Irish after the LC

thomasjad

Will you keep speaking/reading Irish things after the leaving,or has it just turned you off the language forever?

PrivateEye

beautiful language, shameful education system.

estebancambias

I did ordinary level a year ago, and now can nearly(a bit yet) speak it fluently.

Mars Bar

I hope the Irish Times pick up on this poll!

PurpleFistMixer

I've applied to live in Irish-speaking residence in TCD (though my chances are pretty low, and I probably wont have enough money to do it...), so yes, I fully intend to keep on using Irish after the LC.
I picked the first option, but I wasn't overly interested in Irish until about 4th year, so you could say that school did it to me. But how the Irish curriculum could make anyone love the language, I do not see...

On the upside, the aiste part of Irish paper 1 is just about the only class I had where we actually spoke about current events/issues. So that was nice.

eoin2nc

Hell no HL Irish has managed to beat to death any love I once had for the language

mebabyme

definitely speaking it after tuesday, its a fantastic language if u put in the effort to learn the bloody thing . . . . pity its not spoken all over




****in irish . . .too damn laid back lol

thomasjad

I myself went to an Irish primary school,but since I got to secondary school the whole way in which it was thought turned me off completely.I think the people who force Irish on students are being hypocritical as they complain about how the english language was forced onto us.I think the only way to keep the language alive is to change the course immediately or even make it optional for leaving cert

BJC

Not great Poll options, I hated the language till I was old enough to understand how important it is. I can't speak a word though and I whole heartedly blame the way it's taught. I plan on going west for my first summer of college and staying there for the summer. I will learn!

Mars Bar

Saying that, I would love to be able to speak it. But the fact that it wasn't a great course in Secondary School, I have no intention of making any effort to learn it. If there was a time to be fluent in Irish, it should be before you finish Secondary.

Cokehead Mother

I don't really like the language at all. I think I might have developed a love or at least respect for it if the LC was a lot more literature orientated. It's what I think we should be focusing on when learning a language which is the mother tongue of so few people.

Having casual conversations in Irish belongs in the past for most of Ireland. It's an English-speaking country now and there's very little point in us being taught how to converse in the language. Learning to appreciate the culture of the past is always nice though. It'd be cool if the Irish syllabus was similar to the Ancient Greek and Latin ones.

cHaTbOx

I am doing ordinary Irish and if i had the chance again i would learn it because i think its a beautiful language but i have never been taught it right.

Twee.

BJC wrote: »

Not great Poll options, I hated the language till I was old enough to understand how important it is.

Agree. I doubt I'll ever do any further study in the language, but like a lot of people I use some phrases with English- Sin é, slán, a few proverbs! Also it's pretty much a secret language i foreign countries

donmeister

no,definitely not,it is a lovely language,until the l.c. but now has made me turn to murderous rage when i hear it!!:mad::mad::mad:

thomasjad

We should all be learning Polish

PurpleFistMixer

The terrible injustice the syllabus/department of education has done to the language just makes me want to speak it more. If the LC is trying to beat it to death with a stick, somebody needs to help it...
Going "oh they did such a bad job now I hate Irish oh it's going to die but it's not my fault, it's the syllabus" will do nothing. If you recognise that it's a beautiful language or an important part of our culture (not saying you have to, I wouldn't push an agenda on people), then a terrible syllabus shouldn't put you off it. It's like saying "ah jaysus I hate Sylvia Plath and Shakespeare, think I'll give up on English altogether." Sort of. Don't blame the language for how crappy your Irish classes may have been.

Davidius

I don't think I'll use any sort of language except 13375|>34|<. :pac:

cHaTbOx

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

The terrible injustice the syllabus/department of education has done to the language just makes me want to speak it more. If the LC is trying to beat it to death with a stick, somebody needs to help it...
Going "oh they did such a bad job now I hate Irish oh it's going to die but it's not my fault, it's the syllabus" will do nothing. If you recognise that it's a beautiful language or an important part of our culture (not saying you have to, I wouldn't push an agenda on people), then a terrible syllabus shouldn't put you off it. It's like saying "ah jaysus I hate Sylvia Plath and Shakespeare, think I'll give up on English altogether." Sort of. Don't blame the language for how crappy your Irish classes may have been.

+1 i agree and i have never taken an interest in classes after 2nd year
It really demoralising that this country fought for freedom and still oppressed by a language not native to our country.But after tuesday i will take up more of an interest for pleasure.It should be 50% oral so we could speak the language during classes.It would make the irish language more popular as a subject and for redeeming our heritage

Davidius

random chatbox wrote: »

oppressed by a language not native to our country.

Indeed, txt spk will kill us all!

