Enactment of the Primary Language Curriculum: a focus on Irish

Chapter 5 - Enabling the enactment of the Primary Language Curriculum: a focus on Irish (PDF)

One of the statutory functions of the Inspectorate is to evaluate and publish reports on the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Irish in state-funded schools and centres for education. In this chapter, we reflect on how the Primary Language Curriculum[1] and its pedagogical principles have been enacted in classrooms, with a particular focus on the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish.

The chapter is informed by the outcomes of 51 inspections in primary schools (38 curriculum evaluations of Irish and 13 incidental inspections), conducted in 2024 and early 2025. During these inspections, the inspectors evaluated a total of 280 lessons, engaged with teachers and school leaders and, during the 38 curriculum evaluations, conducted focus group meetings with children.

[1] Available at: https://curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/primary-language/

Table 1: Language-focused inspections in primary schools – 2024 to early March 2025

An integrated curriculum

The Primary Language Curriculum (PLC) is an integrated curriculum with the same structure and strands for both English and Irish at primary-school level. It is underpinned by the concept of language interconnectedness within and across languages, encouraging a plurilingual approach to language learning. It recognises that learning languages in an integrated way can result in significant benefits for the child or young person, particularly when the home language is recognised in the learning process. These benefits include enhanced cognitive and linguistic functioning and increased metalinguistic awareness[3]. The PLC builds upon the principles of Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and also aligns with the junior cycle specifications for languages for post-primary students, to ensure continuity and progression in children’s language learning.

A learning outcomes-based approach

A key aim of the PLC is to empower children to become confident and competent communicators as well as critical readers, writers and thinkers. The PLC is a learning-outcomes based curriculum. It outlines clearly what children are expected to learn, using Progression Continua[4] that support children’s language learning and development over time. Progress in language learning is influenced by the school environment, classroom experiences, each child’s unique language background and abilities, and parental support and interest, and the child’s disposition and motivation towards languages.

In the PLC, learning outcomes are organised by strands and elements to support children’s understanding of language concepts and the development of their dispositions, skills and attitudes as language learners.

Figure 1: Elements of language learning[5]

[3] Cummins, J. (1978). Bilingualism and the Development of Metalinguistic Awareness. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 9, pp. 131-149; Bialystok, E. (1991) Language Processing in Bilingual Children. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Little, D. (2011). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: A Research Agenda. Language Teaching, 44(3), pp.381-393; Rutgers, D. and Evans, M. (2017). Bilingual Education and L3 Learning: Metalinguistic Advantage or not? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 20(7), pp.788-806; Cummins, J. (2021). Rethinking the Education of Multilingual Learners: A Critical Analysis of Theoretical Concepts. Multilingual Matters, pp. 65-70.

[4] Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/primary-language/primary-language-toolkit-2/progression-continua

[5] Source of graphic: Primary Language Curriculum p.14. Available at: https://curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/primary-language/

Supporting the enactment of the Primary Language Curriculum

The first phase of the PLC was introduced for junior infants to second class (stages one and two) in 2015. Following consultation and feedback, a revised version, encompassing the four stages of primary education (junior infants to sixth class), was launched in 2019 and implemented for all classes (stages 1-4) in primary schools from September 2019[6]. The Primary Language Toolkit [7] offers practical resources to support teachers’ planning and the delivery of high-quality language learning experiences for children.

The department, through its national agencies, provides extensive support to schools to enact the PLC. Oide, the national service for teacher professional learning, offers ongoing support to schools on request. Schools can also access Irish-language resources and professional learning supports from An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

Inspection

The next section in this chapter outlines the findings from inspections in four key areas: teachers’ proficiency in Irish, teachers’ preparation, children’s learning outcomes, and the enactment of the core pedagogical principles and approaches to support the learning and teaching of Irish.

[6] Department of Education (2019). Circular Letter 0045/2019. Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile; Stages 1–4 (junior infants to sixth class): Support and Implementation.

[7] Available at: https://curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/primary-language/primary-language-toolkit-2/

Teachers’ language proficiency in Irish

The research literature indicates that teachers' language proficiency is positively related to their overall teaching efficacy, which in turn influences children’s learning outcomes[8]. A high level of proficiency in Irish is positively correlated with teacher satisfaction in teaching Irish and their motivation to teach other subjects through Irish[9]. Research in second-language learning indicates that there is a strong link between teachers' confidence in their own language skills and how effectively they teach[10]. When teachers are more proficient in the language, they are better equipped to deliver lessons effectively, manage classrooms, and engage children successfully in language learning.

