1、Irish language preschools: training policies and practice,Mire Mhic Mhathna, Ph.D.Dublin Institute of Technology,2,Overview of paper,Ecological theories of language Relate aspects of theory to Irish language preschools or naonra in the linguistic and educational spheres Analyse training policies and
2、 practices in two naonra agencies, Comhar Naona na Gaeltachta (CNNG) and Forbairt Naonra Teo (FNT) Discussion and conclusions,3,Language ecology,Van Lier (2000:246): language learning being more than processing input Van Lier (2002:141): importance of contextulaity of language Kramsch (2002:3): dyna
3、mic interaction between language users and linguistic environment or context Socialisation into a community of practice(Lave and Wenger 1991, Kramsch 2002: xii) Affordances: property of environment that is perceived as being useful.,4,Kramsch,Kramsch (2002:16) stresses the relationality of hierarchi
4、cally organisational levels from the emotional and motivational make-up of the individual learner to the social/professional community of professional users to the larger institutional framework endowed with institutional memory, power and authority.Includes language planning and language education
5、policy (Candlin and Sarangi (2002:xiii),5,Cummins and CALP,Cummins (1986): BICS and CALP Basic interpersonal communicative skills CALP: decontextualised and cognitively demanding in regard to learning a second language and to learning through a second language Takes a long time to develop BICS neces
6、sary to talk to young children in appropriate ways in Irish and CALP necessary to study naonra childcare through Irish,6,Current study,Aim: to investigate training policies and practices in naonra from an ecological perspective Ethical issues Interviewed two people who were familiar with naonra trai
7、ning policies and practices, from Comhar Naonra na Gaeltachta (CNNG) and Forbairt Naonra Teo (FNT) Semi-structured interview: topics sent in advance Transcripts given to participants for verification of their views Triangulation: FNT 2006-7 Annual report, publications and websites (Cod 2008:163),7,G
8、aeltacht Linguistic Environment,82 naonra sessions in Gaeltacht areas, mainly in the West of Ireland Comhar employs 130 practitioners, 95% are native speakers of Irish. Very high standard of Irish and basic training is a condition of employment 1,000 children 70% of Gaeltacht people speak Irish on a
9、 daily basis (CSO 2006) Family use of Irish declining ( Giollagin and Mac Donnacha 2007) 25% of naonra children with very good native speaker competencies in Irish 75% with beginner to basic understanding of Irish Dealing with variety of language backgrounds,8,Country-wide Linguistic Environment,218
10、 naonra sessions (2006) 340 practitioners who work on private/independent basis 3,500 children 2% of children with very good Irish 98% of children are beginners FNTs practitioners level of Irish mirrors that of general population and varies from native speaker to learners at various levels of compet
11、ency 10% of population speak Irish daily.,9,Education Environment,Preschool education voluntary, 1 year, 2.5 hours a day State pays salaries of Gaeltacht practitioners through Comhar Naonra agency FNT practitioners in private sector Training in early childhood education sector: National certificate
12、at Level 5: one year post school at further education level Level 6: 2 year programme at FE level Degree level in 7 Institutes of Technology and in one university,10,Early Childhood Education Sector,Sector under-regulated but recent developments re quality standards, curriculum and revised regulatio
13、nsApril 2009 Budget announcement:One years free pre-schooling on universal basis from 2010, subject to certain conditions,11,Naonra Training,Level 5: both agencies built on existing national certificate programme by translating 6 early education modules and by adding language specific modules: Using
14、 Irish with young children Sociolinguistics and young children Gaeltacht: Enriching Childrens Irish Level 6: existing modules plus additional module on Language Planning Little demand for Level 6 courses in Gaeltacht areas, some in other areas Training on part-time basis, 2-4 modules per year in eve
15、nings,12,Policy,Policy in both agencies: all practitioners should have Level 5 training, including 2 language modules Possible to specify this as condition of employment in Gaeltacht naonra because staff are employed by agency Lack of other early education courses in many Gaeltacht areas: lack of af
16、fordance,13,Language Issues,FNT: offer support and encouragement for training through Irish in rest of country Additional factor of ability to learn through Irish, Cummins CALP Led to development of language course for practitioners, Cimeanna Beaga. Option of doing some modules through English elsew
17、here but must do 2 Irish language modules Respect, acknowledgement of positive attitude, interest, motivation but recognition of gap in language skills in some cases Attitude, interest and experience also important in Gaeltacht situation, e.g. bringing up family through Irish.,14,Short Courses,Both
