An tumoideachas

Ó thaobh gnóthachtáil oideachais de, léiríonn tríocha bliana de thaighde go seasta, go n-éiríonn le daltaí tumoideachais (an córas sealbhaithe teanga i bhfeidhm i ngaelscoileanna) chomh maith nó níos fearr le daltaí neamh-thumoideachais i dtástálacha caighdeánacha i scileanna labhartha agus matamaitice riartha i mBéarla. (Cloud, Genesee & Hamayan 2000; Genesee 1987).

Léirigh taighde faisnéise a d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais i dTuaisceart na hEireann gur bhain iardhaltaí i scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge caighdeán níos airde acadúil amach ná mar a bheifí ag súil leis i measc an daonra i gcoitinne san aoisghrúpa céanna (Gallagher & Hanna 2002).

From the standpoint of academic achievement, over three decades of studies consistently show that immersion students achieve as well as or better than non-immersion peers on standardised measures of verbal and mathematics skills administered in English (Cloud, Genesee & Hamayan 2000; Genesee 1987)

A research briefing published by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland indicated that former pupils of Irish-medium schools attained a higher academic standard than might be expected among the general population of the same age group (Gallagher & Hanna 2002).

Tugann taighde ó thíortha Eorpacha le fios go mbíonn sé níos furasta do dhaltaí gaelscoile breis teangacha a shealbhú.  Dheimhnigh staidéar a rinneadh den chineál seo i dTír na mBascach go léiríonn páistí dátheangach acmhainneacht níos airde i bhfoghlaim an tríú teanga (Cenoz & Valencia 2007).

Research from European countries would suggest that children in Irish-medium schools may find it easier to learn further languages.  One such study carried out in the Basque Country found that bilingual students display greater facility in learning a third language (Cenoz & Valencia 1994).

Leirigh taighde a foilsíodh le déanaí go n-éiríonn le páistí atá ag freastal ar ghaelscoileanna ina bhfuil an córas luath-thumoideacheas i bhfeidhim iontu caighdeán níos airde a bhaint amach i léamh agus i scríobh sa Bhéarla agus sa Ghaeilge ná an meán náisiúnta (Dónal Ó hAiniféin 2007)

Léiríonn an taighde go seasta go gcuireann eispéireas an tumoideachais le forbairt theanga an Bhéarla (Cloud, Genesee & Hamayan 2000).

A recent study has shown that Irish-medium schools employing the total early immersion education model, attained greater levels in reading and writing in both English and Irish than the national average (Dónal Ó hAiniféin 2007)

Research consistently finds that the immersion experience actually enhances English language development (Cloud, Genesee & Hamayan 2000).

Léiríonn taighde a choimisiúnaigh an Roinn Oideachais i dTuaisceart na hEireann go raibh dearcadh an-dearfach ag iar-dhaltaí scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge i dtaobh na taithí cultúrtha agus oideachais a shaothraigh siad.

Léiríodh chomh maith go mbíonn páistí níos oscailte, tríd is tríd, don ilchineálacht chultúrtha de thoradh an tsaibhris chultúrtha a chronnann an tumoideachas (Gallagher & Hanna 2002).

Research commissioned by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland indicated that past pupils of Irish-medium schools had a very positive attitude to the educational and cultural experience they received.

There was also an indication that, due to the cultural enrichment these children experienced, on the whole they were more open to cultural diversity (Gallagher & Hanna 2002)

Glactar leis an gcorás tumoideachais mar an modh is éifeachtaí chun an dara teanga a shealbhú.  Is féidir le formhór na ndaltaí a théann tríd an gcorás tumoideachais a bheith ag súil le caighdeán níos airde a bhaint amach sa dara teanga ná daltaí i gcláir theanga scoilbhunaithe eile (Met 1998).

Immersion education is regarded by any as the most effective means of learning a second language.  Most immersion students can be expected to reach higher levels of second language proficiency than students in other school-based language programmes (Met 1998).

Maoínn taighde idirnáisiúnta ag Ollscoil Eabhrac in Toronto go bhfoghlaimíonn dátheangacha conas léamh níos gaiste ná a gcuid piaraí aonteacgacha. (Bialystok et al. 2005).

A study by researchers at York University in Toronto suggests that children who are bilingual learn to read more rapidly than their monolingual peers (Bialystok et al. 2005)

Bíonn imní ar roinnt tuismitheoirí ag an tús go mbeidh drochthionchar ag an ngaelscolaíocht ar fhorbairt Béarla a bpáiste. Mar a léiríonn an taighde dúchasach agus idirnáiriúnta i bhforlíonadh: Buntáistí an Chórais Tumoideachais/Gaelsolaíochta. Cuireann an Luath-thumoideachas le caighdeán Béarla an pháiste.  Dar le hathbhreithniú a rinneadh le déanaí ar thaighde ar chláir thumoideachais ó 1972 to 2000, “feictear go bhfuil tionchar dearfach ag foghlaim an dara teanga ar scíleanna na chmead teanga I ngach staidéar a rinneadh” (Bournot-Trites & Tellowitz 2002).

