The Frontline on compulsory Irish

MonkeyMan.

losh wrote: »

The problem with Irish is the people who speak it fluently some how think that
they are more Irish than the rest of us non speakers.

I do not like traditional Irish music, I do not have any interest in the GAA,
and I have never heard anyone speak irish in everyday life .

I resented having been forced to learn this language in school which had no
relevance to any thing i experienced as a child.

The Irish language has no relevance anymore and all the state grants and
forced teaching will never change that.

I speak irish fluently and i do not think i am better than the next person!.. and neither does anyone else i know, everyione is equal, it doesnt matter what language you speak its natural instinct for everyone to do what is natural to them. You have been given the chance to learn your native language, why not take that chance??... The irish language will always be there as long as the gaeltachtaí are there, and it is spreading to other counties becuse of the vast majority of people coming to the gaeltacht to learn, and yes it is a bit of fun but people who come here are serious about heir lives and whats coming! Irish is compulsory and it will be so i think everyone should stop complaining about and just learn it!! the irish language is relevant, it has worked so far in schools but some like to kick up a fuss about it

MonkeyMan.

Pittens wrote: »

they are often free.

it is to do with the love for the language

MonkeyMan.

thebman wrote: »

I thought so, so your just ignoring the likelihood that if Irish was optional many colleges would stop requiring it for entry to courses in areas like computer science?

Irish is only required as its mandatory for leaving for many courses and the whole government pursuing this agenda of mandatory Irish encourages colleges to require it which is why you can get in to most colleges with a D3 in Ordinary Irish but they have higher requirements for the subjects that will have given you a background in subjects useful for your course.

If Irish was optional, it would only be required for colleges that make use of it during the course.

English is not a language subject for leaving as you aren't learning to speak it. Its more an appreciation of poems, plays and books at that level as its assumed you can speak and know the grammar of the language at that point.

Then you have the European languages which one is required for many courses. Irish could easily become one of these accepted languages for many of the courses that don't contain any Irish so people without Irish wouldn't be at a disadvantage such as Computer Science.

why wouldn't you be learning to speak it?? a lot of people from different countries come to schools to learn english

MonkeyMan.

Pace2008 wrote: »

Your definition of culture is my definition of history. I do not speak Irish in my day-to-day life, nor do millions of my compatriots, so I don't feel it is part of my culture, and having people telling me it is whether I like it or not only strengthens my dislike of the language brought about by 13 years of forced study.

so you dont speak it every day! thats you and your campatriots... 350,000 do! this is ireland native language!! why wouldnt you be willing to keep it alive????????

sceptre

OK, we're done. Some of you appear to have a medical aversion to realising what the topic of the thread actually is even though it was clearly stated at the beginning and frequently since and I'm afraid even the limits of the Politics forum can't encompass that particular difficulty.

As one of the forum moderators I still think it's an interesting discussion with a politics dimension given its importance and/or perceived importance and one never knows, perhaps the next time it comes up for discussion more participants will manage to stay on topic and require significantly less reminders (of which there have been many on-thread), especially as those who can stay on topic tend to be perceived to make a more worthwhile case on whatever side they're on. For what it's worth, I've noticed and I suspect quite a few others have too.

Locked for sanity and all that good stuff.

/mod