Do you think Irish should become an option after LC?

thisisadamh

Hi all I think a lot more good would be done for Irish if it was not compulsory for LC. What does everyone else think?

bleg

It is optional after the LC. It should be optional after primary school.

abouttobebanned

I agree with ya lad. I don't have anything witty to say. It's a dying language that some people won't let die.

KeithM89_old

Students shouldnt be wasting there time learning Irish when they could be focusing on the subjects that they'll need for college

starbelgrade

Do you think Irish should become an option after LC?

You mean, after you've done the Leaving Cert?

Eh...

thisisadamh

I am finding it hard to motivate myself to learn it as I am living in Ireland and I never use, ever. And if I never use Irish in Ireland, then when will I use it?

thisisadamh

starbelgrade wrote: »

Do you think Irish should become an option after LC?

You mean, after you've done the Leaving Cert?

Eh...

Woops, it is late and I am tired lol, sorry, that was a but of a fail, but anyway lol

Niall09

KeithM89 wrote: »

Students shouldnt be wasting there time learning Irish when they could be focusing on the subjects that they'll need for college

They should be learning English instead.

KeithM89_old

Niall09 wrote: »

They should be learning English instead.

Me fail english?? Thats unpossible

marzic

thisisadamh wrote: »

I am finding it hard to motivate myself to learn it as I am living in Ireland and I never use, ever. And if I never use Irish in Ireland, then when will I use it?

...you should try English, fcuking nightmare!

thisisadamh

KeithM89 wrote: »

Students shouldnt be wasting there time learning Irish when they could be focusing on the subjects that they'll need for college

I know! I want to do Engineering in College and why do I need Irish for engineering?

Oranage2

I'm fluent in Irish so i can tell you from up here on my high horse that we should keep it optional, shame to let it die but pointless to keep it alive.

KeithM89_old

Also, there is too much focus on religion in schools - also a time waster but thats an entirely different topic

starbelgrade

thisisadamh wrote: »

I know! I want to do Engineering in College and why do I need Irish for engineering?

In case you're designing a reinforced thatch roof for a bungalow in the Gaeltacht.

landsleaving

thisisadamh wrote: »

I know! I want to do Engineering in College and why do I need Irish for engineering?

So you can bring electricity to the Gaeltacht areas.

D'Agger

I don't think it should become an option - but dear god they need to change the syllabus and how it's taught - every other LC..even JC language - the emphasis is on being able to speak, read, write and comprehend the language - In Irish you learn poetry that's older than the school you learn it in!

It's a joke tbh!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Yes. If the only way you can get a group of people to do something is to FORCE them to do it, you should really take the hint.

thisisadamh

Also as well there is no fun in the language, I the course was lively and enjoyable people would not mind doing it, but the education dept thinks that fun is learning off poems.

thisisadamh

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Yes. If the only way you can get a group of people to do something is to FORCE them to do it, you should really take the hint.

I love that point. So true

bleg

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Yes. If the only way you can get a group of people to do something is to FORCE them to do it, you should really take the hint.

Pfft, but the Dept of Education knows better than all the rest of us...:rolleyes:

riffmongous

thisisadamh wrote: »

Also as well there is no fun in the language, I the course was lively and enjoyable people would not mind doing it, but the education dept thinks that fun is learning off poems.

There was a German girl in my class in uni who did a course (for fun) in Irish and after 3/4 months she could speak more of the Gaeilge than some of the Irish people in the class, the school syllabus is killing the language

Truley

I think it should be optional after the Junior Cert. Also the course needs to be revamped, more emphasis on conversation and practical day to day use instead of all the poetry. I also think we should be doing at least one European language from primary school.

ScumLord

KeithM89 wrote: »

Students shouldnt be wasting there time learning Irish when they could be focusing on the subjects that they'll need for college

Students shouldnt be wasting there time learning subjects for collage when they could be focusing on the subjects that they'll need for work.

podgemonster

Optional after the Junior as at least it doesn't make that much of a difference and would be easier to swallow for the pro-language ppl. The teaching method is ridiculous, learning off pointless verses from primary school upwards spending at least 1/3 of every day getting it driven into us.

