After 12 years, I can’t speak Irish. Here’s why

I AM a fifth-year student doing honours Irish. I have been studying Irish for 12 years, so one could be fooled into thinking that after that length of time, I am fluent. In fact, I am the exact opposite.

I find myself thinking how, after 12 years, I am not an expert in the language.

Is it my fault? Is it my teacher’s fault? No.

I think it is all down to the outdated education system.

Our native language is being lost. We are not taught how to speak it; we are taught verbs, conditional tenses and how to answer exam questions.

If I was sent to a Gaeltacht, I would not be capable of speaking to the people there in Irish, yet in the Leaving Cert we are expected to write three-page essays, discuss and compare poets and talk about Irish history.

Not enough emphasis is put on speaking the language.

How is anyone expected to sit a language exam when they can’t even speak it?

The Department of Education needs to open its eyes to this problem rather than ignore the issue, which only seems to arise every year when the Leaving Cert results come out.

Sonia Minihane

Ashgrove House

Riverdale

Skibbereen

Co Cork