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Modern Irish Educational System?

  • 05-04-2010 5:41pm
    #1
    earwax_man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 264 ✭✭


    Ireland has a well educated population, even with all the cut-backs coming in. But one thing I don't understand is why we have to learn French and German in school? Why not learn Mandarin Chinese and Japanese? I learn both of those languages myself from books and over windows live. But I can't do Chinese as an exam subject, and I was mocked over it in school (wtf?). Are we just retarded as a nation or what?

    They can't even teach Irish correctly, they just teach us how to answer questions in a certain format to get marks for it and to feel that we've "accomplished" something. I can speak German better in 2 years compared to 10 years of Irish. Why can't they just teach us to speak a language that is taught for daily conversation, and not have to learn about poetry and crappy prós stories where everyone just dies because the famine came. I'm just getting really pissed off.


Comments

  • #2
    pathway33
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,229 ✭✭✭pathway33


    There will presumably be more of an emphasis on the oral from september given that it is supposed to be 40% of the leaving cert exam in 2012. You'll probably still have to do the famine poems though I guess


  • #3
    dambarude
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 2,503 Mod ✭✭✭✭dambarude


    There was a debate about the Chinese in the LC here a while ago: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055723122&highlight=chinese+leaving+cert .

    I don't think French and German are totally redundant, but I agree with you about the way Irish taught.


  • #4
    Toto Wolfcastle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,005 ✭✭✭✭Toto Wolfcastle


    Irish is taught the way it is taught because the curriculum places too much emphasis on poetry and prose.

    Japanese is available as a LC subject and is taught in the school I teach in.


  • #5
    TheColl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 321 ✭✭TheColl


    janeybabe wrote: »
    Irish is taught the way it is taught because the curriculum places too much emphasis on poetry and prose.

    Japanese is available as a LC subject and is taught in the school I teach in.

    And plenty of other schools too. I wouldnt be surprised to see Mandarin come in as a subject over the next 10 years, but it would take a long time for it to become widespread, with enough teachers having to come qualify and all.


  • #6
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    earwax_man wrote: »

    They can't even teach Irish correctly, they just teach us how to answer questions in a certain format to get marks for it and to feel that we've "accomplished" something. . Why can't they just teach us to speak a language that is taught for daily conversation, and not have to learn about poetry and crappy prós stories where everyone just dies because the famine came. I'm just getting really pissed off.

    I presume because it is taught as a national language like english and not a foreign language.


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  • #7
    happy_feet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 97 ✭✭happy_feet


    its such a shame the irish course is the way it is, the Government really could be doing much more to promote it and make it more interesting. Alot of students just see poems and stories and are automatically bored.

    Maybe if it was taught more like how french and german are taught more people in the country would be able to actually speak a word of it when they leave school?

    I live in hope....


  • #8
    peanuthead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭peanuthead


    OP I think you are correct. As native English speakers we have been complacent in that the language everyone needed to succeed was English. There will come a time when Mandarin will be needed by a lot of people looking to become employed and in fact there is a school I know of providing it.


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