's all about the weather at the moment so you should understand it.

Orlaladuck

The drama is La Bui Bealtaine. And I've got as much as I can from the book =/. And unfortunately it's due in for tomorrow but she does tend to change her mind as to when things are due -.-
I can't ask for extra time because it'll be a case of 'oh you've had all holidays!' type thing. But I shall plow on and hopefully it'll get a pass.

dolliemix

Ok Good luck! The effort you're putting in now will stand to you!

Ná déan dearmad bheith ag féachaint ar an nuacht chomh minic is féidir

pbowenroe

I have always said that the Irish curriculum is terrible. The only way a language thrives is if people speak it, which we are not currently taught to do (With the exception of the oral, although the oral isn't the most important part of the course).

Having to learn off poems and prose only puts young people like myself off Irish as a subject. I would love to be able to speak Irish and havin being learning it for seven years, ( I started in 5th class after moving here from the north) i should be able to.

The curriculum needs a major overhaul.

Professional Griefer

Anyone know when the oral is?

whildchild

I love Irish as a language to listen to. I just wish I could understand it!! For Primary school, we did no spoken Irish at all pretty much, just written and spellings (which I still don't get). I did mediocrely in Irish in first year, decided it wasn't worth the effort and dropped down to pass for my JC. (Ended up with a

But I did TY and we watched these movies in Irish done for a TG4 competition and it completely made me want to learn the language! I begged my teacher and she got me into an honours class. At this stage I am working like crazy, but its still the only class I'm getting Ds or maybe a C3 if I'm lucky, whereas in all my other subjects its a lot higher.

I wish I'd gotten the passion right from primary level, but I really don't think my teachers liked Irish as a subject and they passed that on to us doing it. I think that maybe there should be one teacher who specialises in Irish, who actually LIKES Irish who should teach the classes for primary. Begin instilling a love for the language then, begin with books, television, songs, etc. and give a practical side to the language.

Leaving Cert Irish is doable for the low C I might need it for if all goes terribly wrong or I go down to pass maths (unlikely but...) I would very much prefer to be doing conversation classes, or even letters and essays than the pros section. Or like even writing poetry instead of studying it. Make it more acessable.

dlofnep

Keep at it buddy If you like it, it will come to you.

whildchild

I'm praying to whatevers up there it will, I want to be a translater and giving up a language is not something I want to do!

dan_d

Actually, the problem with Irish is mainly at the primary school level.
Look at it this way. You learn/speak English all your life. Come the LC, you've got poetry, essays, comprehensions. You learn Irish for a min of 13 years of your life. Come the LC, you've got poetry/essays/comprehensions. You learn French/German/Spanish 6 years, from scratch, beofre the LC (i'm not including those who do it as an extra in primary school). Come the LC you've got comprehensions and paragraphs - as befits 6 years worth of learning a language.
Yes the course is heavy in Irish. But technically, you should have close to the same proficiency in written irish as you have in English. The listening and oral, obviously more practice needs to go into them. But you've spent 13 years of your life doing irish at least once a day, for 5 days of the week, at least 40 weeks of the year.And that's not counting Gaeltachts and grinds.
At primary school level, grammar needs to be drummed in. It's the only way. And unfortunately, teachers are very hit and miss in the teaching of it.Some will put a lot of effort in and some will just about get there every day. In secondary school, you're supposed to build on what you know. It's quite hard on a teacher to have to teach a language from scratch to a level of 7 years of teaching, then continue on to prepare for whatever exam might be coming up.
And attitudes need to change. Most teenagers are so busy telling everyone how much they hate Irish, and how useless it is, that they don't bother even TRYING to try at it and write it off. It's just another language. There's no reason why it can't be treated like that.

Fad

Orlaladuck wrote: »

^This seriously annoyed me.

But students are Not lazy. To do HL at all means 40 minutes Minimum a night to do h/w. That doesn't include time it takes to do essays and whatnot. Add that to 7 or 8 other subjects worth and I really don't see how we're lazy.

A lot of people I know this year are aiming for very high points to get into better courses rather than just settling for an easy one, most people who repeat this year seem to be repeating not because they did badly or didn't get their choice but because in case they don't like their course and decide to change, they have the points to do so. That seems logical rather than lazy,no? I know I sure as hell wouldn't want to resist this year and we haven't even got to the mocks yet!

No, Irish is awfully taught in your school, and many other schools, but not necessarily EVERY school.

How many other student do you know put the same effort into Irish.

And what?

Professional Griefer

In primary school, it was thought horribly there. Well in mine in anyways. I know its only meant to be basic Irish, easy stuff. In 4th class we got the maths teacher, and missed the Irish teacher, all we did was Maths, played countdown and the grand national, the teacher put aload of sums on the board we had to do them then when it was done we all stood up and each sum was a ''fence'' get one wrong and you're out. It was fun:D
I only learned what ''Bhí me'' meant in 1st year, at the end. Bad stuff. Since there its been pretty bad. Got my JC done in 30 minutes and got a B. I'm screwed for my Oral. Ah well. Just pass, thats all I want.