Promoting Irish

Our goal is to promote the Irish language by supporting fluent speakers and those eager to learn. We learned that people learn languages more quickly through regular conversation and exposure. Although our school primarily operates in English, our survey revealed that a lot of students felt confident holding a conversation in Irish or better. This insight highlighted the potential for greater use of the language within our school community. Our initiative aims to inspire the use of Irish, not only within the classroom but also as a spoken language throughout the school.

Our Social Issue

New Project Name: Gaeilgeoirí Óga - Young Irish Speakers Our YSI project aims to address the decline of the Irish language by encouraging students to speak it more confidently. Many students want to use Irish but feel hesitant due to uncertainty about others' proficiency levels. This creates a ripple effect, discouraging its use and threatening its survival. Recognizing our responsibility as the next generation, we took action to promote Irish in our school. Through research, we discovered that Gaeltacht areas are in the minority and that students’ proficiency levels vary widely. Our goal is to make Irish more accessible and encourage its use to help preserve our native language.

Why We Chose It

Our YSI project aims to address the decline of the Irish language by encouraging students to speak it more confidently. Many students want to use Irish but feel hesitant due to uncertainty about others' proficiency levels. This creates a ripple effect, discouraging its use and threatening its survival. Recognizing our responsibility as the next generation, we took action to promote Irish in our school. Through research, we discovered that Gaeltacht areas are in the minority and that students’ proficiency levels vary widely. Our goal is to make Irish more accessible and encourage its use to help preserve our native language.

Our Goal

Our big idea is to promote the Irish language by encouraging fluent speakers and learners to use it confidently in everyday conversations. We aim to inspire the use of Irish not only in the classroom but also as a spoken language within our school community. Our goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable speaking Irish through fun, engaging initiatives like Irish Bingo, Monopoly, a treasure hunt, and colour-coded wristbands. By increasing language awareness and making Irish more accessible, we hope to foster pride in the language and encourage its natural use in daily interactions.

Our Innovative Action

Our YSI project promotes the Irish language by encouraging students to use it confidently both in and beyond the classroom. We introduced engaging initiatives like Irish Bingo for first years, an Irish table at the Language Fair, Irish Monopoly for second years, and a treasure hunt to make learning fun. To increase daily exposure, we placed Irish signs on doors and a Feelings Chart in the Irish room. Our colour-coded wristbands help students identify peers they can converse with at different proficiency levels. Through these initiatives, we have fostered confidence and increased language awareness.

Our Impact

Our YSI project has positively impacted students by promoting the Irish language in an empowering way, encouraging daily use and boosting confidence. Through interactive initiatives like Irish Bingo, Monopoly, and treasure hunts, we’ve made learning fun and reduced the fear of mistakes. Colour-coded wristbands and increased language visibility in the school have fostered peer-to-peer learning and natural conversations in Irish, helping to normalize its use. Additionally, our presence at the Language Fair highlighted Irish’s importance, fostering pride and a sense of connection to Irish identity. Overall, our project has transformed attitudes and created a supportive environment for speaking Irish confidently.