For many years, the Irish language was considered to be low in status and was associated with poverty, backwardness and ignorance (O’Reilly 78-79). With the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, however, its status was raised and the promotion of its revival and maintenance carried out through a series of policies and actions to foster the preservation of the language in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking district) and language revival in the rest of Ireland. The events which led to the present fragile status quo were determined, in part, by the utilitarian purposes which the acquisition of English had attained over the centuries, leading to a steady abandonment of Irish in favour of the dominant language (Wall; Ó Riagáin; Hindley; Ó Huallacháin). For the purposes of this paper I will discuss the results of a number of interviews carried out in three Irish speaking communities in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland by focussing on the informants’ attitudes on Irish-medium education. The following sections will provide a brief history of the Irish language, an overview of the methodology used to collect data, and a discussion of excerpts from the interviews.
Irish-Medium Education: Attitudes and Opinions
ANTONINI, RACHELE
2011
Abstract
For many years, the Irish language was considered to be low in status and was associated with poverty, backwardness and ignorance (O’Reilly 78-79). With the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, however, its status was raised and the promotion of its revival and maintenance carried out through a series of policies and actions to foster the preservation of the language in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking district) and language revival in the rest of Ireland. The events which led to the present fragile status quo were determined, in part, by the utilitarian purposes which the acquisition of English had attained over the centuries, leading to a steady abandonment of Irish in favour of the dominant language (Wall; Ó Riagáin; Hindley; Ó Huallacháin). For the purposes of this paper I will discuss the results of a number of interviews carried out in three Irish speaking communities in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland by focussing on the informants’ attitudes on Irish-medium education. The following sections will provide a brief history of the Irish language, an overview of the methodology used to collect data, and a discussion of excerpts from the interviews.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