18、agencies offer short courses in First Aid, Child Protection, working with children with additional needs Both agencies have staff who have undertaken training in child protection and can offer courses in own agencies and to other groups Both experienced difficulty in finding suitably qualified peopl
19、e to deliver First Aid. Both offer one-week introductory course in several locations around country.,15,Development Officers,CNNG has 4 development officers who provide a range of short in-service courses on topics requested by Gaeltacht practitioners Practitioners are required to attend. Developmen
20、t officers trained in quality standards and will offer courses to practitioners Also attend other management and early childhood education courses FNT had 8 regional advisors and an education officer Agency currently being restructured, but have advertised a post for an education officer.,16,Trainin
21、g Resources,Both agencies developed Irish language resources for training and as classroom resources FNT: 2 Handbooks, quality handbook, 4 CDs for use with children (new and traditional songs and rhymes), 2 sets of posters Also use relevant English language books Research studies by Tina Hickey Webs
22、ite: www.naiona.ie,17,Gaeltacht Resources,Curriculum handbook, tape of traditional childrens songs, use FNT publications and use Irish version of quality handbook, Solta. Also use relevant English language books Future plans: continue to provide training, to include upcoming developments and to supp
23、ort practitioners Currently evaluating Borradh language planning programme Website: http:/,18,Discussion: Context,State support for Gaeltacht naonra Affordance of long tradition of State support for Irish language in Gaeltacht regions National and regional language Societal and institutional memory
24、Layers of state support filter down to Gaeltacht naonra State support for FNT organisation, but not for practitioners Implication: CNNG can set down conditions of employment while FNT can only offer support,19,Practitioners Level of Irish,Both contexts mirror the state of Irish in their respective r
25、egions Gaeltacht: strong community language, community of practice, everyday communicative language Country-wide: networks of practice, range of levels of competency Implications for learning through Irish and for providing early years education through Irish. Need for both academic Irish and for co
26、mmunicative competence with young children. Gaeltacht practitioners can manage both domains Some practitioners country-wide can do so,20,Professionalisation,Stark differences between practitioners pay and conditions in both linguistic contexts Gaeltacht: professional context: specified levels of Iri
27、sh language competency, pre-service and in-service training, in return for pay and conditions of employment Country-wide: dependent on good will, private enterprise and market rate for pre-schooling, variable levels of competency in Irish language and in training Both contexts exhibit high levels of
28、 social capital: Very positive attitude toward Irish language Strong spirit of volunteerism Interest in promoting Irish as community languagePart-time nature of training and time needed to complete programmes mitigate against further training, significant aspect of professional development.,21,Futur
29、e,Trend of professionalisation likely to continue Implications of universal childcare for one year and attached conditions for quality and curriculum Lack of interest in further training worrying in this context Training for other early childhood practitioners is moving to degree level and will even
30、tually lead to degree-led profession Creative means for encouraging and providing higher levels of training in both linguistic contexts re language and early childhood education.,22,References,Cod, E. (2008). Interviews and Questionnaires. In Li Wei and Moyer, M. The Blackwell Guide to Research Meth
31、ods in Bilingualism and Multilingualism. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 158-1176.Kramsch, C. (2002). Introduction, “How can we tell the dancer from the dance?” In C. Kramsch, Language Acquisition and Language Socialisation: ecological perspectives. London: Continuum.pp.1-30. Giollagin, C. agus Mac Donnacha,
32、 S. (2007). Staidar Cuimsitheach Teangeolaoch ar sid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Baile tha Cliath: Oifig an tSolthair.,23,References,Van Lier, L. (2000). From input to affordance: social interactive learning from an ecological perspective. In J. Lantoff, Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning. Oxford: OUP.pp.245-259.Van Lier, L. (2002). An ecologcial-semiotic perspective on language and linguistics. In C. Kramsch, Language Acquisition and Language Socialisation: ecological perspectives. London: Continuum. pp. 140-164.,
