Phil Fox, Stiúrthóir Gníomhach na Comhairle Múinteoireachta agus An tOllamh Emer Ring, Déan an Oideachais, (an Luathoideachas agus Oideachas Múinteoirí), CMgS, An Dr T.J. Ó Ceallaigh, Stiúrthóir na Comhdhála, CMgS.
Tá bonn daingean faoin tumoideachas anois mar chineál oideachais dhátheangaigh atá idir éifeachtach agus rathúil do gach dalta, a dúirt Phil Fox, Stiúrthóir Gníomhach na Comhairle Múinteoireachta agus í ag caint le linn an Tríú Comhdháil Taighde Uile-Oileánda ar an Tumoideachas a reáchtáladh i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál (CMgS) an 10 agus an 11 Meitheamh 2022.
Ba é sin ceann de na torthaí móra a pléadh ag an ócáid dhá lá seo. D’fhreastail breis is 200 toscaire ó aon tír déag éagsúla ar an gcomhdháil. Reáchtáladh an chomhdháil i gcomhar le Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta na Mumhan, Gaeloideachas, Foras na Gaeilge agus Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta. Rinne an lucht léinn, cleachtóirí agus gairmithe treochtaí agus taighde nua i réimse an tumoideachais a phlé agus a mhalartú, oideolaíocht agus measúnú sa tumoideachas, ceannaireacht agus foghlaim ghairmiúil agus an beartas agus an nuálaíocht i bpobail dhátheangacha/ilteangacha ina measc.
Agus tús á chur leis an gcomhdháil aici, dúirt an An tOllamh Emer Ring, Déan an Oideachais, (an Luathoideachas agus Oideachas Múinteoirí), CMgS: “Tá gealltanas i gClár an Rialtais, Ár dTodhchaí le Chéile (2020), chun beartas cuimsitheach a sholáthar don Ghaeilge ó shuíomhanna luathfhoghlama agus luathchúraim go dtí an tríú leibhéal. Tá géargá le tuilleadh taighde ar an ábhar chun saincheisteanna oideolaíochta an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht agus taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhiosrú agus a chomhlíonadh mar aon le buntáistí an dátheangachais agus an breisteangachais a chinntiú do chách. Ní mór dúinn an fhís a fhíorú agus gníomhú láithreach agus tá pointe tosaigh agus fóram díospóireachta an luachmhar curtha ar fáil dúinn anseo ag an gcomhdháil idirnáisiúnta seo. Tá sé in am dúinn ré úr muiníne a chothú.”
Chuir an tOllamh Roy Lyster, Ollamh Emeritus leis an Oideachas Dara Teanga in Ollscoil McGill, Ceanada, scoláire mór an ghoirt agus eochairchainteoir ag an gcomhdháil, béim ar an malartú tábhachtach d’eolas taighde agus de chleachtais oideolaíocha a rinneadh ag an ócáid agus ar an ról ríthábhachtach a bhíonn acu sin chun tacú le cláir ardchaighdeáin a fhorbairt agus a chur chun feidhme. Dúirt sé freisin: “Déanaim comhghairdeas ó chroí leis an líon mór daoine agus institiúidí a shaothraigh go comhoibríoch chun clár den chéad scoth a leagan amach don chomhdháil seo ar an tumoideachas. Iarrachtaí agus sineirgí comhoibríocha agus comhordaithe amhail an chomhdháil seo ina ndéantar taighde, peirspictíochtaí agus smaointe nua a bhailiú agus a chomhroinnt, bíonn siad an-tábhachtach ar fad don réimse agus do rath agus d’fhás leanúnach an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge in Éirinn agus don tumoideachas teanga ar fud na cruinne”.
Luaigh an Dr T.J. Ó Ceallaigh, Stiúrthóir na Staidéar iarchéime Múinte san Oideachas, CMgS, a bhí ina Stiúrthóir ar an gComhdháil, an géarghá a bhaineann le hoideolaíocht an tumoideachais a fhréamhú sa taighde chun dul i ngleic leis na dúshláin leanúnacha agus leis an iliomad ceisteanna san oideachas lán-Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht agus lasmuigh di araon. Dúirt an Dr Ó Ceallaigh: “Tá bonn daingean faoin tumoideachas anois mar chineál oideachais dhátheangaigh atá idir éifeachtach agus rathúil do gach dalta. Mar sin féin, bíonn tacaíocht nach beag ag teastáil chun dearadh, cur i bhfeidhm agus mionchoigeartú a dhéanamh ar chóras tumoideachais a n‑éiríonn leis an dátheangachas suimitheach, an délitearthacht, an inniúlacht ilchultúrtha agus gnóthachtáil acadúil a chur chun cinn. Tá sé ríthábhachtach go mbeadh an tacaíocht sin bunaithe ar an léann sa teagasc agus san fhoghlaim sa tumoideachas, ar cheannaireacht fhíseach, agus ar an nuálaíocht agus ar an abhcóideacht i measc an phobail. Ardán idirnáisiúnta a bhí sa chomhdháil seo. Tarraingíodh le chéile ann an plé is déanaí ar chúrsaí acadúla agus beartais, agus cuireadh díospóireacht chriticiúil chun cinn ar idirnaisc chasta an tumoideachais.”
