Social Structures
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Authors: Dr Noelle Higgins is an Associate Professor in Law at Maynooth University and Dr Dorothy Ní Uigín is Riarthóir Theagasc na Gaeilge in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge at NUI Galway
The 21st of February is International Mother Language Day, with the theme of this year’s celebration being ‘Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society’. This celebration of languages was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999, and has been celebrated every year globally since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Its establishment has since been heralded by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which, in Resolution 56/262 of 2002, welcomed UNESCO’s initiative, and called ‘upon Member States and the Secretariat to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.’ This year’s theme emphasises the role of language as a means of societal inclusion and underlines the importance of education in one’s Mother Tongue.
The rationale underpinning the International Mother Language Day initiative is the importance of language as an identity marker, as a means of communication, and as a contributor to the successful development of humanity. In addition, according to the UN, ‘[m]ultilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way’, underscoring the vital role languages play in the transmission of cultural and heritage. Unfortunately, linguistic diversity is increasingly under threat, as languages fall out of use, as illustrated by UNESCO’s Atlas of World Languages in Danger, with one language dying every 14 days. Language death results in a depletion of traditional knowledge and cultural diversity. In the sphere of education, 40 per cent of the global population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand, which can result in exclusion from opportunities for progression and lead to, or indeed, deepen, social injustice. In this context Benson highlights the importance of mother-tongue-based schooling for educational quality. Therefore, the importance of celebrating and promoting the use of mother tongues in general, and more specifically in an educational context is clear.
But what exactly is a ‘mother language’? By using this term, are we, in fact, excluding some languages that may be in need of protection? In a report for UNESCO on ‘Enhancing Learning of Children from Diverse Language Backgrounds: Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual or Multilingual Education in the Early Years’ , Ball defines ‘mother tongue’ as ‘the language(s) that one has learnt first; the language(s) one identifies with or is identified as a native speaker of by others; the language(s) one knows best; and the language(s) one uses most.’ However, she acknowledges that this conceptualisation is ‘imperfect’ in the context of Indigenous peoples in countries which have been colonised and the mother tongue of the general population, as a result of years of oppression, is the language(s) of the coloniser(s).
Following on from this, it is significant to reflect on the status of the Irish language, the mother tongue of a number of people of the country, and assess the importance of International Mother Language Day for them, and for other speakers of Irish. According to the 2016 census, the total number of persons (aged 3 and over) who could speak Irish in April 2016 was 1,761,420, which equates to 39.8 per cent of the population. However, Irish is not the ‘mother language’ of all of these people. There were 96,090 persons living in Gaeltacht areas in April 2016 and of these 63,664 (66.3%) noted that they could speak Irish. Some people are ‘born into’ the language outside of the Gaeltacht areas, but this figure is impossible to identify. However, a lot of people, rather than having Irish as their ‘mother language’ have learned it through the education system, or have chosen to use it for cultural, political, or other reasons, as highlighted by O’Rourke and Walsh (2020).
Article 8 of the Irish Constitution describes Irish as ‘the first official language’ of the State, with English being as ‘a second official’ language, and language rights of Irish (and English) speakers are regulated by the Official Languages Act 2003. The study of Irish is compulsory in all Irish primary and secondary schools, while there has been a significant growth in Irish-medium schools outside Gaeltacht areas since the early 1970s, in particular (http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/en/about/statistics/). Irish-medium schools – Gaelscoileanna – have been accused as being elitist, but Gilleece et al have shown a change in the demographics of children attending Gaelscoileanna in recent years, with around 20% of parents now coming from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds (http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/assets/National-Assessments-of-English-Reading-Maths.pdf). In the 1970s and 1980s a high proportion of students attending Gaelscoileanna had parents who spoke Irish as their first language, but this has also changed, with many parents with limited knowledge of the language choosing Irish-medium schools for their children. A greater appreciation of the wider benefits of bilingual education could be the reason for this, but could this also be indicative of a desire to reclaim the Irish language as a ‘Mother tongue’ – something, of course that cannot be achieved within the definition of mother tongue as one’s first language. Also, while the growth of Gaelscoileanna is significant, only about 5% of the primary schools outside the Gaeltacht areas in Ireland are Gaelscoileanna and 4.8% of the post-primary schools outside Gaeltachtareas in Ireland are Irish-speaking or have Irish-medium units. More widely, concerns have been raised about the achievement levels of students in the Irish language in the education system overall, while O’Rourke and Walsh in their study of New Speakers of Irish point to social spaces rather than to educational spaces as places where learners enhance and use their language skills.
