Would you prefer to speak Irish?

hondasam

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Logic and sport don't make good bed fellows.

How passionate are you about your rugby?

Galwayguy35

Yes i would love to be able to speak Irish fluently, but having had to read "Peig" for the 1992 Leaving Cert was a fate worse than death. Things are probably different now and maybe they make the language more interesting.

Cú Giobach

Namlub wrote: »

She writes, in English.

What language would you expect in an English language forum?
Would you find it odd if someone posted "Englisch ist meine Sprache" in a conversation over on a German language forum?

hondasam

Namlub wrote: »

She writes, in English.

who writes in English?

Namlub

Cú Giobach wrote: »

What language would you expect in an English language forum?
Would you find it odd if someone posted "Englisch ist meine Sprache" in a conversation over on a German language forum?

Yeah, I was being facetious.

hondasam wrote: »

who writes in English?

Seriously?

Cú Giobach

Namlub wrote: »

Yeah, I was being facetious.

I know, which is why I replied.

Micky Dolenz

hondasam wrote: »

How passionate are you about your rugby?

On a scale of 1 to 10?

About 12.

elefant

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Yes i would love to be able to speak Irish fluently, but having had to read "Peig" for the 1992 Leaving Cert was a fate worse than death. Things are probably different now and maybe they make the language more interesting.

It's still taught badly, and very badly in my opinion. And that's nothing against the teachers themselves, I had excellent Irish teachers.

My problem is with 16 and 17 year olds who are still learning the language, still learning words and grammar and unable to read newspapers or novels in the language, who would struggle to hold a conversation with a native Irish speaker on the street, having to read plays and poems and talk about similes and onomatopoeia. Just teach them to converse in Irish, and if they want to learn about Irish literature then let them chose. Make learning a language about actually being able to use it, rather than just as a vehicle for getting points in an exam.

44leto

I would love to be able to speak Irish and I keep intending to learn. But I am also glad English is our national tongue.

Sunnyisland

LordSutch wrote: »

No its not, English is our language.

Irish is given recognition by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland (with English being a second official language).

philologos

realies wrote: »

Irish is given recognition by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland (with English being a second official language).

As true as that is, what is the defacto (in practice) primary language of Ireland?

Hands down it is English.

Sunnyisland

philologos wrote: »

As true as that is, what is the defacto (in practice) primary language of Ireland?

Hands down it is English.

Yes it is which is more of a pity imo.







Irish was the predominant language of the Irish people for most of their recorded history, and they brought their Gaelic speech with them to other countries, notably Scotland and the Isle of Man, where it gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx. It has the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe. It began to decline under English and British rule after the seventeenth century,By the end of British rule, the language was spoken by less than 15% of the national population.

philologos

I don't see how it is a pity that we learned first one of the most useful, if not the most useful language in the world. I regard that as a blessing.

Sure, Irish is culturally an interesting thing to look into, but if I'm to compare both on utility, it's English hands down.

Benny_Cake

Ideally we'd be bilingual, I'd love it if Irish was our first language (although it would mean I'd have to learn it) but there is no way we could go without English. In any case, English as spoken in this country is truly Irish, and is unique to us.

KeithAFC

I'd imagine more people would try to learn the language if it wasn't a propaganda tool by a certain political party.

Seachmall

KeithAFC wrote: »

I'd imagine more people would try to learn the language if it wasn't a propaganda tool by a certain political party.

I think people associate Irish with being Irish faster than they do with Sinn Fein.

Not you though, strange...


:pac:

Sunnyisland

philologos wrote: »

I don't see how it is a pity that we learned first one of the most useful, if not the most useful language in the world. I regard that as a blessing.

Sure, Irish is culturally an interesting thing to look into, but if I'm to compare both on utility, it's English hands down.

If we had being allowed to keep our own language we still could have english as our second language if we so wished,Many other european countries use English in work but at home and socially they speak in there native tongue.

Immaculate Pasta

KeithAFC wrote: »

I'd imagine more people would try to learn the language if it wasn't a propaganda tool by a certain political party.

Would you prefer to speak Ulster Scots over English KeithAFC?

It'd be a great craic for all 10 of you :pac:

Chuck Stone

Seachmall wrote: »

I think people associate Irish with being Irish faster than they do with Sinn Fein.

Not you though, strange...


:pac:

I think you might be looking for this.