Agus í ag caint ag an gcomhdháil, dúirt an tOllamh Diane J. Tedick, Ollamh le hOideachas Dara Teanga in Ollscoil Minnesota agus scoláire tumoideachais atá aitheanta go hidirnáisiúnta: “Tá an-áthas orm a bheith anseo ag an 3ú Comhdháil Taighde Uile-Oileánda ar an Tumoideachas i Luimneach. Is cúis áthais dom a rá go raibh mé i láthair ag na trí chomhdháil, agus bhain mé taitneamh i gcónaí as ardchaighdeán na gcur i láthair agus as an bplé den scoth a ghintear leo. Tá an tumoideachas ina ghné ríthábhachtach de na hiarrachtaí maidir le hathbheochan na Gaeilge anseo i bPoblacht na hÉireann agus i dTuaisceart Éireann araon, agus is deis atá sa chomhdháil seo le haghaidh scoláirí agus cleachtóirí ón oileán go léir agus níos faide i gcéin teacht le chéile chun plé a dhéanamh air. Tá fiúntas ollmhór ag baint le heolas ar an tumoideachas, taighde nua agus cur i bhfeidhm praiticiúil ar scála idirnáisiúnta a mhalartú, agus éiríonn leis an gcomhdháil seo an malartú sin a bhaint amach ar bhealach bríoch.”
Tá tuilleadh eolais ar an gcomhdháil le fáil ar www.tumoideachas.ie @tumoid2022
Immersion Education firmly established as a successful and effective form of bilingual education for all students
Immersion education is now firmly established as a successful and effective form of bilingual education for all students, according to Phil Fox, Acting Director of the Teaching Council, who was speaking at the Third All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion Education held in Mary Immaculate College on 10 & 11 June 2022.
This was among a number of key findings discussed at the two day event, which was attended by over 200 delegates representing eleven different countries. The conference was organised in conjunction with Mary Immaculate College, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, Munster Technological University, Gaeloideachas, Foras na Gaeilge and Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta. Academics, practioners and professionals alike exchanged and discussed new directions and research in the field of immersion education including immersion pedagogy and assessment, leadership and professional learning and policy and innovation in bilingual/multilingual communities.
Opening the conference, Professor Emer Ring, Dean of Education at MIC said: “The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future (2020), includes a commitment to provide a comprehensive policy for the Irish language from early learning and care settings to third level. There is a pressing need for further research in the area to investigate pedagogical issues in all-Irish education in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas and to cater for these issues, as well as ensuring everyone can benefit from the advantages of bilingualism and multilingualism. We need to realise this vision and act promptly, and a very valuable starting point and forum for debate is being provided here at this international conference. It is time to promote a fresh era of confidence.”
Keynote speaker and renowned scholar in the field, Professor Roy Lyster, Emeritus of Second Language Education, McGill University, Canada, highlighted the important exchange of research knowledge and pedagogic practice that took place at the conference and the crucial role they play in supporting high-quality programme implementation and development. He went on to say: “I heartily congratulate the many individuals and institutions whose collaborative efforts have worked to shape an outstanding program for this immersion conference. Collaborative, coordinated efforts and synergies, such as these, to gather and share new research, perspectives, and ideas are critical for the field and for the continued success and growth of Irish-medium education in Ireland and language immersion education across the globe”.
Conference Director, Dr T.J. Ó Ceallaigh, Director of Taught Postgraduate Studies in Education at MIC, noted the pressing need for immersion pedagogy to be anchored in research to tackle the persistent challenges and to address the myriad questions in all-Irish education in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht contexts. Dr Ó Ceallaigh commented “Immersion education is now firmly established as a successful and effective form of bilingual education for all students. However, designing, implementing, and refining language immersion education which successfully promotes additive bilingualism, biliteracy, multicultural competence, and academic achievement requires considerable support. It is critical that this support is powered by scholarship in immersion teaching and learning, visionary leadership and community innovation and advocacy. This conference provided an international forum which brought together the latest academic and policy discussions, and promoted critical debate on these often-complex interconnections of language immersion education”.
A leading academic on immersion education and conference keynote speaker, Professor Diane J. Tedick, Professor of Second Language Education at the University of Minnesota, USA noted: “I'm delighted to be here at the 3rd All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion Education in Limerick. I am happy to say I've been at all three of these conferences and have always appreciated the quality of the presentations and the level of discussion they generate. Immersion education is such a significant part of Irish language reclamation efforts here in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland, and this conference provides an opportunity for scholars and practitioners from the whole island and beyond to come together. There is tremendous value in sharing language immersion knowledge, new research, and practical application on an international scale, which this conference accomplishes in meaningful ways.”
You can find out more about the conference at www.tumoideachas.ie or by following @tumoid2022 on Twitter.
