LL-L "Language survival" 2005.09.07 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language survival" 2005.09.07 (04) [E]


Our Gabriele wrote:

"I just have my doubts whether it will work at all. Are those new speakers 
of Irish really using the language, or is it just another case of "don't 
know much about the French I took"? Is it
really possible for a language to rise like Phoenix from the ashes like 
that? I would love to believe that, but I have yet to be convinced."

The experience of immersion education creating active users of Irish varies, 
because so many of the schools are new. This means that only one or two 
children in a family otherwise monolingual in English attend them, and speak 
mainly English in the home. In some families parents know Irish or have 
learnt Irish and make a concerted effort to use the language in their homes. 
In other families, especially in certain parts of Belfast, the entire family 
uses only Irish. In many families there is a mixture of English and Irish, 
with one or the other predominating. The growth of Irish via immersion 
education has been effective and efficient an! d a critical mass of speakers 
is being created in most parts of the country. What is most telling for me 
is that it is no longer considered "odd" or even "daring" to send one's 
children to an Irish-medium school, whereas just five years ago it was.

"Anyway, it is always a good idea to point out the "other" arguments as 
well..."

It certainly is. Debate should be lively and broad.

"I wasn't sure whether using that word in this context was politically 
correct, so I put it in quotation marks in order not to offend anyone. Which 
you found offensive."

You mistake me. I wasn't offended. I wouldn't be offended by something so 
minor! Nor should you apologise - after all, I don't know how to use 
quotation marks in German. The day I attempt to, feel free to put the boot 
in to me in revenge.

Go raibh maith agat,

Criostóir.

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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language survival" 2005.09.07 (04) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>But you have disparaged Welsh and belittled it in favour of English.<

I don't want to get angry BUT I will do if people do not read carefully
what others write.

I have not belittled Welsh - just the means used in the 70s to introduce
Welsh into primary schools.

When my eldest started at two primary schools ( we moved in her first year)
she immediately started bringing home Welsh because she was part of a
single class in her Year and was integrated with the other children.

Great! We could pick up Welsh from her as she progressed  ( + a little
light learning on our own)

Then in came the inspectors (into both schools) and insisted that the
children from English speaking homes should be taught separately and kept
apart in the school from the Welsh speaking children.

At the time I sugegsted that using both languages equally in theschool
would be a better policy  if a bi-lingual community was the aim. I and
others of alike mind were over ruled.

Everything we feared came to pass - the children warred with each other in
the playground on langauge grounds: friends were split up and told not to
play with each other.

It was not the aim I deplored it was the means.

Please do read without bringing your own prejudices to the text.

Heather

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