Is it time for the Irish education system to revisit the reasons for studying Irish in our schools and to ensure that the curriculum suits the needs of native speakers of the language as well as those who have been dispossessed of the language, and those who have settled in our country with even more diverse language backgrounds? International Mother Language Day gives us pause for thought on these questions.
Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheangacha agus an tOideachas sa Mháthairtheanga
Údair: Is Ollamh Comhlach le Dlí in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad í an Dr Noelle Higgins agus Is í Riarthóir Theagasc na Gaeilge in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh í an Dr Dorothy Ní Uigín
Titeann Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheangacha ar an 21 Feabhra, agus is é ‘Cothú an ilteangachais chun an t-ionchuimsiú san oideachas agus sa tsochaí a chur chun cinn’ téama cheiliúradh na bliana seo. Bhunaigh Eagraíocht Oideachais, Eolaíochta agus Cultúir na Náisiún Aontaithe (UNESCO) an ceiliúradh seo ar theangacha sa bhliain 1999, agus tá sé á cheiliúradh go domhanda gach bliain ó bhí 2000 ann, chun an éagsúlacht teanga agus chultúrtha, chomh maith leis an ilteangachas, a chur chun cinn. D’fháiltigh Comhthionól Ginearálta na Náisiún Aontaithe roimh a bhunú agus, i Rún 56/262, 2002, chuir sé fáilte roimh thionscnamh seo UNESCO, ag iarraidh ar Bhallstáit agus ar an Rúnaíocht caomhnú agus cosaint a dhéanamh ar gach teanga a úsáideann pobail an domhain. Cuireann téama na bliana seo béim ar ról na teanga mar bhealach chun ionchuimsiú sa tsochaí a éascú agus leagann sé béim ar an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an oideachas a sheachadadh i Máthairtheanga an duine.
Tábhacht na teanga mar chomhartha aitheantais, mar mhodh cumarsáide agus mar bhunghné i bhforbairt an chine dhaonna is ea an réasúnaíocht a bhaineann le Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheangacha. Ina theannta sin, dar leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe, maireann sochaí ilteangach agus ilchultúrtha trína cuid teangacha, a chaomhnaíonn agus a scaipeann eolas agus cultúir thraidisiúnta ar bhealach inbhuanaithe, ag aithint an bhunróil atá ag teangacha sa seachadadh cultúrtha agus oidhreachta. Ar an drochuair, tá an éagsúlacht teanga faoi bhagairt, agus teangacha ag dul in éag go rialta – faigheann teanga amháin bás in aghaidh na coicíse dar le UNESCO’s Atlas of World Languages in Danger. Nuair a imíonn teanga in éag déantar ídiú ar an eolas ar an traidisiún agus ar an éagsúlacht chultúrtha. I réimse an oideachais, níl rochtain ag 40 faoin gcéad de dhaonra an domhain ar an oideachas i dteanga a labhraíonn siad nó a thuigeann siad, rud a choscann deiseanna dul chun cinn orthu agus a d’fhéadfadh, go deimhin, cur leis an éagóir shóisialta. Sa chomhthéacs seo leagann Benson béim ar thábhacht an oideachais sa mháthairtheanga féin chun caighdeán an oideachais a dheimhniú. Is léir, mar sin, an tábhacht a bhaineann le ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar úsáid agus ar chur chun cinn na máthairtheangacha, i gcomhthéacs an oideachais go háirithe.
Ach céard atá i gceist le ‘máthairtheanga’? Agus muid ag úsáid an téarma seo, an bhfuil muid ag fágáil roinnt teangacha ar lár a dteastaíonn cúnamh uathu? I dtuarascáil de chuid UNESCO (‘Enhancing Learning of Children from Diverse Language Backgrounds: Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual or Multilingual Education in the Early Years’) cuireann Ball síos ar mháthairtheanga mar an teanga / teangacha a d’fhoghlaim duine ar dtús; an teanga / teangacha a aithníonn duine mar a c(h)éad teanga nó a aithníonn duine eile leis an duine sin; an teanga / teangacha is fearr atá ar eolas ag duine; agus an teanga / teangacha is mó a úsáideann an duine. Admhaíonn Ball, áfach, go bhfuil an coincheapú seo míshásúil i gcomhthéacs na bpobal Dúchasach i dtíortha a ndearnadh coilíniú orthu agus ina bhfuil teanga an choilíneora – mar thoradh ar an gcos ar bholg – ina mháthairtheanga ag an bpobal i gcoitinne.