Cokehead Mother

random chatbox wrote: »

+1 i agree and i have never taken an interest in classes after 2nd year
It really demoralising that this country fought for freedom and still oppressed by a language not native to our country.But after tuesday i will take up more of an interest for pleasure.It should be 50% oral so we could speak the language during classes.It would make the irish language more popular as a subject and for redeeming our heritage

Forcing us to speak Irish isn't redeeming our heritage. It's denying our present culture more than anything.

Learning about Irish literature and the histroy of the Irish language and Ireland and stuff is a way of remembering our heritage.

KeyLimePie

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Forcing us to speak Irish isn't redeeming our heritage. It's denying our present culture more than anything.

Learning about Irish literature and the histroy of the Irish language and Ireland and stuff is a way of remembering our heritage.

ye don't really learn about the poetry or history of the irish language not in ordinary you don't

I can honestly say I only started liking irish this year
I hate to use the tired old excuse but I had the worse teacher ever for irish he wouldn't teach me anything about the conditional tense or grammar even though I asked him many a time, sure i'm in ordinary but i'd like to know
I thought myself everything I know

cHaTbOx

Davidius wrote: »

Indeed, txt spk will kill us all!

Lol that made me smile

Cokehead Mother

KeyLimePie wrote: »

I hate to use the tired old excuse but I had the worse teacher ever for irish he wouldn't teach me anything about the conditional tense or grammar even though I asked him many a time, sure i'm in ordinary but i'd like to know
I thought myself everything I know

I think bad teaching is a bigger problem than a bad syllabus. With my Irish teachers it's been nothing but exam-prep since the start of second teacher. We'll learn the aimsir caite cause you need to know it, we won't learn the gnáth caite cause you can just learn a few phrases involving it etc.

But really if people are so intent on saving themselves from the... opression of speaking English, then I'm sure it can be done outside of school.

nats89

every single person in our irish class absolutely loved it cause our teacher was amazing and she pass on her enthusiasm to us so i'll definatly keep it up after the exams.... i'd love to do it in college but i cant cause i'm goin for a course that it cant be mixed with .. its such a waste of 14 years learning it to stop now... i think that people will eventually grow to like the language and realise theres more to it then the peoms...and theres so many people supporting it now, like des bishop so it can only get better!!:D

Fad

I definitly will, I also like that loving the language isnt really seen as a nationalist thing anymore. (Thus i can like the language regardless of my total political apathy)

cHaTbOx

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Forcing us to speak Irish isn't redeeming our heritage. It's denying our present culture more than anything.

Learning about Irish literature and the histroy of the Irish language and Ireland and stuff is a way of remembering our heritage.

Yes I agree about forcing someone to learn something they may not use is not right ,although i also believe if we had the chance to get high marks in irish from learning to speak the language it would be a great benifit in uplifting irish sense of identity and in turn help us to remember our heritage.Yes we have a present culture but that comes and goes ,we should have somethin that is real and is in place to show we are irish and we have an identity

Peleus

I don't know why they make us learn off essays on Claire Sa Spéir and Mo Ghille Mear etc... I know alot of people in honours who can talk about the metaphor in Oiche Nollaig na mBan but wouldn't be able to order a pint in Irish! They treat Irish like it's English and are totally in denial!

I think the best thing to do would be to teach Irish like a foreign language so that students would actually learn the various tenses and conjugations rather than learn off notes on poems and scéals, in irish they barely understand. I say Irish should be simplified and more emphasis should be put on correct grammar and good language. That way, more people would come out of Leaving Cert liking Irish. I've been learning Irish my whole life, and have been learning French for six years and I am ten times better and more comfortable with French. Oh well, no more Irish for me...

Patrickisperfec

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Having casual conversations in Irish belongs in the past for most of Ireland.

Wrong

PrivateEye

I don't associate the language with nationalism.
Many of it's greatest figures have come from across the spectrum, the socialism of Mairtin O' Cadhain and Padraic O' Conaire is something I think of as very progressive. The language is a beautiful thing. Nowadays its hard to tell Dublin from Dundee, or Belfast from Belgrade, it's just the world we live in- I love the idea of something like the Irish language still existing and in use.

Firm believer in celebrating what we have in common, but what makes us unique should be celebrated too. Nationalism is a dangerous and reactionary thing in my opinion, because it promotes some kind of "We're better than _______ because" line of thought, but speaking a language that your greatgrandparents or even grandparents would of used on a day to day basis is a lovely thing. It's not for sale, and it belongs to all the people.

