Why don't you speak Irish?

franktheplank

Well, why don't you? As far as I can see (I'm open to correction ) efforts to revive the Irish language have failed. For me, I think what put me off was being forced to learn it in school and also, I don't think learning it makes me any more or less 'Irish'.

I'm interested to know why other people don't speak Irish, especially considering the amounts spent yearly on Irish language life-support. So it's time (if you're willing) for that mainstay of social research, an AH poll!

Wibbs

What's "not again" as Gaelige?

DrumSteve

Because the way it was taught in school was crap and no one else uses it.

Unfortunately.

syklops

An bhfuil cead agam dul go dti an leithreas?

Jaxxy

I do speak Irish!

Franticfrank

I wasn't born in the Gaeltacht.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I'm ashamed that I am unable to speak Irish.

That will be rectified this year though.

Bertser

Because of how it's taught and how it presents little or no job opportunities.

danslevent

I don't plan on living in Ireland my whole life so didn't see the point. I'm so much better at French than Irish, which career wise etc, it so much better.

DenMan

Wibbs wrote: »

What's "not again" as Gaelige?

Ní arís

Diageio_Man

Prob cause my irish teacher was so bad at teaching it, she turned me off it for life. Such a pity.

Iang87

was forced to learn it in school so immediately took a dislike, just like vegetables. I chose to do german in secondary, only done it for 3 years but still know more german than irish

Recidivist

Because it has zero relevence to my life.

J_E

The curriculum is terrible. You spend about 12 years being forced to learn it and most come out barely able to hold a conversation!

What's so wrong with English? It's firmly cemented as our primary language and that's not going to change any time soon. Irish is just awkward to use in a modern society.

franktheplank

* mod note, I can't edit the poll now, could you please add an 'other' option and an 'it was poorly thought' option. Thanks.

Frolick

I don't speak Irish, grew up trying to learn it. But now looking back I wish I knew it. My language etc etc

I wouldn't totally blame the teaching of it. There is this whole attitude surrounding irish. People don't like it because it was forced upon them and their children pick up this dislike from them then, if you get what I mean.

backthephilup

I spent all my time looking out the window. There were squirrels in our school yard. Fascinating creatures squirrels

BillyMitchel

I don't see the option of my teacher was useless and a nervous wreck who couldn't control the class who was also more interested in giving us a history lesson about Irish politics.

I feel crap when I go to foreign countries and they ask me to speak Irish it's a shame really. One day ill get around to it.

LordSutch

Well I don't speak/converse in Irish, my family don't speak Irish, the extended family don't speak Irish either, if I go shopping in Dublin I don't hear Irish being spoken, people don'y speak Irish down the gym or at the local swimmimg pool . .

Come to think of it, the only time I am going to come into contact with the Irish language is when the kids start primary school.
Thats my personal experience living & working on the east coast-Greater Dublin area.

Rhinocharge

Wibbs wrote: »

What's "not again" as Gaelige?

Ní arís = "not again"

Tá mé cúpla focal na Gaeilge, ach níl mé líofa.

emeraldstar

Because I don't live in the Gaeltacht so there's no one to speak it to :rolleyes:

Vojera

It's taught REALLY badly, no real structure to it at all. I remember being in 5th year in secondary school and learning that irish words have genders!

Plus once you reach secondary school they assume you can already speak it and start going off with poems and plays when students find it hard enough just to get through basic conversation. There doesn't seem to be much emphasis after that on improving grammar and vocabulary.

I learned (and have retained) ten times more French in the 5 years I took it than I did taking Irish from junior or senior infants, whenever they introduce it.

jester77

I can barely speak English, what chance would I have with Irish :eek:

ejmaztec

English sub-titles on TG4 are very useful.

Oranage2

I speakail Irish.

akura

I had no interest in Irish at school so it was in one ear, out the other

gg2

I know alot more French and German after spending just 4 years learning it in secondary.... Its a shame really. It was taught totally bum about elbow imo.

Go tabann is a favourite. I used it dozens of times writing essays!

Lucena

Badly taught, there should be more conversational classes and less writing. Realistically, most people will never want to write, but might want to chance more than a cupla focal now and then.
No opportunity. Very few people speak it in everyday situations. Even if you go to countries like the Netherlands where they have good English, all the signs are in Dutch, labels on stuff is in Dutch, people around you will be speaking Dutch, so you will have an opportunity to pick up a bit of the lingo.
None of that for Irish (apart from a bit spoken sna Gaeltachtai)

Where To

I canny evin spake Inelish, never mine anyhin else.

Wibbs

akura wrote: »

so it was in one ear, out the other

You've reminded me that my dad used to add "with nothing in the middle to impede it's progress" when I'd use the phrase

Lelantos

It's just peoples attitude to the language, if an American comedian can pick it up in 6 months or so the rest of us should be able to do it within 6 years. It's easy to blame teachers, curriculum, the language itself, but not so easy to blame ourselves

RikkFlair

TG4 is great for picking up the cupla focail. I find myself often swearing in Irish....."FOR FEIC SAKE"

Ghost Buster

Learned irish from age 5 til about 18 - Can not speak a word but can recite a few ****ing poems ANd have no love for it what so ever.

