Mehrsprachigkeit in Europa: Plurilinguismo in Europa ... - EURAC

Barbara Siller
for adult Irish learners was developed in NUI Maynooth, including the European Certifi cate in
Irish with 6 levels (similar to the Cambridge exams). Already this shows a lot of commitment on
the part an Irish community which tries to keep the language alive, and it is a good sign when
there are speakers who commit themselves to the language in order to keep it alive. Regarding
the presumed unsuccessful teaching, the number of respondents who agreed that teaching was
successful out valued by a few more the people who disagreed, whereas, the agreement to the
question, whether they liked Irish at school, was higher. Considering these results, it seems that
people’s opinions and perceptions are very much split. Only one affi rmative answer is given
to the following statement: “Because language planning has not restored intergenerational
transmission at home, the revitalization of Irish has been widely judged a failure.” That might
lead to the assumption that the respondents were more likely to blame the school education
than themselves.
4.2 General language policy: Media policy and public attitude
The Irish language Media provides 3 newspapers (one daily, called Lá , one weekly, named
Faoinse, and one monthly paper, called Saol) and Irish language material is also published in
some of the national papers, including The Irish Times, The Irish News and Daily Ireland. There
are more Irish magazine titles, including Feasta, Comhar and An tUItach. Electronic magazines
such as Beo and Gaelport are also available. The fi rst radio station began broadcasting in 1972
with a limited schedule and from October 2001 Radio na Gaeltachta has been broadcasting
24 hours a day and since then it has won many awards. Radio na Life began broadcasting in
1993 and BBC Northern Ireland provides a range of Irish language programmes too. Many Irish
language internet sites are available, including online-dictionaries. A very crucial role is played
by the television, the fourth Irish TV channel, TG4 shows many Irish language programmes for
adults and young people. Besides that the main Irish channel RTÈ and the BBC broadcast Irish
language programmes as well (Foras na Gaeilge Homepage).
But how do people react to all these initiatives? The questionnaire results reveal that more
than half of the respondents never listen to Radio na Gaeltachta and about a third rarely does.
Only a third is aware of Irish language articles or Irish language newspapers. However, more
than three quarters of the respondents watch TG4. Questioning them on what they think of the
channel, they all react very positively. The television has a greater impact than any other media
on them and it was expected that people are more likely to watch Irish language television than
to read Irish language newspapers, since in general the television has a much greater impact on
the public in large than the newspapers have. But the responses also refl ect that the television
programmes are providing topics which catch a big audience. Respondents were happy about
the big variety of programmes. Since they’re subtitled too, it is possible to watch them even
with having a low competence in the Irish language and, indeed, people will get the chance to
improve their Irish language competence in this way.
Assuming that the television is very much appreciated and liked and it brings people to hear
Irish in their leisure time, it’s my sense that LPLP should focus even more on that opportunity
and increase the range of programmes. Respondents fi nd it tiring however to watch the news
in Irish (three quarters of them assert that), but if the Irish programmes including the news are
subtitled they most probably wouldn’t mind. Radio and Newspapers cannot offer subtitling,
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