Almost seven in ten (68%) sixth-year students have a love and appreciation for the Irish language, but more than eight in ten (81%) believe the way in which it is taught is outdated – that according to a new survey of 1,300 sixth-year students carried out by Studyclix, Ireland’s most popular online study tool.
Studyclix credits the rising enthusiasm for the Irish language among young people to various recent cultural phenomenons including social media, music and movies but the study experts say its survey shows students think Irish language teaching methods are ‘ineffective’
Recent wins for the Irish language include the success of Belfast hip-hop group Kneecap and the work of an increasing number of Irish language influencers on social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram, who promote the language with fun and accessible ways to learn it.
However, the survey results indicate that traditional teaching methods are failing to capitalise on the cultural revival - while 56% said that Irish should be retained as a mandatory Leaving Cert subject, some 81% said that teaching methods are outdated while 38% said they had no confidence in their ability to conduct basic conversations in Irish in real-life situations.
29% said that they love the Irish language, and 39% said they appreciated its value.
Known for mixing English and Irish in their lyrics, the Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap have developed a cult following since the release of their debut album in 2018. However, the group has earned mainstream fame through the release of the movie Kneecap in 2024.
The production earned six BAFTA film nominations and 17 IFTA nominations this year and had been hotly tipped to land an Oscar nomination. When it didn’t do so, the band posted a short statement on its own ‘X’ account that said ‘F**k the Oscars’.
Commenting on the findings, Anna O'Sullivan, Studyclix Schools Manager and a former Irish and teacher, said:
“The likes of Kneecap and certain social influencers are keeping students interested in the Irish language and helping them to value it as a cultural touchstone. The survey reveals a deep well of positive feeling for the subject among sixth-year students – this despite their daily exposure to teaching methods which, the survey results also reveal, have been ineffective.
“The way in which we teach the language is in need of dramatic reform. The feedback from our respondents indicates that there’s an appetite out there for more conversational Irish. People just want to speak the language and are less interested in poetry or literature, so perhaps that should be our focus going forward.”
Studyclix published a 6th year student survey last week. Other key findings of the survey included that six in ten (60%) students have had only one meeting with their guidance counsellor since beginning sixth year. Almost one in five (18%) have either had no meeting with their guidance counsellor or met them only in a group setting. Four in ten (40%) feel unsure if they are making the right choice on their CAO forms.
The survey also revealed that students are pessimistic that the housing crisis will alleviate in the coming years, with two thirds (66%) saying they do not believe they will be able to afford a house in their home county when they start work. Seven in ten (79%) students have used ChatGPT or other AI tools, with six in ten (58%) using AI for school-related tasks, more than double the figure from the 2022 Studyclix survey. Almost one in five (18%) using AI for projects that contribute to the overall Leaving Cert grade.