Inspectors found that there were varying levels of Irish-language proficiency among teachers in English-medium schools, particularly in relation to grammatical accuracy, pronunciation and fluency. While most teachers demonstrated a good standard of spoken Irish during inspections of Irish, some teachers struggled to use Irish effectively. There was an apparent lack of confidence among many teachers in using Irish in English-medium schools. As a result, in several cases, feedback from inspectors to teachers about the quality of provision for Irish in their classrooms needed to be given in English or using a mix of both languages. Teachers demonstrated a high level of proficiency in spoken Irish in fewer than half of the Irish lessons observed during curriculum evaluations.

During incidental inspections, school leaders and teachers reported that they had engaged in a wide range of teacher professional learning opportunities. However, teachers indicated that they gave priority to professional learning sessions for English to support them in the enactment of the curriculum. Teachers also indicated that they needed more targeted support to support the teaching of Irish in key areas such as early literacy development, phonological and phonemic awareness, word attack strategies, word study, the writing process and the development of comprehension skills.

Teachers’ preparation and children’s learning outcomes

The learning outcomes in the PLC support teacher agency in making professional judgements when planning for the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish. Teachers need to focus their teaching on meeting the language-learning needs of all children. They need to reflect on the children’s progress and adjust their pedagogical approaches as needed. This process involves invisible, visible and recorded preparation[11]. Invisible preparation is ongoing and often unrecorded. It involves teachers using their experience, their knowledge of the children and the learning environment, as well as their beliefs about the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish to guide their own practice. Visible preparation is about what happens during teaching and learning, involving the delivery of meaningful and appropriate learning experiences to support the intended learning for all children. It requires ongoing reflection on each child’s needs, interests, abilities and progress in learning the language.

The incidental inspections indicated a marked difference in how the strands and elements of the PLC were planned for Irish compared to English. Discussions with school leaders in English-medium schools indicated that they were more familiar with the resources, toolkit and teaching supports for English, than those for Irish. Inspectors observed shortcomings in teachers’ recorded preparation to support the enactment of the PLC in Irish. In many lessons, inspectors noted that teachers would benefit from using the progression continuum for Irish to inform the next steps and support progression in language learning for all children during lessons. There was notable variability in children's learning outcomes in Irish across English-medium schools, indicating the overall limited enactment of the PLC in these schools.

Inspection findings indicate that children’s Irish language learning outcomes in Irish-medium schools were positive overall.

[8] Choi, E. and Lee, J. (2016). Investigating the relationship of target language proficiency and self-efficacy among non-native EFL teachers. System, 58 (Supplement C). pp. 49-63.

[9] Dunne, C. M. (2019). Primary Teachers’ Experiences in Preparing to Teach Irish: Views on Promoting the Language and Language Proficiency. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 10(1). pp. 21-43. Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, Ireland.

[10]O’Sullivan, K, Bird, N. and Burns, G. (2019). Students’ Experiences of the Teaching and Learning of Irish in Designated Disadvantaged Schools. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 4(5). pp. 87-97.

[11] Department of Education (2021: revised 2023). Preparation for Teaching and Learning - Guidance for all Primary and Special Schools. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/advice-on-preparation-for-teaching-and-learning/

Pedagogical principles and approaches to support language acquisition in Irish

Pedagogical principles and approaches

The PLC identifies key pedagogical principles and approaches that are essential for providing children with high-quality language-learning experiences:

• the communicative approach
• use of language functions
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
• immersion education
• transfer of skills between languages
• language awareness and cultural awareness
• linguistic diversity
• centrality of play
• cross-curricular and disciplinary literacy
• critical literacy and
• digital literacy.

Communicative approach

The PLC promotes the use of the communicative approach to enhance second-language learning through purposeful, interactive and engaging activities in meaningful contexts. The main emphasis is on children using Irish to fulfil a communicative need, with the teacher modelling and consolidating the target language as much as possible during the school day. Teaching Irish through the Irish language, as the target language, helps children to become familiar with the language and to learn it more effectively.

The communicative approach consists of three phases. In the pre-communicative phase, children learn and practise oral vocabulary, specific language functions and grammatical structures. In the communicative phase, children are enabled to use the new language, for example, in drama, debates or role play. In the post-communicative phase, children have an opportunity to consolidate and transfer their newly acquired language to different contexts with the support of the teacher.

