Maynooth University’s Centre for Irish Language awarded over €2 million by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to support Irish-language teaching and testing initiatives
At an event in Maynooth University today, the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and for Sport, Jack Chambers TD, announced funding of €2,084,330 to the Centre for Irish Language Research, Teaching and Testing. This funding will provide continued support for four of the Centre’s Irish-language projects over the next three years:
€1,604,881 for Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG)
€255,332 for the Certificate in Teaching Irish to Adult Learners
€149,700 to support Irish language programmes in the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris
€74,417 for the online teaching and learning resource Vifax
TEG is a suite of independent language proficiency tests available for Irish, broadly aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), at five levels from A1 (Beginner) to C1 (Advanced). Since its establishment in 2005, TEG exams have been taken by almost 12,000 candidates all over Ireland and abroad. The system is used as an independent, valid and reliable benchmark for Irish language proficiency in a range of academic and professional contexts. Their use in professional contexts is becoming increasingly important in the implementation of national language policy and strategy, in particular the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, which aims to ensure that 20% of new employees recruited to the public sector will be proficient in Irish by the year 2030. Last week, Minister of State Chambers announced a ‘new era’ for Irish language professional development across the Civil Service, with TEG certification to be integrated into all Irish-language courses provided for Civil Service employees. In addition to the exams and certification, TEG syllabuses and resources provide learners and teachers with clear learning targets that enable learners to develop fluency in Irish, step by step. TEG funding has been tripled to over €1.6 million to support additional developments in the TEG system over the next three years.
The Certificate in Teaching Irish to Adults was established as an online programme in 2019 and provides training and mentoring to those teaching Irish to adults in a range of contexts, including in Gaeltacht areas and overseas, in community settings and at third level. It is the only certified course of its kind and its online delivery has made it accessible to students from a diverse range of backgrounds and locations. An accompanying online resource hub provides free open-access training and professional development materials to all interested in best practice in Irish-language teaching.
Lárionad na Gaeilge has been providing Irish-language classes in the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI), Paris since 2005. These very popular classes are attended weekly by approximately 60 students at four levels, many of whom take TEG exams in Paris. The Lárionad also promotes and supports Irish language cultural events and activities in CCI. Renowned Donegal singer, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan, will perform in CCI on 25 November 2022 at an event to recognise the achievements of TEG graduates and alumni. The collaboration between the Lárionad and CCI is particularly special, due to the close historical links between Maynooth and the Irish College in Paris, which houses the CCI today.
Finally, Lárionad na Gaeilge’s Vifax project has also seen its funding renewed and increased for the next three-year period. Vifax is an online multimedia language-learning resource, consisting of weekly lessons based on authentic news bulletins from Nuacht TG4. It has been produced by Lárionad na Gaeilge since 1998 and is made freely available to teachers and learners online each week. It was the first resource of its kind available for Irish and received the European Language Label for innovation and excellence in language teaching and learning in 1999. Vifax is co-funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and COGG. Increased funding will support a number of developments, including a new teaching and learning package to be launched in summer 2023, based on Ros na Rún, the long-running TG4 drama series.
In his address, Minister Chambers emphasised the key role of TEG in the efforts to widen the use of Irish in the state sector. “Lárionad na Gaeilge is at the forefront of expanding the learning and teaching of the language to numerous communities and contexts here at home and abroad. My Department's goal under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 is for 20% of the employees of the state system to be fluent in Irish by 2030. I am therefore very happy that my Department is investing €1.6 million to provide for an expanded TEG programme. In this regard, it is vital that a transparent and effective assessment of progress in terms of fluency in Irish is carried out; with collaboration between Lárionad na Gaeilge here and other partners, approximately seven hundred and fifty (750) employees from the Civil and Public Service will be able to achieve TEG certification per year.”
Welcoming Minister Chambers to Maynooth University, President of Maynooth University, Professor Eeva Leinonen spoke about the significance of this funding for the Centre’s projects. “As a linguist and as a native of Finland, I understand the importance of state policies and services that support and promote bilingualism and language rights for all members of society. I’m very proud that Maynooth University’s Centre for Irish Language is playing an important role in supporting those national policies, and in providing the structures, pathways and resources to help adult learners re-engage with Irish and to become competent and confident users of the language.”
Speaking at the event, Director of Lárionad na Gaeilge, Aoife Ní Ghloinn thanked the Minister and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, for their continued support for the work of Lárionad na Gaeilge, and she paid tribute to the staff, whose expertise, creativity and dedication were at the heart of the Centre’s achievements and pioneering work.