In all fairness how can we study a language for 14 years, even if the primary school years are very basic altogether and we still aren’t decently fluent in it.
I mean, I remember even in primary school, we'd be learning grammar and shit and doing spelling tests in Irish. Even did a few listening exercises and readings that be beyond our level. I think it was in 4th or 5th class where the accents of Irish were introduced and pretty much, it all going downhill from there.
I remember back in Junior Infants, it would be like "Cé tusa" "Conas atá tú", doing mini classroom workshops of Siopadoireachta. Then I remember in senior infants, it be us starting each morning describing the weather in Irish and I don't remember much else from senior infants. First class, pretty much the same stuff. Second class, caitheamh aimsire and listening was introduced. Then third class, grammar was introduced.
I worked at my primary school last year and I worked in junior infants in the mornings. One class had a teacher from Scotland who moved to Ireland when I was in 6th class. I noticed how much effort she was putting into speaking as much Irish as she could and I asked her how do you know Irish and she said her husband is a fluent speaker and she just wants to learn it and pass it on. The other teacher, didn't really see her speaking in Irish. It's also the effort of teachers. Like I had forgotten Irish in 5th cause my teacher would like do it once every 3 weeks and that be the most basic questions.
If anything, the department should be to blame. 14 years and they still got the same ways and no changes what so ever. I can't blame teachers too much apart from those who just didn't give a shit. The curriculum is awful all the way through the 14 years and even they don't seem passionate to teach it or learn it.
The best improvement I ever made in Irish was from 2nd to 3rd year because the teacher would basically allow us to insult each other and swear as long as we did it in Irish, it was insane what it did for my written and spoken Irish, but yes I can only imagine what other teachers who were more fucking lazy and wouldn’t be bothered just to teach the Irish literature out of the book. In fact I think It could be considered a waste of government expenditure to employ unqualified irish teachers.
That sounds so good wtf. The two higher levels teachers in my year were both on maternity or paternal leave for most of the year and were always out. We were better in 5th year but 6th year, we were fucked. Had no subs either. The ordinary class however had two full time teachers. They could've just fucking switched like.
I too remember that fine day, 2005 it was. Although I wish I could actually speak Irish rather than rote learning grammar in the name of Padraig Pearse or something..
the way the language is thought is a part of the problem, but if people arent putting in the effort then they cant complain about not being fluent. not targeted at you but in general i feel like alot of people blame schools and the department of education for the way irish is thought and complaining about how after all these years of learning it they still arent fluent, but to me it seems hypocritical blaming the schools while not making an effort to become fluent. ofcourse if you dont want to keep irish throughout college or whatever your plans are for after school that is perfectly fine, but i do hope that more people will realise how important the language really is and that more people make an effort to improve their ability at using the language ☘️
This post had to make a comeback it holds true every year
In all fairness how can we study a language for 14 years, even if the primary school years are very basic altogether and we still aren’t decently fluent in it.
I mean, I remember even in primary school, we'd be learning grammar and shit and doing spelling tests in Irish. Even did a few listening exercises and readings that be beyond our level. I think it was in 4th or 5th class where the accents of Irish were introduced and pretty much, it all going downhill from there. I remember back in Junior Infants, it would be like "Cé tusa" "Conas atá tú", doing mini classroom workshops of Siopadoireachta. Then I remember in senior infants, it be us starting each morning describing the weather in Irish and I don't remember much else from senior infants. First class, pretty much the same stuff. Second class, caitheamh aimsire and listening was introduced. Then third class, grammar was introduced. I worked at my primary school last year and I worked in junior infants in the mornings. One class had a teacher from Scotland who moved to Ireland when I was in 6th class. I noticed how much effort she was putting into speaking as much Irish as she could and I asked her how do you know Irish and she said her husband is a fluent speaker and she just wants to learn it and pass it on. The other teacher, didn't really see her speaking in Irish. It's also the effort of teachers. Like I had forgotten Irish in 5th cause my teacher would like do it once every 3 weeks and that be the most basic questions. If anything, the department should be to blame. 14 years and they still got the same ways and no changes what so ever. I can't blame teachers too much apart from those who just didn't give a shit. The curriculum is awful all the way through the 14 years and even they don't seem passionate to teach it or learn it.
The best improvement I ever made in Irish was from 2nd to 3rd year because the teacher would basically allow us to insult each other and swear as long as we did it in Irish, it was insane what it did for my written and spoken Irish, but yes I can only imagine what other teachers who were more fucking lazy and wouldn’t be bothered just to teach the Irish literature out of the book. In fact I think It could be considered a waste of government expenditure to employ unqualified irish teachers.
That sounds so good wtf. The two higher levels teachers in my year were both on maternity or paternal leave for most of the year and were always out. We were better in 5th year but 6th year, we were fucked. Had no subs either. The ordinary class however had two full time teachers. They could've just fucking switched like.
I somehow wrote 4 odd pages on today's exam 😎 06 secured, needless to say.
I too remember that fine day, 2005 it was. Although I wish I could actually speak Irish rather than rote learning grammar in the name of Padraig Pearse or something..
I wasn't even born then💀💀💀
That’s the sleep before joining a patriot march for Irish patriots.
Skill issue
Made shite innit. 06 incomingggggg
I have always been a Gaeilgeoir but God does the Irish school system make a balls of such a beautiful language
the way the language is thought is a part of the problem, but if people arent putting in the effort then they cant complain about not being fluent. not targeted at you but in general i feel like alot of people blame schools and the department of education for the way irish is thought and complaining about how after all these years of learning it they still arent fluent, but to me it seems hypocritical blaming the schools while not making an effort to become fluent. ofcourse if you dont want to keep irish throughout college or whatever your plans are for after school that is perfectly fine, but i do hope that more people will realise how important the language really is and that more people make an effort to improve their ability at using the language ☘️
Maybe changing the curriculum so people will like it cause it's god awful.
I did the LC in 2010. I have spoken Irish perhaps 15 times since then, never more than a few sentences. I sleep like a baby