Overall, the inspections identified a need for teachers to place greater emphasis on the enactment of the pre-communicative, communicative and post-communicative phases in Irish lessons to ensure progression in children’s language learning. There was a need for teachers to avoid teaching vocabulary in isolation and, instead, to create opportunities for children to participate in meaningful, learner-centred and authentic language and communication activities. This requires a shift from theme-based, textbook-driven instruction to more dynamic, active-learning practices that connect learner outcomes with children’s lives and interests.

Use of language functions

The reinforcement of language functions through the communicative approach helps children to develop their language and communication skills. This includes enabling children to introduce themselves, greet others, ask questions, express themselves, make requests and structure responses. The most effective way to achieve this is through a range of informal interactions during the school day in contexts that are engaging, meaningful and relevant to children’s lives and interests.

Overall, teachers tended to focus primarily on the teaching of vocabulary in isolation, relying on textbooks and commercial programmes. Insufficient attention was given to the explicit teaching of language functions and grammatical language structures in meaningful contexts. Consequently, children were not afforded adequate time to experiment with language functions and construct sentences independently.

To enable children to acquire vocabulary and language structures and develop confidence and fluency in using Irish, teachers should embed the children’s language learning in authentic, everyday contexts. The purposeful integration of language functions into school life fosters a more natural use of Irish during the school day, ultimately supporting children's broader communicative competence in the language.

Content and Language Integrated Learning

Content and language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an important language-learning pedagogical approach in English-medium schools, as it helps increase children’s exposure to Irish. In CLIL, Irish is used as the target language in the teaching of curriculum content, language functions and language structures. The teacher creates partial immersion learning environments where children learn the subject knowledge, concepts and language skills in another curriculum area through Irish. The practical dimensions of subjects such as Physical Education, Mathematics, Visual Arts and Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) lend themselves well to CLIL, where visual cues, active learning and group discussions are encouraged, and where vocabulary, and language functions and structures are taught in context and practised using cooperative learning interactive activities.

Overall, the findings from curriculum evaluations indicate that the use of CLIL is at a relatively early stage of development in primary schools. To support the effective enactment of CLIL, teachers’ proficiency and confidence in using Irish as the language of instruction are crucial[12].Inspection reports indicate that where CLIL and the communicative approach were used effectively in extending the teaching of Irish, teachers tended to be highly proficient in the language.

Immersion education

Immersion education in the target language is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to gain fluency in a language[13]. Immersion education involves language learners being placed in an environment where a language, different from their home or native language, is used. Meanwhile, parents and schools play a key role in maintaining and celebrating the child's home language so that the benefits derived from this may be utilised to help children learn other languages.

Immersion helps children become more fluent and comfortable in a new language, learning it alongside their native language. For example, children who learn English as an additional language (EAL) are immersed in the school's language environment. Children should be encouraged to transfer the skills they have learned in English or Irish to their other languages, and vice versa. Immersion experiences also help children to develop a strong sense of their cultural identity.

Overall, inspections provide evidence that immersion education in Irish-medium schools has a positive impact on children’s learning outcomes, fostering a positive attitude and greater enthusiasm for Irish. Inspections showed that children in Irish-medium schools benefited greatly from spending their first two-years in infant classes immersed in spoken Irish, with formal reading and literacy introduced at a later stage. Teachers’ consistent use of Irish during lessons enabled the children to understand instructions, ask questions and express themselves in Irish. Children in senior classes said that they enjoyed learning Irish and learning through Irish when engaged in interesting activities during group work. In the most effective practice observed, teachers fostered a positive environment by using engaging language-learning activities and teaching grammar, vocabulary and phonetics in meaningful contexts.

Transfer of skills between languages

Children learn new languages through interaction with others, similar to how they learned their first language. Their ability to speak and understand the new language is influenced by the pronunciation and sentence structure of their first language. While the structure and vocabulary of each language need to be taught separately, they should be taught in a way that encourages the transfer of knowledge and skills whenever possible. By highlighting the similarities and differences between languages, teachers help children to understand languages better. This enhances their ability to learn the language and make connections with their native language.

