Sir, - I must agree with Kevin Myers about the death of the Irish language being as inevitable as the swallows leaving for Africa. I am the mother of two boys, both in primary school. My youngest has just entered senior infants and thinks Irish is "wonderful". My eldest just entered fifth class and loathes it. Yet I can remember when he also thought that Irish was wonderful.
The change in perception begins in first class. Up until that point Irish is taught purely orally; the children love it and treat it as a sort of secret language - it has a magical mystique. Once they enter first class, however, they must read and learn to spell this heretofore magical code. The previous two school years have concentrated on teaching them the phonics of the English language but the phonics of the Irish language are totally different. This comes at a stage when many may still be struggling with reading English, which as Mr Myers points out, is the language they all use to communicate with. They are totally confused by the spelling of Irish words, which are at variance with all they have learned so far about letters and sounds.
So I shall enjoy this year when my six-year-old still loves Irish and await his confusion next year as he begins to struggle with it. And as for any child who has any reading difficulties with the English language at this stage I'm sure their "Irish" is totally lost at this point - forever!
The solution? Allow them to learn to speak the language first (as my 11-year-old has learned French). Only when a child is older and reading confidently in English and can understand that there might be a different way to pronounce a letter, introduce the reading, writing and spelling of Irish. It might then still be a language that the child loves, or at least doesn't loathe. - Yours, etc.,
Jane Halligan, Eaton Wood Court, Shankill, Dublin 18.