Now, the school course- theres a kick in the balls for the language revivial movement. Whereas those of us who WANT to bring the teanga back try to do so in a modern context (see the Ceol cds...Mundy,Damo Dempsey,Coronas etc. singing in Irish, or turn on your radio where you can hear everything from Eircom League soccer to culutral events discussed in Irish...) the school course is hellbent on making the language look like something that belongs in the National Museum. Stair na Teanga? what about the future of it :rolleyes:

Cokehead Mother

Peleus wrote: »

I don't know why they make us learn off essays on Claire Sa Spéir and Mo Ghille Mear etc... I know alot of people in honours who can talk about the metaphor in Oiche Nollaig na mBan but wouldn't be able to order a pint in Irish! They treat Irish like it's English and are totally in denial!

I think the best thing to do would be to teach Irish like a foreign language so that students would actually learn the various tenses and conjugations rather than learn off notes on poems and scéals, in irish they barely understand. I say Irish should be simplified and more emphasis should be put on correct grammar and good language. That way, more people would come out of Leaving Cert liking Irish. I've been learning Irish my whole life, and have been learning French for six years and I am ten times better and more comfortable with French. Oh well, no more Irish for me...

It's ridiculous not to study literature after 13 years! :eek:

While I don't think there should be any emphasis on spoken Irish, I do think that the average honours Irish LC student just isn't at the level to analyse poems and stories and stuff. If I were to make changes it would be to focus on teaching it properly at national school, and for the better students to start secondary with a wide vocabulary and a good grasp of grammar. I remember in 5th year when my teacher told me nouns had genders. I was like "wtf? Why wasn't I told about this ten years ago?".

Cokehead Mother

Patrickisperfec wrote: »

Wrong

Well I guess Ireland's future might involve most Irish people speaking the language on a day-to-basis but I don't know why that should be encouraged and I certainly don't think it's the case today.

Ck1989

I don't think I'll ever want to speak Irish again, incompetent teachers during my 14 years of education has left me a little more than disenchanted with the language. Don't feel it should be compulsory either, pure torture and a waste of school time that could've been better spent on other subjects! Maybe if it was taught differently - I know more French now after 6 years of learning it than twice as long with Irish.

MrsSDelonge

I HATE it....Dyle if you're in this thread>>>>BOREFEST 2008:p

lovechem

I'm deffo gonna keep speaking it. Its really handy when your on hols when you wanna talk about other people without them knowing :pac::pac: that and you know the whole tír gan teanga tír gan anam shizzzzzzzzz.

thomasjad

This time Tuesday I'll be so hyper,I've waited so long for the day I never have to speak it again!:D

steve_bhoy

ill definately keep it up...im in an all irish school so the exam isnt too bad but i love being able to speak our native tongue and would hate to leave it!
you have to admit its pretty cool being able to speak a language that so few can speak...its a privilege:D

quoteunquote

Twee. wrote: »

Also it's pretty much a secret language i foreign countries

I agree. Anyone else guilty of saying "an bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas" a lot when trying to sound fluent in a foreign country?

1huge1

estebancambias wrote: »

I did ordinary level a year ago, and now can nearly(a bit yet) speak it fluently.

Des Bishop is that you?

As for me Ive been terrible at it my whole life, I guess I just resented the fact that it was forced on you, and me and my rebelious self (ahem) just didn't do anything for it because of that.
Dropped down to pass in 2nd year, havent done any work in it since my junior cert and I deffo wont be using it for points in my leaving.

Caoimhe89

Okay, it's probably cos I've been completely schooled through Irish, but I can't imagine that I'll stop speaking Irish after the LC. I was even thinking of applying for the Irish rooms in Trinity (until my parents told me they wouldn't give me a cent to move about five miles into the centre of the city when I can get the luas in every morning). Also, I had the most fascinating Irish teacher who tried, for the most part, to really try and make us love the language. Irish, for the most part, was so different from other classes; we spent class after class discussing films, books, reports in Foinse through Irish. Though we were lucky cos the poems only took one class to do, and Scothscealta took about three weeks to finish.

I HATE the Irish course, but more just cos the poetry is shallow and stupid, the prose even more so (except for Lig Sinn i gCathu, a classic story) and Scothscealta is a despair-fest. I like Stair na Gaeilge (but I love history, so I'm completely biased).

And it makes me sad to think that for most people, Irish is just something you learn off for one exam and then never think about again. It's a really really beautiful language, and, despite what some might say, a really strong part of our culture that we should try and protect.

PurpleFistMixer

1huge1 wrote: »

As for me Ive been terrible at it my whole life, I guess I just resented the fact that it was forced on you, and me and my rebelious self (ahem) just didn't do anything for it because of that.