I did honors up until 4months before the leaving and the lads in the class (most of them) liked the language and were good at it. In pass, these guys, many of them all honors otherwise could not care less and yet had no choice but to do it.

i recently was on holidays with a lad who got a A in honours Irish in the LC 5yrs ago and we tried speaking irish infront of Brits and none of us could figure out how to say 'we didnt go to the shop'.

starlit

Ya think that Irish should be an option for the LC. Students should only keep on Irish for Leaving Cert unless a college course has Irish as one of the subjects or if a specific course requires you to have Irish like primary teaching, if they plan to go into teaching or the gardai or what ever jobs they plan on pursuing where Irish is a requirement. I think its a waste for those trying to do Irish in the Leaving Cert where they don't need it for say computing, science and business courses. They might need Irish for some Arts and law courses. There are very few courses that would need Irish anyway. Think its more important that they learn more than one foreign language and studying an extra foreign language for the Leaving Cert instead of having to study Irish. It make more sense and students might improve in a foreign language better than they would with Irish. A foreign language is probably more important than Irish for many courses and jobs.

Sea Sharp

Won't somebody please think of *editing the title*.

Yeah, Irish is irrelevant and should not be compulsory.
I find it interesting that the only LC subject that is unique to the country and this education system (aka, they can't look at the corresponding UK curriculum for inspiration ) is an abysmal failure.

Pace2008

Until someone can tell me why learning Irish is so important, without listing advantages that could be conferred by learning any (practically speaking) non-redundant second language, and without assuming their own arbitrary view of what it means to be Irish is universal, I see no reason to continue forcing the language on an unwilling, uninterested youth.

starlit

I say very few students in Ireland can speak fluent Irish. Only a small portion can and some of those are probably from the Gaeltacht. Since English is our main lanaguge not many converse in Irish. Emphasis on the English language has taken over the need of speaking Irish and think the emphasis of learning a foreign language be more benefical for students. No point trying to force students to learn Irish if they have no interest, passion or need for it in their future. It's like a few sayings goes "It's like flogging a dead horse" and "It's a wild goose chase".

CorkMan

IMO Spanish or another major language should be in place instead of Irish.

It would more than likely be taught properly, rather than Irish ATM, and would be far more useful worldwide. IE South/Central America, Spain, rather than only West Ireland.

cassi

I would hate to see the Irish language die out, but the way its being taught in schools is killing it. As some above posters have mentioned the syllabus needs a complete overhaul and much more focus being put on conversation and everyday use.

My Irish teacher in school came from a Irish speaking family and as such never realised how it could be difficult for people. She would redicule for the smallest of mistakes therefore making the vast majority of students reluctant to speak any of it. Let alone want to make points on poetry and novels.

When I was in school I would have said to completely get rid of it, but now as im getting older and living abroad, its amazing to have a language of my own that I can speak when I just want to.

flyton5

Nil fhios agam....


got me through the LC Irish orals...

jugger0

They should make all primary schools gael scoils, problem solved. Pretty sad how we cant speak our own language.

starlit

jugger0 wrote: »

They should make all primary schools gael scoils, problem solved. Pretty sad how we cant speak our own language.

Not every student is good at Irish even if they went to a gael scoil!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

snuggles285 wrote: »

Not every student is good at Irish even if they went to a gael scoil!

You do realise that one of our strongest selling points too employers is that we are native-English speaking?

jugger0

snuggles285 wrote: »

Not every student is good at Irish even if they went to a gael scoil!

My secondary school had a split, half from gael scoils and half from normal schools. ALL the gael scoil students could speak Irish! Even if there was a few who couldnt, the vast majority would be able to speak it fluently.

starlit

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

You do realise that one of our strongest selling points too employers is that we are native-English speaking?

Yes....? Think they should add French, Spanish, German or Italian onto that in the near future!

starlit

jugger0 wrote: »

My secondary school had a split, half from gael scoils and half from normal schools. ALL the gael scoil students could speak Irish! Even if there was a few who couldnt, the vast majority would be able to speak it fluently.

Well ok, thats fair enough. For those who can't speak Irish fluently even having gone to a gael scoil, I have known a few who had ended up doing Ordinary Level Irish for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert who had gone to a gael scoil though!

cassi

snuggles285 wrote: »

Well ok, thats fair enough. For those who can't speak Irish fluently even having gone to a gael scoil, I have known a few who had ended up doing Ordinary Level Irish for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert who had gone to a gael scoil though!

Thats probably because they weren't given adequate exposure to or education in Irish after they finished primary school.

