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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2007 (May-June) » Archive through May 13, 2007 » Research for a senior essay: adult Irish learners needed! « Previous Next »

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Frankcesca
Member
Username: Frankcesca

Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 10:21 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Dia dhaoibh,
I'm writing a research paper about adult Irish learners, focusing on those who don't have Irish roots (but I'll take information from those who do, as well). It's a paper in anthropology, and I'm looking at themes like cultural appropriation, nationalism, and imagined communities, as per Benedict Anderson's writings. Irish is not a language of global power, it's not used for business outside of Ireland (or, for that matter, inside of Ireland much), and yet many people want to learn it. If you're one of them, I'd appreciate if you could answer a few quick survey questions. Prompt responses appreciated; this thing is due Wednesday, May 9!

Go raibh míle maith agaoibh!

Here are the questions:

What is your heritage?
What is your general picture of the Irish language? What draws you to it?
Why did you decide to learn Irish?
What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish?
Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
Do you speak any other language(s)?
Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?

Again, thanks for any and all help you can give me.

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Wee_falorie_man
Member
Username: Wee_falorie_man

Post Number: 138
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 11:03 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage? Hispanic from Alburquerque, New Mexico

What is your general picture of the Irish language? A rare, magical language that I have wanted to learn for as long as I can remember

Why did you decide to learn Irish? I have always been interested in Irish folklore and mythology, and would like to be able to read them in the original language that they were written/spoken in.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish? The benefit of understanding and speaking a language that I have always wanted to learn is self-fulfilling.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish? I have several books that are written in Irish that I hope to be able to read someday.

Do you speak any other language(s)? Spanish and English

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland? Yes.

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Antaine
Member
Username: Antaine

Post Number: 1061
Registered: 10-2004


Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 11:46 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage?
3rd generation American in all family branches, 50% italian, 25% carpathian rusyn and 25% irish


What is your general picture of the Irish language?
not healthy, but not beyond redemption. Ancient and noble, it is the modern incarnation of a language spoken (according to some dna tests) by some of the original inhabitants of europe after the retreat of the ice sheets, and as such is one of the cornerstones of western civilization - well buried by time with its importance almost forgotten.


What draws you to it?
that sense of connection to the past as well as to members of my family when my family were kings. In a more modern sense, to leave it die is to allow bigotry and genocide to succeed. The history of the ascendence of british global power bothers me, in particular the religious and ethnic bigotry which fueled it's policies in Ireland. It is not only wrong to me as a third-person observer, but I take it as having been a direct attack on my family, ultimately stripping us of status and power and leaving our country a third-world shambles for centuries. It feels wonderful to see what Ireland has become on the world stage, but to see how much of it is a mirror of british culture and language is extremely distasteful. Revival of the language is a way of reclaiming native modes of expression and ways of knowing as well as a distinctive aesthetic.

Why did you decide to learn Irish?
On a lark, originally. I'd taken a liking to the Clancy Bros. music and my mother suggested a language class at the local community college. The more I became involved with the Irish language community and learned the history of it the more riled I got. I am committed to returning my family to the language. I use it daily as I learn it. I teach whatever I know to my friends and my existing family, and intend to never speak english to my future children, so they will be bilingual in Irish. I strive for fluency to that end.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish?
There is no practical benefit, but since when is that the sole benchmark of what is worthwhile? A feeling of accomplishment, and of connectedness. A feeling of community with other speakers and communing with ancestors. My great-grandfather fought to liberate Ireland from foreign domination, and I see learning and using the language as continuing that work.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
see above regarding future children. I would also like to return my family to Ireland at some point (future generations, that is) and, as a teacher, fluency in the language may be key to me gaining permission to work in Ireland long enough to gain citizenship. If nothing else, as a writer of poetry and stories I would like to make a name for myself down the road through working in the language.

Do you speak any other language(s)?
I took French in high school and am also brushing up on that, but Irish takes precedence.

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?
Not so much to the country in the modern sense, since it is almost completely english-speaking, but see above for connections to Irish history, early human history and ancestors, all of which hold deep personal meaning for me.

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Faolchú_rua
Member
Username: Faolchú_rua

Post Number: 17
Registered: 04-2007


Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 - 01:42 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage?: I don't know. My family's surname (Strength) apparently emerged full-blown in Alabama. Presumably an ancestor either changed his name or had it changed for him. Closest we've been able to come is that it's possibly derived from a Scottish name.