Sunnyisland

KeithAFC wrote: »

I'd imagine more people would try to learn the language if it wasn't a propaganda tool by a certain political party.

How is it a propaganda tool ?

O its you keith :rolleyes: In your mindset everyone who even speaks or likes Irish Anything has to be a hidden provo or die hard republican,

Sunnyisland

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

Would you prefer to speak Ulster Scots over English KeithAFC?

It'd be a great craic for all 10 of you :pac:

:D:D

philologos

realies wrote: »

If we had being allowed to keep our own language we still could have english as our second language if we so wished,Many other european countries use English in work but at home and socially they speak in there native tongue.

Irish is still spoken, but for pragmatic reasons it makes sense to most people that English is the primary defacto (in practice) language.

Sunnyisland

Seachmall wrote: »

I think people associate Irish with being Irish faster than they do with Sinn Fein.

Not you though, strange...


:pac:

Thats not strange at all.

KeithAFC

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

Would you prefer to speak Ulster Scots over English KeithAFC?

It'd be a great craic for all 10 of you :pac:

Kind of taken the option away from the original protectors of the language.

Liam Byrne

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Ta

The "alt" key will give you the fada!

PhlegmyMoses

I'm a relatively fluent speaker - did it as part of my degree but haven't really spoken much since - and I would prefer to have Irish as a first language and English second on the proviso that we would speak English as well Irish. I wouldn't sacrifice the benefits our ability to speak English gives us just so we could speak Irish.

44leto

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The "alt" key will give you the fada!

Testing testing

no fada you lie.

Sunnyisland

philologos wrote: »

Irish is still spoken, but for pragmatic reasons it makes sense to most people that English is the primary defacto (in practice) language.

I am quite aware of that thanks but the original OP qustion was Would you rather have been born in an Ireland that spoke Irish rather than English and imo yes as we could still have got on with living & working in the wider world as most other non speaking english do.

44leto

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

I'm a relatively fluent speaker - did it as part of my degree but haven't really spoken much since - and I would prefer to have Irish as a first language and English second on the proviso that we would speak English as well Irish. I wouldn't sacrifice the benefits our ability to speak English gives us just so we could speak Irish.

But the benefits of English are many, it is the primary second language of most the world and more are presently learning it then speaks it. Also its why we get so much American investments.

Seachmall

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The "alt" key will give you the fada!

©ººL

(ºLº)

PhlegmyMoses

44leto wrote: »

But the benefits of English are many, it is the primary second language of most the world and more are presently learning it then speaks it. Also its why we get so much American investments.

I agree. My post doesn't disagree with that.

philologos

realies wrote: »

I am quite aware of that thanks but the original OP qustion was Would you rather have been born in an Ireland that spoke Irish rather than English and imo yes as we could still have got on with living & working in the wider world as most other non speaking english do.

I'd rather the situation that Ireland's in right now. I'm glad I've learned English as my mother tongue and I believe that has benefited me greatly.

DEFTLEFTHAND

English is a difficult language to learn so I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

EddyC15

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The "alt" key will give you the fada!

It's "alt-gr" that'll give you the fada.

I would prefer to speak Irish for the simple reason that I think it is really beautiful and poetic language.
M.S.: An old way of saying Freckles as Gaeilge is "póganna gréine" but it literally means "sun kisses".

Also, I firmly believe that if we all spoke Irish, the education system would be completely different and there would be a huge emphasis on foreign languages. Chances are that most of us would speak English fairly well, (better than we speak Gaeilge at the moment, anyway) and many of us would probably not stop at learning just one foreign language.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Native English speaker, pureply for practical reasons. Irish, nice and patriotic though it may, is completely useless when looking for a job in another country (and probably large parts of Ireland, too)

P.

MsAllybear

Seachmall wrote: »

If we remove business and the ability to communicate easily with others than there wouldn't be a difference between English and Irish and I wouldn't care.

As it is, the Irish language is a fun past time. Nothing more.

SafeSurfer wrote: »

I wish we didn't waste money forcing a dead language down people's throats. If you want to speak Irish, pay for lessons with your own money in your own time.

ok....
what about the GAELTACHT areas?? where Irish IS their first language!?!

Dont get how some people don't seem to realise that there are parts of the country (and not just 25 people) where they live breathe and speak irish, they aren't made speak it, they speak it the way I get up in morning and speak English.

philologos

^^ That's fine, but there's no sound reason as to why the rest of us should do it. If most people want to speak English, that's well and good. If others want to speak Irish, grand let them speak Irish to their hearts desire.