ScumLord

cassi wrote: »

I would hate to see the Irish language die out, but the way its being taught in schools is killing it.

I'd agree, I absolutely hated Irish in school but ever since leaving school I wish I had learned it in school.

While it's not an important language in today's world it is an interesting one and there's nothing to lose from learning it. It's not like we'll ever stop speaking English but it would be nice to be able to speak a language that no one else in the world speaks.

I could see all kinds of advantages, maybe even in business and sport being able to talk to your fellow countrymen without anyone having the foggiest what your on about could be a bonus.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

snuggles285 wrote: »

Yes....? Think they should add French, Spanish, German or Italian onto that in the near future!

So, if you turn all the schools into Gaelscoileanna, do you think this reputation will be damaged, as other countries will see as trying to move away from being native english speaking?

Adding other languages depends on how practical you want an education system to be versus how traditional.

marzic

Ina theannta sin, deimhnímse leis seo go bhfuil an t-eolas ar fad tugtha ar an bhfoirm iarratais seo cruinn. Tuigim go bhféadfar dícháiliú uathfheidhmeach a dhéanamh orm de bharr eolas bréagach nó míthreorach atá tugtha agam.

Dearbhaím freisin má chiontófar nó má ionchúiseofar sa todhchaí mé, beidh sé mar fhreagracht orm, an fhíric seo a chur ar shúile Oifigigh um Acmhainní Daonna, gan mhoill.

"... and thats all i have to say about that":D

Novella

I don't think it should be optional. It's our language, and I think it'd be sad to lose it completely. Imo, the problem is with the way Irish is taught. I find it unbelievable that after learning a language for, I dunno, twelve years, the most so many students can manage is to write an essay about how they went to the shop and bought sweets and cake.

I think students would find it more enjoyable if they didn't feel so out of their depth, and the only way to tackle this is to change the way in which it is taught. At least that's the way I see it!

Scuid Mhór

they need to change how irish is educated to make it more in tune with contemporary times - not abolish it.

bleg

What if you want your kids learning a useful language instead?

Novella

bleg wrote: »

What if you want your kids learning a useful language instead?

They could learn another language as well. I've heard early in life is the best time to learn languages anyway.

D'Agger

bleg wrote: »

What if you want your kids learning a useful language instead?

Like Latin :pac:

nommm

I think it should be made optional after the JC. I'd prefer a system like in Britain where they only take on subjects you want to do for the LC. That way if you have difficulty with languages or maths it won't hold you back as much.

If they want to keep it as a compulsory subject they need to improve the way it's taught. I've been learning it for the last 13 years and I still struggle to string a sentence together.

Copper23

thisisadamh wrote: »

Hi all I think a lot more good would be done for Irish if it was not compulsory for LC. What does everyone else think?

I think you are wrong. End of.

How is dropping Irish good for the language?

Copper23

nommm wrote: »

I think it should be made optional after the JC. I'd prefer a system like in Britain where they only take on subjects you want to do for the LC.

Yeah, English is hardly compulsory in England :rolleyes:

Appleguy

Definitely, its working out just fine for me that the gardai cant speak to me when they pull me over.

LpPepper

After just doing my Junior Cert and getting results I can say Irish is possibly the most annoying , boring and dreadful class ever.

I ended up getting into the Highest class in the year in 1st year and stayed there till I finished the Jc , for 2 years for Irish we had this about to retire hag . Each day we would sit there and "learn" aka stare at a page and any questions asked would be responded to with " I told you what to do now get on with it ".

For 2 years we had that BS each day , doing foundation like level stuff in the Top honours class

About a month into 3rd year we were sick of it and protested to our Principal and refused to enter the class :cool: hah

So we ended up getting our English teacher for Irish too and thanks to her we managed to fit in the whole course in less than a school year. We done our poems , stories , vocab and etc..

At the mocks have the class failed , about 10 passed with D's (including myself) and only 5 got honours (1B)

Thanks to our teacher for the remainder of 3rd year we eventually managed to become mediocre at Higher level and sure enough just managed a C at the Junior cert...

What a rant ! , Anyway whole course needs to be re-vamped , no teenager wants to learn about old poets and stories . Its meant to be about talking it , yet barely anyone can at all .

Also needs to be a choice after the JC ,

I can safely say that Horrible hag has since retired