“Not to Learn Irish is to miss the opportunity of understanding what life in this country has meant and could mean in a better future. It is to cut oneself off from ways of being at home.”
Buntáistí - Advantages
Nuair a thosaíonn páistí sa chóras tumoideachais, tosaíonn siad ar aistear teanga a bhfuil go leor buntáistí ag baint leis. Tacaíonn na buntáistí seo lena bhforbairt iomlánaíoch. Taispeánann an taighde idirnáisiúnta go mbíonn go leor buntáistí ag daoine dátheangacha agus ilteangacha, mar shampla, buntáistí acadúla, sóisialta, teangeolaíocha agus eacnamaíocha (Ó Ceallaigh, 2013).
Taispeánann an taighde ar an tumoideachais ag an mbunleibhéal in Éirinn go mbaineann paistí buntáistí amach sna réimsí forbartha seo a leanas:
When children start Irish-medium education (or immersion education), they begin a language journey bringing with it a number of benefits, that support their holistic development. International research shows that bilingual and plurilingual people have a range of advantages, for example, academic, social, linguistic and economic advantages (Ó Ceallaigh, 2013).
Research into immersion education at primary level in Ireland, shows that children gain advantages in the following areas of development.
Resilience and Confidence
Children from IME primaries enter secondary school more resilient & confident in their own abilities. Many also leave primary school with a full GCSE under their belt!
Academic Achievement
Consistently, IME pupils achieve at least parity with English medium pupils. Children in Spanish/English Immersion programmes in the USA have higher grade point averages than their peers in English only programmes. Early studies in China confirm similar results.
Life-long Learning
Children from IME schools leave with a more positive view of education, while bilingual children are more likely to pursue third-level education
Reading and Writing
IM children not only read for pleasure more often as adults, they also learn to read and write in English more quickly. Bilingual children also go on to achieve higher levels of English language skills than their monolingual peers.
Friendships
Children in IME schools have been found to make an maintain friendships easier, while also displaying greater ability to cope with personal setbacks.
Third Languages
While learning Irish does not make learning a third language ‘easier’, bilinguals are more likely to learn a 3rd language and they personally find the experience easier and more familiar when doing so.
Cultural Comfort
Pupils in IME schools have been shown to have a comfortable sense of self and ability to form their own identity, while also being more aware and more inquisitive about the world at large.
Divergent Thinking
There is a positive relationship between bilingualism and the development of key thinking skills. Bilinguals outperform monolinguals in the areas of divergent thinking, pattern recognition and problem solving.
Self-Control
Because of the link between bilingualism and inhibitory control children from disadvantaged backgrounds reap the most reward from immersion education.
SEND
The University of Washington has shown that bilingualism can provide benefits for children with ASD. Other studies show bilingual children have more cognitive flexibility and better non-verbal problem solving abilities.