Abstract

The body of research in this volume offers a detailed account of the success of young immersion learners of Irish in becoming competent speakers of the minority language. Taking account of in-class and out-of-class factors, it examines the variety of Irish spoken by the pupils, the extent to which the Irish spoken deviates from native-speaker norms, the degree to which pupils are aware of and attempt to acquire a native-like variety and the extent to which issues of identity and motivation are involved. The results highlight the limitations of an immersion system in generating active and accurate users of the language outside the immersion setting and will help immersion educators to gain a greater understanding of how young immersion learners learn and acquire the target language. The findings are placed in the context of other one-way immersion programmes internationally with a particular focus on minority language settings, and make an important contribution not only to our understanding of the Irish issues, but how the Irish situation can be placed in a broader scholarly and socio-political context.

This book is an important addition to the body of research on immersion education. Pádraig Ó Duibhir, a respected academic and former practitioner in the sector, provides an insightful analysis of four research projects on the subject, bringing together both Irish and international perspectives and charting a way forward based on empirical evidence.

Pádraig Ó Duibhir is Deputy Dean and Professor of Education, Dublin City University Institute of Education, Ireland. He has worked as an immersion teacher and now researches teacher education and second language teaching, with a particular interest in the teaching of Irish as a subject and as a medium of instruction.

[This book] will be a springboard for rich debate in the area of immersion education in Ireland (...) It will most definitely help inform future teacher education strategies and provide a valuable resource to immersion teachers and students and also second language acquisition researchers. The author's work has continued to strengthen the sector by providing a body of research that can now inform practice.

Throughout this book, Ó Duibhir’s significant experience of immersion education – as a pupil, a teacher, a principal, a lecturer and a researcher – is evident. It allows for an accessible, insightful exposition of the immersion education model in Ireland and internationally that would be difficult to achieve without having such a background. The book will serve as a useful text for researchers in immersion education and language revitalisation studies.

This book makes a substantial contribution to the literature on immersion education by exploring students’ Irish language development and attitudes while proposing possibilities for change both within and beyond the classroom. Pádraig Ó Duibhir’s welcome contribution is indispensable reading for anyone interested in understanding the full potential of immersion education.

Drawing on data from a wealth of studies along with his many years of experience as a successful teacher and acclaimed academic, Ó Duibhir presents an honest account of the current, changing status of the Irish language, the prognosis for its future, and the pivotal role of education. This fascinating volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the Irish language, minority language survival, bilingual education, language policy and planning, and/or applied linguistics.