Overall, inspections noted few examples of effective teaching to support the transfer of language skills between English and Irish or other home languages. It is important that teachers understand how languages are connected and how language transfer helps children to understand that their first language can help them learn a second language. Inspections also highlighted that there was insufficient focus on the explicit teaching of phonological awareness in Irish and on integrating these skills across the strands of the curriculum. Phonological awareness needs to be explicitly taught to ensure that children learn the correct pronunciation of the Irish alphabet from an early age. This forms the foundation for accurate oral, reading and writing skills in Irish.

The multilingual nature of many classrooms provides a valuable opportunity to highlight how language transfer can enhance children’s learning experiences and foster their positive dispositions towards Irish and other languages and cultures[14].

[12] Gabillon, Z. (2020). Revisiting CLIL: Background, Pedagogy, and Theoretical Underpinnings. Contextes et Didactiques, 2020, Issue 15, pp.88-116.

[13] Ó Duibhir, P. (2018). Immersion Education: Lessons from a Minority Language Context. Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters; Fortune, T.W. and Tedick, D.J. (2008) Pathways to Multilingualism: Evolving Perspectives on Immersion Education. United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters

[14] Inspectorate, Department of Education (2024). Meeting Additional Language Needs: Whole-school and Classroom Approaches for Inclusive Language Learning. Available at: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/meeting-additional-language-needs-whole-school-and-classroom-approaches-for-inclusive-.pdf

Language awareness and cultural awareness

Language and cultural awareness helps children recognise how people use language to communicate. When children are given opportunities to explore and compare different languages and cultures, this sparks their interest in learning a new language and helps them develop transferable skills they can use across languages[15].

Many inspections affirmed school management teams for encouraging the use of Irish in extracurricular activities such as cultural events, the arts and sport. Schools also promoted Irish through whole-school initiatives such as Gaelbhratach, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Grandparents’ Day and St. Patrick’s Day events. Some schools used the TG4 Irish language television channel as a teaching resource during lessons. There were also examples of teachers enhancing children's cultural awareness by integrating Music, Arts, Drama, poetry and Irish legends into language lessons.

Schools play a vital role in affirming the language skills of children who speak different languages. The introduction of modern foreign languages (MFL) in the redeveloped PLC presents an opportunity to foster and extend teachers’ understanding of the pedagogical principles and approaches of second (and additional) language learning, language transfer, language awareness and cultural awareness, and linguistic diversity in a multilingual context. Since its launch, the Languages Connect initiative has supported the development of children’s language skills and cultural awareness in middle and senior classes. One third of the schools inspected were participating in the MFL Say Yes to Languages ten-week module,[16] provided by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI). In these schools, teachers were observed helping the children to make connections between Irish and other languages.

Linguistic diversity

The increasing linguistic diversity in classrooms provides a valuable opportunity to enhance children’s appreciation of language, identity and culture. Teachers can support plurilingualism by recognising and valuing the diverse range of home languages. In the 2022 Census of Ireland, it was recorded that over 750,000 people spoke a language other than English or Irish at home. This represents an increase of 23% from over 600,000 people who spoke a language other than English or Irish at home in 2016.

Overall, the inspections indicate that the potential of linguistic diversity has yet to be fully realised in classrooms. There is scope, overall, for teachers to approach language interconnectedness, language awareness and cultural awareness, and linguistic diversity not as a disparate set of principles, but as interconnected and integrated elements of language learning.

Centrality of play

Play and inquiry-based learning foster positive attitudes towards literacy and support children’s overall literacy development[17]. In the PLC, playful approaches to learning literacy in Irish and English include child-directed play, teacher-led activities and shared play between teachers and children. Children naturally integrate literacy into their play when given practical opportunities to develop their language skills in Irish. By engaging in play, teachers can model authentic literacy activities and encourage imaginary conversations.

Inspection findings suggest that the potential of play as a language-learning pedagogy for the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish is not fully realised in primary schools. Playful learning methodologies in Irish were linked primarily to the use of oral language games in small groups. There is a need to extend the use of play, particularly the use of child-directed play and shared play between teachers and children, to cultivate children’s capacity to develop their language and communication skills in Irish. Children need to be taught the Irish language vocabulary and language structures explicitly to enable them to take the lead in play-based learning.

[15] van Dijk, C., van Wonderen, E., Koutamanis, E., Kootstra, G. J., Dijkstra, T. and Unsworth, S. (2022). Cross-Linguistic Influence in Simultaneous and Early Sequential Bilingual Children: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Child Language, 49(5), pp.897–929.