What is your general picture of the Irish language? What draws you to it? I was originally drawn to the Irish language because of my love of Irish traditional music, particularly sean-nós singing. Now the language itself has a hold on me, however.

Why did you decide to learn Irish? Because I wanted to know, at a deeper level, what I was singing. To me, it's not enough to simply parrot sounds, and rely on an English translation...I need to comprehend what I'm singing at a gut level. As I said above, however, once I got started, the language itself took a hold of me.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish? The satisfaction of learning the language, of course, and the ability to truly comprehend the language of my beloved music.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish? The language itself is the goal.

Do you speak any other language(s)? I studied French for five years (high school and college) and Latin for three years, but not having had any opportunity to use them, I've mostly lost them.

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland? I don't know about that. I've never even been to Ireland, though I hope to go someday (I'd love to take a course at Oideas Gael!). It does give me something of a sense of identity, though...a nice thing to have in American culture! I'm very much connected with the Irish community here, and that's something I treasure.

Faolchú Rua

Is leigheas é an ceol ar an anam briste

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James
Member
Username: James

Post Number: 466
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 - 10:56 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage? American with Irish, Scottish and German as the predominate genetic contributors.

What is your general picture of the Irish language? Currently "improving but still guarded" which is an upward trend from its former status of "critical" trending toward "terminal."

What draws you to it? I have always felt that to really know a people and a culture one must understand the associated language/languages. I see the language as one more way of acknowledging those who came before me.

Why did you decide to learn Irish? I started learning Irish as a means of re-connecting with my Irish ancestry. It started with Morgan Llewellyn's books which introduced me to the complexities of Irish spelling, gained momentum with sean nos singing and exploded with a trip to areas west of Galway.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish? No benefits whatsoever. The joy is in the learning.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
I'd love to live a portion of my year in Ireland in a gaeltacht, preferably in the region of Connemara. While this goal doesn't exactly "depend" on Irish, having Irish would certainly make for a richer, more full experience.

Do you speak any other language(s)? Nearly fluent in Spanish.

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?

I thought that it did, or would but after taking a trip there and attempting to use my Irish, I would have to say "No". It does give me a more personal connection to my ancestry but that's the extent of it. Maybe now that my Irish is better I'll have a different experience, but on my first (and only) trip the reception I got from Irish speakers was lukewarm at best.

Is minic a bhris beál duine a shrón.
Fáilte roimh cheartú, go deo.

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Marietta (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 12:08 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Heritage: First generation American, both parents born in Ireland.
General picture of language; Marching along, sometimes with great strides and sometimes limping but still on the move.
Drawn by its beauty and uniqueness.
Decided to learn when classes first became available in
my area.
No benefit except knowledge.No goal except to learn to the best of my ability.
Have some French.
My closeness with Ireland comes more from having most of my relatives living there but certainly having some Irish does add closeness.

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LilyJade (Unregistered Guest)
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Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 07:12 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage?
My father's family are all Ulter protestants - I grew up in England, staying often in County Antrim.

What is your general picture of the Irish language? What draws you to it?
Although the pronunciation rules are many, they seem very regular, unlike English.

Why did you decide to learn Irish?
I spend a lot of time in hills of Ireland and Scotland and have always been curious about the name places. I also spend time in the Gaeltacht (the Irish speaking region in Donegal) and would like to be able to talk to the locals in their own language.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish?
I think learning any language has benefits in stretching the brain. In knowing Irish, it will be easier to remember the nameplaces when I am hill walking as they will have a meaning rather than being a jumble of letters.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
No

Do you speak any other language(s)?
A bit of Italian, French and Latin. Only enough to get by, though.

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?
Not really, the vast majority of my Irish friends and family hated learning Irish at school. Perhaps the connection is taken for granted if you live there, whereas those who are far away, such as Americans, may feel a connection through the language. I'm more connected when I actually walk through the landscape and experience Irelands beautiful coastlands and moors.

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Aonghus
Member
Username: Aonghus

Post Number: 5223
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 07:55 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

LilyJade; this may interest you (and other enthusiasts of Dinnseanchas - place name lore)

http://www.logainm.ie/

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(Unregistered Guest)
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Posted From:
Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 08:56 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Thank-you! That's very kind of you. I have just looked up the site you suggested and it's just the ticket.