Learned French from age 14 til 18 - Can get by when in France but not a French poem have I. I like French as a language.

Draw from this what you will;)

Tabnabs

Two words really - Ní thuigim

4zn76tysfajdxp

I don't live in Ireland anymore but when I did I spoke Irish daily.

Lelantos wrote: »

It's just peoples attitude to the language, if an American comedian can pick it up in 6 months or so the rest of us should be able to do it within 6 years. It's easy to blame teachers, curriculum, the language itself, but not so easy to blame ourselves

Mainly the curriculum, though.

J_E

Lelantos wrote: »

It's just peoples attitude to the language, if an American comedian can pick it up in 6 months or so the rest of us should be able to do it within 6 years. It's easy to blame teachers, curriculum, the language itself, but not so easy to blame ourselves

Sounds like a cop-out. Irish has some ferociously confusing grammar (never knowing if a word is masculine or feminine because the rules don't really work), constant irregularities, etc. Are you sure he could really speak fluently or only had a basic grasp?

Biggins

Should be multiple choice.

I resented being forced to learn it.
I feel it has no practical use.
Just not interested in it.
Learning other languages is more important to me.

--Kaiser--

The purpose of language is communication. What extra people could I communicate with if I was fluent in this language? Close to zero. I'd be better off learning Klingon.

And before there are a lot of histrionic posts about culture and heritage, our culture and heritage exists well beyond our native language

jjbrien

ejmaztec wrote: »

English sub-titles on TG4 are very useful.

Even TG4 shows little irish programs. When the goverment introduced TG4 I thought it would be the end of Irish on RTE..... nope it still stayed on RTE as well.

I know little or no Irish these days after been forced to do it for 14 years at school. I knew a good deal of Irish before I went into secondary school then I forgot it all due to rubbish teachers we had the head of the county's GAA for an irish teacher he was only interested in talking about GAA, rugby, soccer, telling jokes and talking about anything but Irish. He would have been a good friend to take to the pub but useless as a teacher.

Then the curriculum was horrid...... "Peg" enough said

Iwasfrozen

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

The purpose of language is communication. What extra people could I communicate with if I was fluent in this language? Close to zero. I'd be better off learning Klingon.

And before there are a lot of histrionic posts about culture and heritage, our culture and heritage exists well beyond our native language

No it doesn't!! You're obviously an anti-Irish west Brit unionist!!!!!11!

Shenshen

Mostly because I didn't go to school here, and beginner's courses for adults are thin on the ground and rather expensive...

eviltwin

Combination of two really, no interest in it because it has no practical use. Would rather use the time to brush up on the stuff I did in school I might actually use ie French and Spanish

Vojera

Lelantos wrote: »

It's just peoples attitude to the language, if an American comedian can pick it up in 6 months or so the rest of us should be able to do it within 6 years. It's easy to blame teachers, curriculum, the language itself, but not so easy to blame ourselves

But did he learn it in the same way we were forced to trudge though in school? No, he learned by immersion in the language (afaik), which a lot of people say makes it far easier to learn any language, because there are fluent speakers around you all the time.

Being forced to learn those passages out of Bun Go Barr by rote does nothing for learning, it just makes you a parrot. They should really overhaul the whole curriculum from national school up.

Chuck Stone

I grew up in norniron where there was no primary school education in Irish. When my family moved to the south I was too far behind to ketchup.

karma_

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

No it doesn't!! You're obviously an anti-Irish west Brit unionist!!!!!11!

Imagine you turning up in yet another Irish language thread.

Iwasfrozen

karma_ wrote: »

Imagine you turning up in yet another Irish language thread.

No need to imagine.

karma_

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

No need to imagine.

True, I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

Rhinocharge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpp0LHAxCxU

Lord TSC

karma_ wrote: »

Imagine you turning up in yet another Irish language thread.

Yeah, imagine a user coming into a topic on a public forum board he frequents. The nerve.

Or is this topic another one where a question is asked but the true answer not wanted?

My answer; I have no need to speak it. My life is not impeded in any way by not being able to speak it.

Myrddin

My Irish teacher in secondary was appallingly bad. Learning Irish quickly became nothing more than a chore, a way to pass tests & points in your leaving cert. At no point was it ever made to be fun, constructive, engaging and/or remotely interesting.

Its a shame, I'd actually love to be able to speak it. But after ten years being taught it from primary through to leaving cert, I can honestly say something was wrong with the system/manner its taught to kids

karma_

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Yeah, imagine a user coming into a topic on a public forum board he frequents. The nerve.

The lad is entitled to his opinion of course, I'd rather he was honest about it though.