Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020

Ireland is a multilingual country, home to at least 212 languages, as well as English, the Irish language - the oldest language in Europe still spoken as a vernacular - and our native Irish Sign Language, whose users’ rights have only recently been signed into law. This paper will consider the mai...

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Main Author:	Anne Gallagher
Format:	article
Language:	EN GA GD
Published:	The Irish Association for Applied Linguistics 2021
Subjects:	education policy Modern Foreign Languages Irish Europe Philology. Linguistics P1-1091
Online Access:	https://doaj.org/article/483fdaf519c84b3fa1500954bd27a08f
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:483fdaf519c84b3fa1500954bd27a08f
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:483fdaf519c84b3fa1500954bd27a08f2021-11-27T16:06:51ZTwenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-20200332-205X2565-6325https://doaj.org/article/483fdaf519c84b3fa1500954bd27a08f2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journal.iraal.ie/index.php/teanga/article/view/1891https://doaj.org/toc/0332-205Xhttps://doaj.org/toc/2565-6325 Ireland is a multilingual country, home to at least 212 languages, as well as English, the Irish language - the oldest language in Europe still spoken as a vernacular - and our native Irish Sign Language, whose users’ rights have only recently been signed into law. This paper will consider the main issues in language education in Ireland today from primary to third level, together with the economic, geopolitical and cultural forces which influence the ways in which we engage in communication both at home and abroad. Following a brief examination of the history which has led us to this point, it will review a number of European policies which continue to shape the manner in which both Irish and Modern Foreign Languages are learned and taught in present-day Ireland. Finally, it will assess recent policies/strategies and initiatives published by Government, the strengths and weaknesses of language education here today, and propose some measures which could boost our national languages capacity in a world which, despite some impressions to the contrary, continues to be decidedly multilingual. Anne GallagherThe Irish Association for Applied LinguisticsarticleeducationpolicyModern Foreign LanguagesIrishEuropePhilology. LinguisticsP1-1091ENGAGDTeanga: The Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics , Vol 28 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN GA GD
topic	education policy Modern Foreign Languages Irish Europe Philology. Linguistics P1-1091
spellingShingle	education policy Modern Foreign Languages Irish Europe Philology. Linguistics P1-1091 Anne Gallagher Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
description	Ireland is a multilingual country, home to at least 212 languages, as well as English, the Irish language - the oldest language in Europe still spoken as a vernacular - and our native Irish Sign Language, whose users’ rights have only recently been signed into law. This paper will consider the main issues in language education in Ireland today from primary to third level, together with the economic, geopolitical and cultural forces which influence the ways in which we engage in communication both at home and abroad. Following a brief examination of the history which has led us to this point, it will review a number of European policies which continue to shape the manner in which both Irish and Modern Foreign Languages are learned and taught in present-day Ireland. Finally, it will assess recent policies/strategies and initiatives published by Government, the strengths and weaknesses of language education here today, and propose some measures which could boost our national languages capacity in a world which, despite some impressions to the contrary, continues to be decidedly multilingual.
format	article
author	Anne Gallagher
author_facet	Anne Gallagher
author_sort	Anne Gallagher
title	Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
title_short	Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
title_full	Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
title_fullStr	Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
title_full_unstemmed	Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020
title_sort	twenty-five years of language policies and initiatives in ireland: 1995-2020
publisher	The Irish Association for Applied Linguistics
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/483fdaf519c84b3fa1500954bd27a08f
work_keys_str_mv	AT annegallagher twentyfiveyearsoflanguagepoliciesandinitiativesinireland19952020
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Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020

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