Wednesday, December 27, 2006
After centuries of English culture and linguistic domination, Irish (Gaeilge or Gaelic) has experienced a phenomenal resurgence. According to Ireland's 2002 census, 1.57 million of the Isle’s four million people now speak Irish.
And official government policy supports bilingualism in a nation known for some of the world's leading English language writers, including Joyce, Shaw, Yeats and Wilde.
With the study of Irish a requirement for all of Ireland's public school children, and the recent spread of gaelscoileanna, schools in which Irish is the medium of instruction, a fully bilingual nation is assured. Also assured is the preservation of Irish culture, which is so beautifully expressed through the melodic Irish words and expressions.
According to a BBC news report, The Irish language's resurgence is so complete that the European Union will act next Monday, January 1, 2007, to give it official status--along with Bulgarian and Romanian. The number of languages officially recognized by the EU will rise to 23.
It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, assimilationists such as Herman Badillo and Patrick Buchanan have to say about Ireland and the EU's embrace of linguistic diversity.
Nualéargais is the logo of a free online service that teaches English speakers Irish. Pronounced \NEW-lehr-gish\, it means "new insights, a new way of looking at the world."
Posted by USTaino
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