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What subject are you most stressed about?

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    #32
    Mysteryfish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 315 ✭✭Mysteryfish


    Did you know that grammar is not on the irish course? Yes, it's not laid down as something the teachers have to go over at all or in depth. And I think a fair few people in my school would like to be able to speak irish fluently so not everyone hates irish. If you compare the way it's taught to the way other foreign languages are taught it's amazing how poorly structured and taught irish is. And lets face it, Irish SHOULD be taught like a foreign language because to most of my generation it IS a foreign language (particularly to Dubliners I think).

    Someone said it earlier, there is a tendency in the system to just assume that because you're irish you know the words for this, that and the other. When the reality is, how can you know what you've never been taught?

    The subjects I'm most worried about are English (I'm good at it I just hope i can write everything in the time), Irish (I happen not to be the best at our 'native' language- though i'm doing higher level), and also Maths paper 2 (Geometery is NOT my strong point).


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    #33
    Flashling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 779 ✭✭✭Flashling


    All of my teachers through my school life have assumed that my class had learned grammar and basic words from the teacher before us. I agree with Mysteryfish in that our basic knowledge of Irish shoudn't be taken for granted and that if they want a basic level of lingustic skill they have to teach it like any other languague in secondary school. (As you can see my spelling is terrible, looking forward to my english mock tomorrow! Yay!)

    But as for people who want to learn Irish and people who don't, that is one of the side effects of streamed classes. You get most of the people who want to learn, and are good at the subject, mainly the latter, in one class, and the people who only do Irish to get into colledge in another class. I realise that that is a very genralised statment, but think of it objectivly.

    All in all, Ireland is very lucky to have its own culture, and a big step to keeping it alive is to realise that. Irish as a laguague is a very important part of this culture, and one that is, for me, most apprieciated when you are in a forgiene country and are trying to keep something from the pesky natives.

    Darn french exchange girls.


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    #34
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    PurpleFistMixer wrote:
    I'll not comment on maths (find it fairly straightforward myself tbh), but Irish is hard becuase they expect you to be fluent enough in it to discuss poetry and literature, among other things. And to know far more grammar than anyone has realistically been taught unless they go to an all Irish school.
    thats why they have ordinary level. Im at the most worried about Maths and Science


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    #35
    JCB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 306 ✭✭JCB


    Mysteryfish wrote:
    Did you know that grammar is not on the irish course?
    Sure :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
    Of course its on the course, over 70% the exam is writing and YES you must be able to write correctly which involves using the right grammar obviously. In the essay 70-80% of the marks are for the standard of Irish i.e. spelling, GRAMMAR, phrases etc. There is no specific qouestion on grammar, like in french but you MUST know it.


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    #36
    Mysteryfish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 315 ✭✭Mysteryfish


    You misunderstood me JCB. OF COURSE grammar is on the course in the sense that you definetely need it for the exam and there is no way you could do the exam without grammar, BUT, grammar is not on the list of things the teachers have to go over with us (The teachers course, or the syllabus). They just assume we know it from before. But from before WHERE? In primary schools you're taught a scattered bit of grammar, but then you're told "you'll learn that in first year".

    I am pretty certain of this. However if you are stubborn enough to prove me wrong, well then I'll be happy to know that it's just my teachers failing.


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    #37
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    PurpleFistMixer wrote:
    Irish for me. They expect you to be amazingly fluent, and my grammar is just pathetic.

    And by the way, you forgot History on your thing, which would be another concern of mine.
    Thats why there is higher and pass levels :P
    they expect most of the higher level to be good at irish
    i feel i have done the worst so far in maths and business but i was most worried about music and science.


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