Some parents are initially fearful that Irish-medium education may have a negative impact on their child’s language development.  However, research has shown that early immersion education may actually enhance English language development.  A recent review of the research on immersion programmes from 1972 to 2001 concludes that “the effect of learning a second language on first language skills has been positive in all studies done”. (Bourno-Trites & Tellowitz 2002)

Feidhmíonn an córas Luath-thumoideachais trí thimpeallacht shochtheangeolaíoch a chur ar bun sa seomra ranga a dhéanann aithris ar thimpeallacht nádúrtha labhartha na tumtheanga (Gaeilge).  Da réir sin, déantar iarracht, ar bhealach tuisceanach, an méid de chéad teanga na ndaltaí a bhíonn in úsaid, le feicéail agus le clos a laghdú a oiread agus is féidir.

Ar an gcaoi chéanna a gcreideann páístí gur leis an príomhoide an scoil agus go gconaíonn na muinteoirí sa scoil, síleann siad nach labhraíonn an fhoireann ach Gaeilge agus, tríd an gcóras tumoideachais, cruthaítear riachtanas chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh trí Gaeilge dá bharr.

Tríd an bproiséas seo sealbhaíonn an páiste go leor Gaeilge labharta chun scileanna réamhlitearthachta a fhoghlaim ar dtús trí Ghaeilge, agus ansin déantar na scileanna a aistriú go Béarla nuair a thosaíonn teagasc foirmeálta Béarla níos moille i scolaíocht an pháiste. Cabhraíonn an t-aistriú scileanna ón mionteanga (Gaeilge in Eirinn) go dtí an mhórtheanga (Béarla in Éirinn) caighdéan níos fear a bhaint amach sa  dá theanga, seachas dá mbeadh an t-aistriú scileanna ag dul ó mhórtheanga go mionteanga.

It works by creating sociolinguistic environment in the classroom that emulates the natural spoken environment of the immersed language (Irish).  In this way, an effort is made, in a sensitive way, to reduce as much as possible the amount of exposure to the first language.

In much the same way as young children think the principal owns the school and the teachers live in the school, they also think that the teaching staff only speak Irish and this through the immersion model the need to learn Irish to communicate is created.

Through this process the child acquires enough spoken Irish to learn pre-literacy skills through Irish, which are then translated into English during the formal teaching later in the child’s schooling. Translating literacy skills from the minority language (Irish in Ireland) to the majority language (English in Ireland) allows for better competency of both languages than if a child were to begin with the majority language and transfer to the minority language.

Sna luathbhlianta tuigeann múinteoirí sa chóras tumoideachais agus stiúrthóirí naíonrí/naíscoileanna nach dtuigfidh a ndaltaí gach rud a deireann siad.  Úsáideann siad comharthaíocht choirp, fhíseach, gotha gnúise áibhéalta, agus tuin chainte eispriseach chun brí a chur in iúl agus cumarsáid a dhéanamh. 

Ag léibhéal na reamhscolaíochta agus I rith luathbhlianta na bunscoile, tá sé nádúrtha do dhaltaí meascán de Ghaeilge agus de Bhéarla a labhairt lena gcuid piaraí agus nuair a bhíonn siad ag freagairt an mhúinteora.

De réir mar a leanann na blianta ar aghaidh, tosaíonn na daltaí ag úsáid níos mó den tumtheanga go nádurtha.  Úsáideann múinteoirí amhráin, frasaí úsáideacha, cantaireacht agus rímeanna agus bíonn meascán cúramach ann i rith an lae de gnáthaimh chomónta, chun daltaí a mheallagh i leith úsáid na Gaeilge.

In the early years immersion teachers and naíscoil/naíonraí directors realise that their students will not understand everything they say.   They use body language, visuals, exaggerated facial expressions, and expressive intonation to communicate their meaning.

At pre-school level and during he early years of primary school, it is common for students to speak a mixture of English and Irish with their peers and when responding to their teacher.

As the years progress, students naturally begin to use more of the immersion language.  To draw students into using the language, teachers often use songs, useful phrases, chants and rhymes and carefully structure the day with familiar routines.

Meastar go bhfuil idir 60-75 faoin gcéad do dhaonra an domhain dátheangach agus is cur chuige oideachais comónta é a mbaintear leas as ar fud an domhain i dtíortha amhail an Chatalóin, Tír na nBasach, Ceanada, An Astráil, an Nua-Shéalainn, an Fhionnlainn, an Ungáir, an Afraic Theas, an Bhreatain Bheag agus Albain.

It is estimated that between 60 and 75 per cent of the world is bilingual, and bilingual education is a common educational approach used throughout the world in countries such as the Basque Country, Catalonia, Canada, Australia, Finland, Hungary, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales and Scotland.