ETBI Journal of Education - Vol 2:2 November 2020 (Irish-medium Education)

ETBI Journal of Education November 2020
will become fluent Irish speakers. It is more
important to provide each student who is
learning through a L2 with adequate ‘wait time’
when they are answering questions - this will
allow them more time to encode their answers
in the L2 and it will improve their ability to
provide higher quality answers. Teachers must
recognise that each student who learns through
a L2 will have different levels of language
ability, particularly those with SEN, and they
should be encouraged to use the language at
a level which is appropriate for them. When
language interventions are being planned for
bilingual students, it is suggested that their
language development pattern is assessed for
each language and then compared to the typical
development patterns for bilingual speakers
(Kohnert, 2010).
high level of self-respect and self-confidence as a
result. Despite these benefits, it is important that
Irish-medium schools recognise the importance
of appropriate assessment for each student,
through acknowledging students’ abilities in
each of their languages. It is also important for
teachers in these schools to provide students
with more opportunities to speak Irish, as they
require more exposure to the language and more
opportunities to speak the language at their own
level.
CONCLUSION
The key message of this article is that Irishmedium
education is perceived as beneficial
for students with SEN. Some of these benefits,
such as, bilingualism, acquisition of Irish,
and immersion in the Irish language would
not be available to the same students if they
had attended an English-medium school,
particularly if they had requested an exemption
from studying Irish. It is reported that Irishmedium
schools create a positive, inclusive
learning environment and that students have a
PAGE 56