Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
453. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if there are plans in place to review the new junior certificate Irish language examination in schools to assess the impact of the cancellation of oral exams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10882/22]
View answerThe development of students’ oral language skills is to the fore in the new specifications for Irish as part of the Framework for Junior Cycle.
The previous oral examination in the Junior Certificate was optional and was taken by approximately 40% of students, and was generally assessed by their teachers. The new assessment arrangements under the Framework for Junior Cycle on the other hand require all students to engage in an assessment of their oral skills through Classroom Based Assessment. This gives a greater opportunity for all students to develop and enhance their oral language proficiency skills over the three years of Junior Cycle and to foster their ability to use the Irish language.
With effect since 2017, as part of the Framework for Junior Cycle, Junior Cycle provision for Irish in post-primary schools and settings comprises two new specifications. The L1 (Language 1, in Irish, Teanga 1) specification is targeted at students in Irish-medium schools and students in English-medium schools who learn one or more subjects (apart from Irish) through the medium of Irish. The L2 (Language 2, Teanga 2) specification is targeted at other students in English-medium schools.
The new specifications (both L1 and L2) have a strong emphasis on oral language. This is particularly highlighted in the main strand of the specifications – Communicative Competence. This strand places an enhanced emphasis on Irish as the language of learning and communication in classrooms as well as an emphasis on the skills required to communicate effectively with other users of the language. Communication, opportunities for use and interaction are central to classroom tasks.
The assessment of these skills forms an integral component of the overall language learning experience and occurs in a number of ways. As well as the completion of tasks where students use and demonstrate their oral language skills to achieve specific learning outcomes, their oral language skills are also formally assessed through the two new Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs). The second Classroom-Based Assessment in particular is entirely based on students’ oral language competence. The CBA is linked to ongoing classroom exchanges and represents a more authentic reflection of students’ interests and competence levels in Irish. Importantly, the oral skills of all students are now assessed in classroom-based assessments and formally reported upon in each students’ Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. Unlike the previous reporting format in which candidates receive one overall grade based on their achievement in Irish in the Junior Certificate, whether they undertake the optional oral or not, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement allows students’ achievement in the CBAs to be recorded independently of the result in the state-certified examination.
These new arrangements provide a greater opportunity for students to develop their oral language proficiency skills.
My Department remains committed to encouraging the use of spoken Irish. The development of the new curriculum specifications for Irish at Junior Cycle was informed by research and extensive consultation with the education partners including practising teachers and students. Extensive continuing professional development (CPD) provided to teachers is complemented by a range of other supports. The new approach gives better recognition to the development of students’ oral competence, including their ability to speak Irish, over the three years of Junior Cycle.
As is the case with all of the specifications developed under the Junior Cycle Framework, an early enactment review of Junior Cycle Gaeilge is being conducted. The purpose of the review is to capture feedback from teachers, students and stakeholders on the early enactment of the Junior Cycle Irish L1 Specification and Junior Cycle Irish L2 Specification. The review addresses, among other issues, questions on how well the specifications get to the heart of the learning aspired to within Junior Cycle Irish, L1 and L2 and more broadly within the Framework for Junior Cycle. The review is estimated to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
