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You know that's not what he said though, you're twisting his words. Ireland is already a monoglot English-speaking country for the most part, Sweden, Finland etc are not.
Sweden and Finland are not monoglot countries. Most residents are at least bilingual with English.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Razza94
That's a silly analogy. The Irish don't have to switch because they already speak English as their first language.
The Irish don't have to do anything they don't want but it is their loss and a shame really if they don't want to preserve their cultural identity.
94% of Ireland speak English as their First Language, more than England itself. This isn't up for debate.
I am not debating English proficiency among the Irish.. I am questioning why more effort hasn't been put into Irish language education to make Ireland a truly bilingual country as it should be IMO.
I just read this article. It could shed some light on the issue... hopefully they have been able to revise their curriculum since the article was written.
Sweden and Finland are not monoglot countries. Most residents are at least bilingual with English.
The Irish don't have to do anything they don't want but it is their loss and a shame really if they don't want to preserve their cultural identity.
You have to understand that English has been the main language in Ireland for generations. People haven't chosen to give up speaking Irish as it happened over a period of time for many reasons. You can research if you are interested. Children going to school have to learn Irish but you can't turn the clock back to the 1700s. It's not a matter of people not wanting to preserve their cultural identity.
The point anyway if that whether Irish speak English or Gaeilge they still have a very strong cultural identity.
You have to understand that English has been the main language in Ireland for generations. People haven't chosen to give up speaking Irish as it happened over a period of time for many reasons. You can research if you are interested. Children going to school have to learn Irish but you can't turn the clock back to the 1700s. It's not a matter of people not wanting to preserve their cultural identity.
The point anyway if that whether Irish speak English or Gaeilge they still have a very strong cultural identity.
Yes I understand that and I know that the Irish aren't the only group who have lost their language to the English language over time. Here in Canada I work with the Indigenous populations and pretty much all of them have lost their languages to the English language. They are trying to revive their languages with limited success.
The thing is when you speak a different language, it gives you a way of looking at the world that you wouldn't normally have by just speaking English with a window into that particular culture. The Irish and other groups have indeed lost something special by giving up on their language over time and it is a shame and a pity is all I am saying.
I would say that a group's cultural identity while still there is weakened by a loss of the native language.
Unfortunately, economics and cultural dominance are the main things that dictate what languages people speak. Smaller languages are facing an almost impossible battle to survive.
Yes I understand that and I know that the Irish aren't the only group who have lost their language to the English language over time. Here in Canada I work with the Indigenous populations and pretty much all of them have lost their languages to the English language. They are trying to revive their languages with limited success.
The thing is when you speak a different language, it gives you a way of looking at the world that you wouldn't normally have by just speaking English with a window into that particular culture. The Irish and other groups have indeed lost something special by giving up on their language over time and it is a shame and a pity is all I am saying.
I would say that a group's cultural identity while still there is weakened by a loss of the native language.
For what it's worth, traditional Irish-language names have made a comeback in recent years even if those people can't necessarily actually speak Irish. Luckily this website has a pronunciation guide because I would not have a clue how to say names like Caoimhe or Niamh, shows how difficult the language must be to learn once you're above a certain age.
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