44leto

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Native English speaker, pureply for practical reasons. Irish, nice and patriotic though it may, is completely useless when looking for a job in another country (and probably large parts of Ireland, too)

P.

A friend of mine, A Dub and definitely not a nationalist decided to learn the language in his 30s now him and his family of five are all native speakers living in a Gaelteacht area in Clare.

I have to say when I am down there it is nice and for some reason it seems to bring them all closer together.

MsAllybear

philologos wrote: »

^^ That's fine, but there's no sound reason as to why the rest of us should do it. If most people want to speak English, that's well and good. If others want to speak Irish, grand let them speak Irish to their hearts desire.

I get that, i'm not saying everyone should be MADE speak it but there are thousands who do speak it as their first language,
I find it sad/strange/odd that some people dont actually realise this, its like its just something theyve to learn in school (which it is) but are not told of natives who speak it.
Anyway . . . .
Personally I love the irish language, in now way fluent, but in last 3 years have spent couple weeks in gaeltacht areas and its a lovely language when your in middle of it and see it spoken natively ...

kelle

My mother was a native Irish speaker who did not speak English until she was 9. The reason she learned English was because her family moved house and she relocated to an English speaking school. She was bullied mercilessly because of her lack of English.

When she married, she was back living in the Gaeltacht, but even though she always conversed with her family in Irish she wanted us to speak English as our first language to avoid what she went through when we would attend secondary school or socialise in the adjacent towns - which are not in the Gaeltacht.

cassi

later10 wrote: »

There's no problem with having a preference. We all have heroes, and it's great to have heroes. But it isn't necessarily logical to elevate a man or a team to that status simply because they're of your tribe or come from your island.

Pride is an emotion, it's a very strong emotion for some people. The basis behind someones pride in something, be it either something you directly had a hand in or your national team, country etc doesn't always have to have a logical explanation.

Like asking someone why they love or hate something, why they feel happy today etc, there's not always a reason behind it, just emotions!

lividduck

Nich spichen zie dead makey-uppy gaelige

Noreen1

Namlub wrote: »

She writes, in English.

I do, indeed.:rolleyes: I am also capable of writing in Irish, as are most native speakers. However, it is generally considered rude to reply to someone in a language that they (and others reading the post) do not understand.

What, exactly, do you find objectionable about that?
If you require a response, as Gaeilge, feel free to take it to pm.
I'll be happy to oblige.

Professor Knowall

I would like it to be left behind in the past where it belongs. Let it die and and ban Gaeltacht areas...

philologos

^^ This is too extreme, it also curbs heavily on the rights and liberties that all people should enjoy in a free society.

hondasam

Professor Knowall wrote: »

I would like it to be left behind in the past where it belongs. Let it die and and ban Gaeltacht areas...

why stop there, what else would you like to see abandoned? maybe rewrite history and omit our language.

Niles

I voted native Irish speaker with English as a second language. The Continental countries seem to get on fine like this, so I don't see why we wouldn't in some alternative universe where we kept our language as our primary one. But I emphasise that English would still be needed to keep our edge in a global context.

Purely idealist I know.

Namlub

Noreen1 wrote: »

I do, indeed.:rolleyes: I am also capable of writing in Irish, as are most native speakers. However, it is generally considered rude to reply to someone in a language that they (and others reading the post) do not understand.

What, exactly, do you find objectionable about that?
If you require a response, as Gaeilge, feel free to take it to pm.
I'll be happy to oblige.

Like I said already, I was being facetious, though your sarcasm is utterly devastating. If I cared enough to find your post 'objectionable' I'd have said it, rather than just made a throwaway comment you're reading far too much into.

Noreen1

Fair enough.

Corkfeen

I can speak Irish fluently but to be perfectly honest, it's been of feck all use since I finished secondary school. I would honesty have preferred to have learnt Spanish or even Chinese to a relatively fluent degree from early childhood as it would have been of some actual benefit to me in later life. I know that this sounds unpatriotic etc etc. But it's highly demotivating to be highly fluent in a language that only a small percentage of people can actually speak. I'd probably have held a different opinion a couple of years ago. I also don't have any intention of becoming a teacher or Garda. :pac: I have an odd feeling that people will be annoyed by this....