The Use of Irish in Networked Communications: A Study of Schoolchildren in Different Language Settings

摘要

The present paper explores the extent of Irish language use in networked communications, and attitudes towards the language by 125 schoolchildren from three backgrounds in Ireland: (1) an Irish-speaking area (Gaeltacht) and Irish medium of instruction, (2) an English-speaking area and Irish medium of instruction, and (3) an English-speaking area and English medium of instruction, with Irish as a school subject. The questionnaire-based research found that token usage of Irish was high, but the lack of domains of language usage meant that children had little opportunity to use the language for real communication. It was also found that as the level of exposure to the language decreases, so too does the level of communicative usage. Respondents tended to employ networked communication through Irish, if Irish was the usual language of communication with the particular interlocutor, and those who used Irish in various domains of their lives also used it more in their networked communications. With regard to the participants' attitudes towards the language, English medium schoolchildren were found to have the most positive attitudes towards the language; however, Irish medium and Gaeltacht schoolchildren were more aware of the importance of bilingualism and its practical benefits.