Á chur seo san áireamh, is fiú machnamh a dhéanamh ar stádas na Gaeilge, máthairtheanga roinnt daoine sa tír seo, agus ar an tábhacht a bhaineann le Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheangacha dóibh siúd, agus do chainteoirí eile Gaeilge. De réir Dhaonáireamh 2016, 1,761,420 an líon iomlán daoine (3 bliana d’aois agus níos sine) a bhí in ann an Ghaeilge a labhairt in Aibreán 2016; sin 39.8 faoin gcéad den daonra. Mar sin féin, ní hí an Ghaeilge ‘máthairtheanga’ na ndaoine seo go léir. Bhí 96,090 duine ina gcónaí i gceantair Ghaeltachta in Aibreán 2016 agus astu seo, dúirt 63,664 (66.3%) acu go raibh Gaeilge acu. Tá roinnt daoine i dteaghlaigh Ghaeilge lasmuigh de cheantair Ghaeltachta freisin, ar ndóigh, ach is deacair an figiúr seo a áireamh go cruinn. Is léir, áfach, gur fhoghlaim a lán daoine an Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais agus nach raibh an teanga mar ‘mháthairtheanga’ acu, nó roghnaigh siad í a úsáid ar chúiseanna cultúrtha, polaitíochta nó eile, mar a phléann O’Rourke agus Walsh (2020).
Déantar cur síos in Airteagal 8 de Bhunreacht na hÉireann ar an nGaeilge mar ‘chéad teanga oifigiúil’ an Stáit, agus an Béarla mar ‘dara teanga oifigiúil’, agus rialaíonn Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 cearta teanga cainteoirí Gaeilge (agus Béarla). Tá staidéar ar an nGaeilge éigeantach i ngach bunscoil agus meánscoil in Éirinn, agus tháinig fás suntasach ar Ghaelscoileanna lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht ó bhí na 1970idí luatha ann go háirithe (http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/about/statistics/). Cuirtear an t-éilíteachas i leith na nGaelscoileanna uaireanta, ach léirigh Gilleece et al athrú ar dhéimeagrafaic páistí atá ag freastal ar Ghaelscoileanna le blianta beaga anuas, agus is ó na cúlraí socheacnamaíochta is ísle anois iad thart ar 20% de thuismitheoirí na bpáistí. Sna 1970idí agus sna 1980idí bhí tuismitheoir(í) a raibh an Ghaeilge mar chéad teanga acu ag céatadán ard de na páistí a d’fhreastail ar Ghaelscoileanna, ach tá athrú le tabhairt faoi deara anseo freisin, agus roghnaíonn go leor tuismitheoirí a bhfuil eolas teoranta acu ar an teanga Gaelscoileanna dá gcuid páistí. Seans gur tuiscint níos fearr ar na buntáistí a bhaineann leis an oideachas dátheangach is cúis leis seo, ach an bhfuil an seans ann gur léiriú é seo ar mhian daoine an Ghaeilge a ghlacadh chucu féin mar ‘Mháthairtheanga’? – rud, ar ndóigh, nach féidir a dhéanamh bunaithe ar an sainmhíniú ar mháthairtheanga mar an chéad teanga a labhraíonn an duine. Chomh maith leis sin, cé go bhfuil fás suntasach ar Ghaelscoileanna, ní Gaelscoileanna iad ach thart ar 5% de na bunscoileanna lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht in Éirinn agus is 4.8% den líon iomlán iar-bhunscoileanna lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht iad na Gaelcholáistí nó na scoileanna a bhfuil aonad Gaeilge acu. Chomh maith leis sin, tá imní léirithe faoi leibhéil ghnóthachtála na bpáistí sa Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais trí chéile, agus díríonn O’Rourke agus Walsh ina staidéar ar Nua-Chainteoirí na Gaeilge ar spásanna sóisialta seachas ar spásanna oideachais mar áiteanna ina n-úsáideann agus ina gcuireann foghlaimeoirí feabhas ar a gcuid scileanna teanga.
An bhfuil sé in am do chóras oideachais na hÉireann féachaint arís ar na cúiseanna a bhaineann le staidéar a dhéanamh ar an nGaeilge inár gcuid scoileanna agus a chinntiú go n-oireann an curaclam do riachtanais chainteoirí dúchais na teanga chomh maith le riachtanais na ndaoine ar díshealbhaíodh iad i gcás na teanga, agus iad siúd a chuir fúthu inár dtír le déanaí agus a bhfuil cúlraí teanga níos éagsúla fós acu? Tugann Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Máthairtheanga deis dúinn machnamh a dhéanamh ar na ceisteanna seo.