I'm assuming you did nothing for maths and english as well, then? Sure why not just drop out of school because you're forced to go...

Caoimhe89 wrote: »

I was even thinking of applying for the Irish rooms in Trinity (until my parents told me they wouldn't give me a cent to move about five miles into the centre of the city when I can get the luas in every morning).

I live a 30 minute bus trip from TCD, but I applied for the rooms anyway, they emailed me the other week to tell me I'm on the waiting list, so who knows...

Caoimhe89 wrote: »

Irish, for the most part, was so different from other classes; we spent class after class discussing films, books, reports in Foinse through Irish. Though we were lucky cos the poems only took one class to do, and Scothscealta took about three weeks to finish.

The advantage of going to a gaelscoil! In my Irish class we spent about a week on each poem, and A Thig Ná Tit Orm, despite the fact that we did the shortened version, took the majority of sixth year... I would have loved to have classes where we could just chat about things in Irish, but we didn't have any time.

LayLay

No. Irish by far is my worst and least favourite subject.

KnifeWRENCH

A year after the LC I have never needed Irish so I haven't spoken it or read it. And it is kind of a pity because I was quite good at it.
The syllabus isn't great tbh, there should be more emphasis on grammar (I made a lot of grammatical errors because we were never taught it properly), on oral Irish and on modern Irish literature/culture.

Caoimhe89

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

The advantage of going to a gaelscoil! In my Irish class we spent about a week on each poem, and A Thig Ná Tit Orm, despite the fact that we did the shortened version, took the majority of sixth year... I would have loved to have classes where we could just chat about things in Irish, but we didn't have any time.

Ah, the advantages of a gaelscoil! That and the LC Aural! But maybe that's what they should do, just shorten the course so people can actually learn the language instead of tons of poems/novels/prose etc.

Dr. Baltar

Irish is a beutiful language and I would love to see the day when it becomes fluently spoken throughout the country.
I have to agree with everyone here though, Irish is taught absolutely horrendously.
The main purpose of the course is to revive our dying language, but I've basically spent the last 3 years learning off quotes on how a young woman commited suicide.

The course desperately needs to be more Oral-Orientated so that you and me can walk down the street and casually speak our native language. I can't see myself discussing "An Trial" over a pint. That would be depressing.

JC 2K3

Oíche Nollag na mBan & Scothscéalta = win.
Rest of Irish course = fail.

A year on from the LC I've been too busy/disorganised to participate in the Cumman Gaelach in college, but I still go to an Conradh the odd time.

PurpleFistMixer

Ah now, Stair na Gaeilge is pretty interesting. Except for those bleedin' poet biographies.
More folklore would be a good idea. I know we've An Cearrbhach Mac Cába, and we learn about An Fhiannaíocht and An Ruraíocht abstractly, but spending more time on the stories and the invidividual heroes could be pretty interesting. Everyone loves mythology, right?

JC 2K3

Stair na Gaeilge was a load of shíte. An easy 30 marks, but still a load of shíte.

PurpleFistMixer

Maybe it's because all the history I do is Art, but I think it's pretty interesting. And stuff about the language, like what makes it a celtic language is pretty cool.

KnifeWRENCH

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Stair na Gaeilge was a load of shíte. An easy 30 marks, but still a load of shíte.

Agreed. Although last year's wasn't easy for me because nothing we studied came up! :mad:

Jayeire

Is aoibhinn liom Gaeilge thar aon abhár eile, tá muinteoir sármhaith againn
I'll def join an Irish soc in college.
Up to 3rd year I had no interest whatsoever... yet from fourth yr onwards it's been my passion and all because I changed teacher.
Mairead Betts co-author of "cogar i gcluas" has to be one of the best teachers out there.
Go raibh maith agat miss! Tá sí den chéad scoth

karkar

thomasjad wrote: »

I myself went to an Irish primary school,but since I got to secondary school the whole way in which it was thought turned me off completely.I think the people who force Irish on students are being hypocritical as they complain about how the english language was forced onto us.I think the only way to keep the language alive is to change the course immediately or even make it optional for leaving cert

I'm the same. I always liked the language up to junior cert, and was really starting to love it until I discovered the LC course. I think it is partially due to my teacher, who is absolutely useless. I think if it was made optional, no one would take it, but I think there should be two courses, as in one for literature for more fluent speakers, and one more like how foreign languages are examined. There should also be more emphasis on speaking it, but that is harder to put into practice I suppose.
My vocabulary hasn't moved beyond what I knew at 6th class, and yet we are expected to analyse poetry... The basics aren't really taught all that well, loads of my friends who were schooled through english can't change tense easily, let alone spell in irish.