OPINION: What more can be done to save the Irish language?
A look at how Ireland can adopt measures to increase our exposure of the Irish language.
Despite decades of compulsory Irish in schools, the language remains endangered. Making students learn Irish is not the same as inspiring them to use it and if it is just used in schools and not seen in everyday life outside of school hours, what is the point? (many students feel.)
This is what needs to change to save our national language.
One simple way of exposing more people to Irish would be to have more funding for Irish language shows on channels like RTE instead of just on one channel, TG4.
Even if reruns of shows were dubbed with Irish and shown on the main TV channels in Ireland, it would make the language more familiar to people.
This would be one way of increasing the exposure students have of the language outside of the classroom.
Making Irish more visible in public life will help people learn this language and solidify its place on school curriculums.
All public announcements (trains, buses, airports) should be consistently bilingual and spoken clearly in Irish. This would again help people living in Ireland to have more exposure to our national language.
On other bright idea is for schools, businesses, and government departments to hold weekly “Gaeilge-only” days.
On these days students or employees can only speak Irish and it will help people practice the language in person more, often there is little opportunity to do this outside of gaeltachts.
It’s important to keep Irish alive because the language preserves a direct link to Ireland’s past and identity.
Learning and using a second language like Irish can also boost brain function, so it can help your health too.