[16] In the 2024/2025 school year, over 1,300 primary schools opted to participate in the Say Yes to Languages ten-week module (Languages at Primary School | Languages Connect. Available at: https://languagesconnect.ie/primary/) catering for 15 different languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Irish Sign Language, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Tamil and Ukrainian. Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) provides schools with a grant, training and resources to support the implementation of the MFL module.

[17] National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2024). Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/early-childhood/aistear-2024/

Cross-curricular and disciplinary literacy

While cross-curricular and disciplinary literacy are closely interconnected, they serve different purposes for schools with different language contexts. Cross-curricular literacy involves the development of the general literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening used in any subject. Disciplinary literacy focuses on the explicit language and critical thinking skills required within a specific subject. The effective enactment of cross-curricular and disciplinary literacy to support children’s language learning in Irish involves integrating literacy skills across different subjects to deepen children’s understanding.

Overall, inspections found limited evidence that cross-curricular and disciplinary literacy was applied to children’s language experiences in Irish lessons in both English-medium and Irish-medium schools. A thematic approach to integrating Irish across the curriculum was not a feature of practice in many English-medium schools. Children in Irish-medium schools indicated that they enjoyed learning Irish and learning other subjects through Irish, especially when they were provided with opportunities to work collaboratively in researching topics with the help of technology to support their learning. It is acknowledged that the enactment of the PLC will differ depending on whether the school uses Irish or English as the medium of instruction. During professional learning sessions, it is crucial that teachers receive guidance on how to apply the principles and pedagogical approaches in a way that aligns with their school’s specific language context.

Critical literacy

Critical literacy is the ability to analyse and think beyond the text to understand issues, question and challenge ideas and perspectives, such as why an author chooses to write some ideas about the topic and exclude others[18]. While critical literacy learning outcomes apply to both Irish and English, it is important that these skills are developed in accordance with each child’s language ability and stage of development, as set out in the language progression continua for both languages in the PLC.

Children’s critical literacy in Irish is strongly influenced by the school’s language of instruction, their exposure to Irish and by how effectively the PLC is implemented throughout the school. Inspections found that the development of children’s critical literacy skills in Irish was receiving limited attention in classrooms. Teachers are central to the process of selecting suitable texts in Irish that encourage children to engage in reflective discussions, think critically and express their opinions orally and in writing. To develop critical literacy in Irish, teachers require a high level of proficiency and confidence in the language.

[18] McLaughlin, M. and DeVoogd, G.L. (2004). Critical literacy: Enhancing students’ comprehension of text. New York: Scholastic.

Digital literacy

In today’s digital world, it is essential for children to be digitally literate so that they can communicate effectively, think critically and act responsibly online. The PLC enables children to use technology to source, understand and communicate knowledge across various contexts, texts and media.

Inspection findings indicate that digital literacy was used effectively to support the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish in just a small number of schools. In such schools, there was a clear digital learning plan that specifically included Irish-language digital apps to guide classroom practice on a whole-school basis. In a few schools, digital technology was used effectively by teachers to track children’s progress in Irish and to provide formative feedback.

Assessment

Effective pedagogical practice involves teachers sequencing and pacing children’s learning to enact the curriculum for all learners. Good assessment approaches encourage children to reflect on their learning and help teachers determine whether the teaching approaches used meet the language and communication needs of each child and lead to progression in their learning.

Overall, there was limited evidence of planned assessment or assessment discussions targeting the progressive development of specific language-learning outcomes. In the minority of instances where effective practice was observed during incidental inspections, teachers used both intuitive and planned assessments. Teachers asked questions, provided corrective feedback and adapted lessons in response to children’s various learning needs.

Incidental inspections highlighted the need for schools to implement both child-led and teacher-led approaches to assessment (including intuitive assessment, planned assessment and assessment discussions)[19]. In the main, schools needed to develop a whole-school approach that included self-assessment and peer-assessment, and teachers needed to place greater emphasis on meaningful assessments to enhance children’s language learning.

Curriculum evaluation reports highlighted some examples of high-quality assessment practices in both Irish-medium and English-medium schools. In such schools, teachers used diverse methods, such as observation, questioning and standardised tests, to evaluate children's progress in Irish and to inform their lesson preparation. In a few schools, digital portfolios were used effectively to record children’s progress and to share information with parents. There were also examples of children engaging in self-reflection in a way that enabled them to take ownership of their own learning.

