Letters to the Editor: Spoken Irish is the key to language revival

A reader amplifies a recent 'Irish Examiner' article by Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin and Patrick Burke

'Young people want to speak Irish, but too often we train them to study it rather than use it.' Image: iStock 

Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin and Patrick Burke (Irish Examiner, January 1) are right: Young people want to speak Irish, but too often we train them to study it rather than use it.

The pattern described in the article matches what many of us see — lively, playful Gaeilge in the early years, followed by a sharp turn into spelling lists, notes, and exam-driven memorisation.