The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called for a change in the way the Irish language is taught at primary, secondary and third level.

The union decided at its recent annual congress to work with stakeholders to help devise a multilateral strategy on the teaching of the language at primary and post primary level.

A study will be undertaken in collaboration with Irish language organisations, teacher-training colleges and teachers’ unions and will also involve the collaboration of students, teachers and other stakeholders.

“The way Irish is taught in schools isn’t working,” Kevin Donoghue, USI president, said, “There needs to be more of an emphasis on the spoken language. Fluency is best reached through submersion, which is why we’re recommending all students go to the gaeltacht. USI is concerned about the teaching of the Irish language at secondary level in Ireland and noted that many students believe that the Irish language is not “taught as a language” and that too much focus is put on literature instead of the oral practice."

The union says it hopes that the teaching of Irish “as a language” would aid greatly in the enjoyment of the subject  which would lead to students having a greater degree of fluency in the language.

It has mandated its Irish language officer to build a strategy for the teaching of the Irish Language at secondary level with a view to having more students confident in the Irish language. The union has said students should achieve verbal fluency  through submersion by time spent in the Gaeltacht.

The Department of Education should adopt Common European Framework for Languages (CEF) guidelines for the examination of the language at post-primary level, the USI said.

The CEF standardised guide tracks the achievements of language learners and allows teachers and students understand what level of skill they have attained. Teachers say the guidelines are very useful tool  as it can help create an independent benchmark of a student or a teacher’s true ability and it would give students and teachers something to work towards.

Recent changes in the leaving certificate where a greater emphasis has been placed on the spoken word and tchanges in the teaching structure are going in the right direction but need to be improved to be a more attractive subject to students.

“While Irish students across the country are patriotic and proud of their native language, it is not as widely spoken across the Ireland as it should be,” Donoghue said.

“Gaeilge is a vibrant expression of our unique national culture, history and identity. The most essential differentiating characteristics of a culture are oftentimes contained within its language. Gaeilge, therefore, plays a paramount, pivotal role in the Irish cultural identity and it is a cherished core of all that is truly Irish. USI acknowledges how vital it is for us to do everything we can to preserve, nurture and extend the Irish language to students across Ireland.  Because of this, we voted in Congress in favour of the vice president for the Irish Language to lobby the department of Education and Skills to implement the CEF guidelines in relation to the examination of the Irish language at post-primary level.”