Jade

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Domhnall
Member
Username: Domhnall

Post Number: 1004
Registered: 06-2005


Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 10:44 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

With all due respect, there are a small number of businesses who do indeed use Irish outside of Ireland.. As such it is used for business outside of Ireland.

A people without a language of its own is only half a nation.A nation should guard its language more than its territories, 'tis a surer barrier and a more important frontier than mountain or river

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Frankcesca
Member
Username: Frankcesca

Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 10:36 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Domhnall, I understand, and thank you for the correction. My point was that the New York Stock Exchange is not looking to start functioning as Gaeilge any time soon.

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Mia
Member
Username: Mia

Post Number: 5
Registered: 10-2005
Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 01:51 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

It's getting on a bit late to contribute, I'd imagine, but I will throw my answers in here anyway. It's an interesting thread, research aside.

What is your heritage? Ordinary Mixed American. I just really don't feel very connected to any of the ethnicities of my ancestors. We'll just say English, Irish, and Scottish, with smaller bits of other things.

What is your general picture of the Irish language? What draws you to it? My general picture of the Irish languages is that it is an interesting puzzle. I don't mean any disrespect by that. I've just studied Romance languages for a long time, and Irish is nothing like those. It's a real challenge for me, and the more difficulty I encounter, the more attracted I am.

Why did you decide to learn Irish?
I like the sound, and it is completely different from what I've studied before. The more people bug me about brushing up my Spanish for economic gain, the more I think I picked Irish so that I could enjoy a language just for the sheer joy of it.

What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish?
The warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment.

Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
No.

Do you speak any other language(s)?
I used to speak Spanish, some French, and some Italian. These days, I just speak English, and all the time I spent on other languages slowly turns to waste as they slip away.

Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?
Learning Irish has made me more interested in Irish culture and in current events in Ireland.

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Abigail
Member
Username: Abigail

Post Number: 285
Registered: 06-2006
Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 03:32 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

What is your heritage?
German, Irish, Scottish, Native American and I'm not too sure what else. Maybe we'd better just say "American."


What is your general picture of the Irish language? What draws you to it?
Originally it was the sound. I heard someone singing in Irish as a teenager and was hooked. These days it's got far more to do with literature. There are things I want to read in Irish - and more than that, things I want to write! - and that's what keeps me learning.


Why did you decide to learn Irish?
For fun, really. I liked the sound of it, the combinations of consonants intrigued me, and it seemed a lot easier than Latin, which was the language driving me up the wall at the time. (Little did I know!)


What benefit do you expect to gain from knowing Irish?
I find it very personally satisfying.
In practical terms, I suppose principally access to literature. It also might come in handy if I want to move to Ireland someday (but I'd never have taken a notion to do that if I hadn't learned Irish!)


Do you have any goals that depend on speaking Irish?
Certainly! But I didn't acquire those goals until after I started learning Irish - do they still count? :)

You need a lot of things for a successful, thriving minority language. People need to be able to send their children to school in the language, fill out their taxes in it, do their grocery shopping in it. At some level, people also need to be able to do mathematics and science in it. Academic careers through Irish need to be feasible - academic careers in fields that don't circle back directly to the language itself. You need to be able to use Irish to study things besides Irish.

Accordingly, I want to see an Irish-language mathematical community emerge - papers being written in Irish and journals found to publish them in, university classes being taught in Irish and textbooks written for them, conferences organized and speakers found for them.

So much for the grand generalities. In practical terms:
-- There isn't a combinatorics textbook in Irish - I want to write one.
-- Nor is there a basic kinematics text. We need one. I can write it, just as soon as my Irish is good enough.
(Lots of other textbooks are needed just as badly, of course - but these are my own two fields and so they're my immediate goals.)
-- Once my spoken Irish is good enough, eventually I'd like to teach math or engineering through Irish. Right now I can sustain conversation for an hour, but delivering a one-hour lecture would probably be beyond me.


Do you speak any other language(s)?
Not really. Some rusty Latin, a basic reading knowledge of German and the rudiments of Gaelic.


Do you feel that learning Irish gives you any deeper connections to Ireland?
Yes. Apparently it's impossible to learn a language - or, more to the point, to practice your skills in that language - without becoming a bit more involved in the culture as well. I didn't realize it was happening to me until at some point this winter I woke up and realized I cared about Irish history, and was ashamed to know so little about it.

Tá fáilte roimh chuile cheartú!



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