[Kizzy]

Are you for it or against it, it appears to be one of the sticking points in the negotiations...(if you ignore the bribe obv)

I think I would be for it, it stands to reason that if you were born and raised in a country or with a certain language you should have a right to use that language, it should be as suggested part of a shared cultural heritage that predates any, for want of a better word ..invasion.

Should it be so politicised,what are your thoughts?


http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-30980190.html

[Niamh.]

It would be a shame for Irish to die out in NI I think, it's hard enough to keep it alive in the Republic though. The way it's taught in schools here could be improved. My daughter is fluent though and I think that's fantastic

[Kizzy]

That is great, I can't imaging living in a country and not being expected to learn the language... Imagine the uproar if it happened here?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

That is great, I can't imaging living in a country and not being expected to learn the language... Imagine the uproar if it happened here?

Well it's different because English is really our first language now, there are only a few small areas in Ireland where they speak Irish full time which is a bit sad, that was taken from us. It's funny actually how I hear English people give out how they think muslims are trying to change their culture and turn into a Muslim one, when that's exactly what you did to us, the Irish language is close to extinction because of it

[Tom4784]

I don't see the problem with this since Gaelic and Welsh are protected so there's no real reason why the Irish language shouldn't be protected either.

[LeatherTrumpet]

My lot were/are all taught Gaelic. Its very important, not necessarily to be able to converse but that most geographical features use the Gaelic in Scotland so it helps enormously in understanding the landscape

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

My lot were/are all taught Gaelic. Its very important, not necessarily to be able to converse but that most geographical features use the Gaelic in Scotland so it helps enormously in understanding the landscape

Do you get taught it in schools there LT or do you have to do it on your own time?

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Do you get taught it in schools there LT or do you have to do it on your own time?

I can't speak for further North, but it's not taught in any form where I grew up, or where I live now. When I was at school it was always thought of as a bit of a "Highlands / Islands / North of Scotland" thing, there's definitely not much Gaelic in or around the Central Belt or further south.

This is pretty illustrative really;



And then when you compare that to population density, you get an idea of how few actually speak it:

[Niamh.]

Thanks TS

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Do you get taught it in schools there LT or do you have to do it on your own time?

no its taught as part of school from nursery right thru

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

no its taught as part of school from nursery right thru

ah that's good, it's the same here, some schools are Gael Scoils and they teach all the subjects through Irish, my nephews go to one of those actually, it's lovely to here little kids that young speak it

[James]

Gaelic is only really spoken in the north of Scotland. The more 'traditional' language in a lot of southern Scotland is an English dialect called Lowland Scots.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

ah that's good, it's the same here, some schools are Gael Scoils and they teach all the subjects through Irish, my nephews go to one of those actually, it's lovely to here little kids that young speak it

Yes out Academy is a Gaelic Medium Education one and so offers, free, immersion and the chance to learn to speak fluently if you want but in general lessons for all as well as they go through education.

Smallest boy LT just counted to 20 for me

[jet]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/op...-30927037.html

Who is going to argue for spending tens of millions of pounds more on Irish language translations, Irish language translators, Irish language advertisements, Irish language documents, Irish language road signs and whatever else, while at the same time health, education and other services are under pressure?

Well, of course, no reasonable person will argue for it, but then there is little that is reasonable about those who continue to campaign for an Irish Language Act.

The forthcoming consultation will be a futile exercise, but at least it will serve one purpose: it will put the spotlight on the Sinn Fein plan for an Irish Language Act and both the possible content and the probable cost of such an Act.

Thereby, it will expose the irrationality and the political agenda behind calls for such legislation.

The Irish language is taught here in Catholic schools as a second language, not in my day, but in the last 10 years at least, but only a handful of people I know can actually converse in it at least a little. It's nice to keep old languages alive though.
But as for the Act - It's all a bit silly I think - for example, how could anyone agree that's it's sensible in a court to have translators convert all the proceedings to Irish when everyone involved can speak English? What a waste of time and money. Ridiculous really.

[Kizzy]

It stands to reason that it would be watered down the further south you travel down the country though. What of the Irish issue, should the Irish language speakers be used in such a way as to potentially scupper the peace process?

[LeatherTrumpet]

Yes like in Glasgow you will hear

Uryegauntaethegemmethemorra

As a gent enquires of another chap if he will be at Ibrox on the morn

or

gonnaenodaethatyafud

when a chap is telling another chap to desist from a particular action

[jaxie]

I think it should be available but optional. I don't think anyone should be forced and only if they want it but it's nice to keep a language alive if possible.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

It would be a shame for Irish to die out in NI I think, it's hard enough to keep it alive in the Republic though. The way it's taught in schools here could be improved. My daughter is fluent though and I think that's fantastic

but Polish is the 2nd Language
now in N.I

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Yes like in Glasgow you will hear

Uryegauntaethegemmethemorra

As a gent enquires of another chap if he will be at Ibrox on the morn

or

gonnaenodaethatyafud

when a chap is telling another chap to desist from a particular action

My fav was when a Scotland fan was interviewed about something at an airport by BBC news and said something like "I don't think anyc--t knows"... and the BBC obviously didn't realize what he had actually said and aired it like 3 times through the day. Heh.

[Livia]

I think it's great to be able to speak a language you feel connected to ethnically. I speak Hebrew.