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E-book Understanding Irish Spelling : A Handbook for Teachers and Learners

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Penilaian

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The quotation above was one of several responses received from teachers in a series of
interviews that sought their perceptions of how Irish reading is taught and of the particular
challenges they face in helping school children develop literacy skills in their second language.
Although less specific than some responses, this one captures vividly the sense of frustration
on the part of teachers who feel unprepared for the task of building Irish literacy, and are
uncertain of how to proceed. Although phonics instruction is now routine in teaching English
reading, teachers report feeling that the preparation they receive for that task does not transfer
to the teaching of Irish reading. We agree, and that is the primary reason for developing this
handbook. Irish reading is currently neglected in schools on many levels, starting with the lack
of preparation to teach Irish reading as a subject distinct from English reading. In the early years
of primary schooling it is understandable when dealing with second-language learners that the
emphasis is on oral language. But when written Irish is introduced, teachers struggle to support
pupils in this task and often feel unsupported in their work. Mainstream (English-medium)
schools often lack Irish reading materials. Teachers, who themselves never learned how the
Irish spelling system works, report uncertainty about how to help their pupils understand it.
Furthermore, curricular constraints make it difficult to provide dedicated time for Irish reading
on a regular basis in many classes when priority must be given to developing oral skills in the
language. In this handbook we aim to address the gap in preparation and support that is reported
by both teachers and teacher educators, and that is reflected in the quotation above.
Further exploration of data on Irish reading indicated that the teachers we talked with are
not alone in feeling that something is missing with regard to teaching Irish. Inspectorate reports
and other studies from the Department of Education and Skills indicated that weaknesses were
noted in Irish reading instruction, and commented on a lack of teacher preparation and heavy
reliance on Irish textbooks at the expense of more rewarding reading materials. Limited Irish
reading materials are not the only problem: international research indicates that language
awareness on the part of teachers is essential for development of pupils’ literacy. Moats (1994)
found serious weaknesses in language awareness among reading and language arts’ teachers in
the United States, and in 2009 she published a follow-up article arguing for the importance of
developing such language awareness in pre-service teachers, and detailing the foundational
knowledge necessary for effective reading instruction. Moats’s analysis related to educational
settings where teachers are supporting literacy in children’s mother tongue. Clearly, the need
for support is even greater for those teaching literacy in a second language to children who have
limited proficiency in that language, or even to first language speakers of a threatened minority
language such as Irish.

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Ketersediaan

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

491.6 STE u

Penerbit

Ireland : COGG., 2018

Deskripsi Fisik

132 hlm

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

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Klasifikasi

491.6

Tipe Isi

text

Tipe Media

computer

Tipe Pembawa

online resource

Edisi

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Subjek

Celtics Languages

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

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Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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