Teaching languages in a Gaelscoil

grainneg

I'm interested in finding out what the status quo is for teaching a language in a secondary gaelscoil. Are all translations, handouts, grammar exercises etc. given from german/french etc to irish or is there some english used?? Do teachers find it difficult? I'm very interested in teaching in a gaelscoil- I speak fluent Irish but it's not my first language so I'd be a little worried!! Did subbing in a gaelscoil and the teacher there used a mixture of both english and irish translations and it worked very well I thought. so if anyone who has kids who attend a gaelscoil or anyone who teaches in one could let me know, I'd much appreciate it. Míle buíochas.

Toto Wolfcastle

I attended an Irish speaking secondary school and all subjects except for English (obviously enough!) were taught through Irish. Languages like French, German, Spanish and Italian were actually mainly taught in French, German, Spanish and Italian but when there was a need to translate something it was translated into Irish.

If the teachers made the handouts and exercises themselves they were in Irish, but if they came from books it was not always possible to get one in Irish.

At the end of the day, students in an Irish speaking school will have to sit down and answer questions that are in Irish, so bringing English into the classroom, as well as Irish and the subject language, could get confusing. At the same time, you don't want people to fall behind because they don't understand fully, so if it is really necessary, I don't see why it would be a problem to use a small bit of English. But I would recommend using Irish for translations and exercises for the most part.

Students in Irish speaking schools speak Irish everyday anyway so they are used to it. If English is the first language of the majority of the students, like in the school I attended, I doubt a bit of English would hurt. But if Irish is the first language then English would just complicate things.

In short, unless it is really necessary to use a small bit of English to ensure that a student understands something, then Irish should be used. The students expect it, and the point of an Irish speaking school is to learn through Irish.

grainneg

Thanks janeybabe! I suppose it must vary from teacher to teacher/ school to school then. I agree with what u say tho... Any gaelscoil experiences from others also appreciated!

Toto Wolfcastle

Exactly. It depends on the teacher, the class, the school itself. Good luck.