Next generation

Haven’t had a Gaeilge post in yonks, I must attempt to string a few words together one of these days. The only related news I have is that the next generation of Maca [maca óg we'll call him] who has just started school has already developed a wee grá for the language. Everyday he comes home from school with another word in Irish, today it was mála scoile, and he’s always demanding to know what x, y or z is in Irish. That’s a good sign. Wait till he gets to secondary school, they’ll knock that out of him quick enough. Hopefully not though.

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8 Comments.

  1. The reality is that the grá an spéis will be knocked out of him in one way or another .
    I’d imagine the best thing you can do is to speak the language around the house as much as possible, the home is as good as any Gaeltacht or Gaelscoil.
    So when it comes to him having to have any knowledge of the language he’ll be an expert.
    A Gaelgeoir in a gnáthscoil..

  2. That’s sort of a bleak view Mise Fhéin, I suppose it depends on what teachers he gets as he goes through school.
    Home life certainly has a big impact, I don’t speak much Irish to him, just the odd word here and there but I always talk about the language in a positive way which seems to have an impact. He already thinks it’s really cool to have a third word (he’s already bilingual) for an object.

  3. AFAIK, the curriculum has been changed quite a bit to make the language more appropriate to contemporary Ireland.

    One of the things that turned a lot of our generation off Irish was the mind-numbingly boring material we had to study. Peig is the one that most people remember as being not just incredibly boring, but also completely obtuse.

    Hopefully Maca Óg will maintain his enthusiasm for the language as he continues through school. As long as he doesn’t lose interest once the grammar starts and he has to get to grips with the tuiseal ginnedeach

  4. Get yourself some kid-orientated Irish CDs & videos/DVDs. This next generation is being weaned on multi-media products.

    My little mister absolutely adores Rabhlaí Rabhlaí, a CD of nursery rhymes from Kerry. Your wee’un sounds older, so you might need something a bit snappier than nursery rhymes; litriocht.com is a good source for any such materials.

  5. You’re right it is a sort of a bleak view , I shouldn’t be like that.
    The fact that you show Irish in a positive light to Maca Óg is a great thing.

    I can only speak from experience and I have to say that my parents always spoke of Irish in a positive way no matter how bad I was at it (D in Pass for the Leaving) or the fact that they didn’t have any themselves, so it was there views, I think, that allowed myself to appreciate it no matter what school threw at me.

  6. Gerry,
    I was one of the lucky few not to have to suffer through Peig. We’d a decent teacher up to InterCert and I have fond memories of some of the short stories we did back then.
    On grammar, that puts everyone off, bar those odd few with a grammar fetish!

    A Chionaoidh, curious thing, most days the young lad can be found watching cartoons on TG4 than on RTÉ. I’ll have to look into some CD/DVD’s as you suggested.
    I always liked Bulaí (or is it Buailí ?) (the snowman) i’ll have to get my hands a video if it’s possible. The catchy tune is great for the kids.

    MF
    No, I can understand that view. Our education system has managed to turn off quite a few over the years. Hopefully, as Gerry mentioned, the curriculum has changed enough and kids aren’t turning away from the language.
    You may think you were bad at Irish but you seem to have a good grasp of it now, going by your blog :)
    Btw, are you in Sligo?

  7. “Bouli”, a Mhaca. Not a very Irish name, mind you — it looks like they cribbed the cartoon off the French and dubbed it into Irish.

    Last time I checked, Oideas Gael sells it on videotape. I haven’t seen it on DVD yet.

  8. No, not very Irish at all, you’d think they’d have made a better effort to at least make it look Irish :)
    GRMA for the Oideas Gael tip!!