Irish Bishops urged to promote English language teaching in Irish schools

[Harold Schiffman]

MAYNOOTH - 23 November 2007 - 320 words

Irish Bishops urged to promote English language teaching in schools

An Australian educationalist has urged the Irish bishops to re-examine
their policy on teaching English in schools, in light of the recent
wave of immigration to Ireland. Speaking at a three-day conference on
migration hosted by the Irish Bishops' Commission for Emigrants,
Professor Desmond Cahill, from RMIT University in Melbourne said that
that education and language are central to the integration challenge
facing Ireland and that even generous financial resources are no
substitute for well-informed policy in this area.
Referring to the fact that there is currently no recognised
degree-level course in Ireland for teaching English as a second
language, Professor Cahill pointed out that: "the teaching of English
as a second language to schoolchildren is a highly specialised skill.
Teachers in Ireland need not only support regarding this challenge but
they all require specialist training. All this is necessary if we are
to ensure that the quality of learning in classrooms - for both
established and newly arrived pupils - is not adversely affected."

Professor Cahill explained that the system in Australia bases its
approach on an "early and often" model of intervention and it
recognises that, for xample: "there is a seismic difference in
language education needs between those children who are newly arrived
in a host country and those who have been here for a longer time,
probably having been born here. One of the successful initiatives in
Australia has been the establishment of full-time exclusive English
language teaching centres, which newly-arrived children attend for
6-12 months before entering the mainstream education system." He added
that there was also the necessity of having teacher aides, called
multicultural teaching aides in Australia, who speak the language of
the community to liaise with the parents about issues that arise as
well as instructing them in the local schooling system and its various
pedagogical practices, and being available to assist the children as
they struggle with learning English. He concluded by telling delegates
that this is a long term problem and that, while Ireland must find its
own way, it should draw on the experience of other countries like
Australia and Canada.

While in Ireland, Professor Cahill has met with members of the Irish
Catholic Bishops' Conference and representatives from schools in the
Dublin 15 area, a community that has already had first-hand experience
of the many integration issues in education.

Source: Irish Catholic Media Office


(c) Independent Catholic News 2007
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/efl324.html
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