Overall, the inspections point to a need for teachers to make greater use of the progression continuum in the PLC to build a holistic picture of each child’s language learning progress, including the progress of children with additional learning needs. Using digital technologies appropriately is essential in this context.

[19] National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2007). Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools. Available at: https://ncca.ie/en/resources/assessment_in_the_primary_school_curriculum_guidelines_for_schools/

The process of curriculum enactment is complex. It is influenced by school context, classroom environments, cultural and socio-economic factors, and available supports. The introduction of modern foreign languages in primary schools presents an opportunity to foster and extend teachers’ understanding of the pedagogical principles and approaches of second (and additional) language learning, language transfer, language awareness and cultural awareness, and linguistic diversity in a multilingual context. To enact the PLC effectively, teachers need to design and deliver meaningful and effective language-learning experiences for children.

Findings from inspections highlight areas requiring improvement in schools’ and teachers’ practice to support the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish.

• Overall, the inspection findings indicate that the PLC is not yet enacted fully in primary classrooms. There are gaps between the vision and aims of the PLC and practice observed in many classrooms. There is evidence of inconsistent interpretation, understanding and application of the pedagogical principles and approaches of the PLC with regard to Irish. Many schools clearly needed a more coordinated approach to enacting the PLC, along with more consistent monitoring by school management.
• The variation in teachers’ Irish-language proficiency is a matter of significant concern. The inspections indicate that overall standards of teachers’ Irish-language fluency in English-medium schools are not what they should be to support the successful enactment of the PLC. This impacted on children’s language learning.
• In many cases, lessons in Irish were overly focused on vocabulary acquisition in isolation, with insufficient opportunities provided to use the language in meaningful contexts. There is an overall need to strengthen the communicative approach as the central pedagogical strategy for Irish-language teaching in English-medium schools. Teachers need to use the target language (Irish), avoiding direct translation to English, in order to support children’s language learning in Irish. The use of visual aids, hands-on materials and engaging activities is important in this regard.
• In some lessons, teachers relied too heavily on textbooks and commercial programmes. This limited the use of the communicative approach to language learning. Where textbooks are used, they should be integrated into the active learning pedagogical practices advocated in the curriculum.
• While inspection reports acknowledge the efforts of some English-medium schools to promote the extended use of Irish, only a small number of English-medium schools used the CLIL approach to teach other subjects through Irish. Given the potential of CLIL to impact positively on children’s acquisition of Irish, there is a need to steadily expand its use.
• In some instances, children were encouraged to make connections between languages. However, despite these positive efforts, conversations with teachers and school leaders revealed uncertainty about how to use the Primary Language Toolkit [20] for the PLC effectively and how to apply English language skills to support the teaching of Irish.

[20] Available at: https://curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/primary-language/primary-language-toolkit-2/

Recommendations to strengthen children’s language learning in Irish

• There is a system-wide need to identify and implement new and innovative approaches to develop teachers’ language proficiency in Irish. There is also an overall need for teachers to deepen their understanding of the pedagogical principles and approaches of the PLC as they apply to different language contexts. Teachers should access the high-quality teacher professional learning (TPL) supports provided by:
  • GaelAonad and language divisions of Oide
  • The National Council for Special Education (NCSE)
  • An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)
  • Education Support Centres
  • Higher education institutions
  • Other Irish-language agencies.
• There is a need to build on and extend the work of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) on aligning the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) with the PLC to support children’s language learning in Irish.
• School leaders in English-medium schools should ensure they are familiar with, and engage actively in, the enactment of the PLC as it relates to Irish. It is important that all schools are clear about the priority areas for improvement in the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish, as relevant to their particular language-learning context.
• School-planning processes to support the enactment of the PLC should include:
• regular opportunities for teachers to discuss and reflect on the pedagogical principles and language-learning approaches of the curriculum
  • monitoring and assessment of the impact of these principles on children’s Irish-language learning in oral language, reading and writing in classrooms
  • strategies to support ongoing teacher professional learning to equip teachers with the necessary skills and understanding of the pedagogical principles and approaches of the curriculum
  • teachers taking ownership of their own professional learning to strengthen and maintain their language proficiency in Irish.
• English-medium schools that have not yet adopted Content and Language-Integrated Learning (CLIL), as advocated in the PLC, should begin to use this approach to extend children’s language-learning experiences of learning Irish.