Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 July 2016
279. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken by his Department to promote immersion education through Irish as set out in the 20-year strategy for the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22405/16]
View answerA new more mainstreamed approach, to that set out in the 20 Year Strategy on the Irish language, is being adopted by the Department in relation to language teaching and the embedding of language skills in our primary schools. In fact, a new language curriculum has been prepared by the NCCA for junior infants to second classes. It will include both English and Irish. It will be introduced to these primary pupils from next September.
Guidance on the use of CLIL (content and language integrated learning) is included in the materials developed by the NCCA to support the implementation of the new Primary language curriculum for infants to second classes. This will be introduced to primary schools from September 2016.
A comprehensive continuing professional development programme is in place to support the implementation of the new primary language curriculum. Teachers are, as part of this professional development, receiving advice on the use of different methodologies to teach Irish and to use Irish as the medium of instruction.
