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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Friday, 14 Jul 1967

Vol. 229 No. 13

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Educational Psychological Studies.

15.

asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of the progress to date of the psychological studies being conducted by his Department, and the results if any, relating the inquiries to the teaching of a second language to children under ten years of age.

Mr. O'Malley

The studies being undertaken by my Department's psychological service have been directed mainly towards the developing of standardised achievement tests in Irish, English and mathematics suitable for application to primary school leavers.

The research into language teaching is being done in the Language Centre in Gormanston and has consisted for the most part of the assimilation of all the information necessary to provide graded courses.

While no specific research has so far been undertaken here in relation to the teaching of a second language to children under ten years of age it may be mentioned that the world trend is to have a second language taught to children before they reach the age of ten years. In some countries children are introduced to a third language before they reach that age.

But we are not doing it here so far?

Mr. O'Malley

No.

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