Author Description

Issues in the debate in Ireland over Irish language instruction in the schools are reviewed in light of the establishment of the European Economic Community. In the first chapter, three points of view are compared: results of research on Irish, attitudes of the general public, and those of language interest groups. The second chapter provides a brief overview of public language policy from 1922-1950 and outlines results of a 1983 survey of attitudes toward Irish language use and the teaching of Irish to children. Chapter 3 looks at issues of individual and collective rights concerning language usage and attitudes toward use of Irish in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education. The two subsequent chapters address primary school and secondary school Irish curricula and instruction in greater detail. In the final chapter, related concerns are discussed, including the growing cultural diversity in Europe, European Community (EC) policy on multilingualism, EC standards for language usage, languages and the labor market, and additional language policy considerations. Contains 19 references. (MSE).