Lá de na laethe bhí mo chuid páistí ar chuairt ag Grannie agus Grannie i mBéal Feirste. Bhí siad sách óg ag an am, agus bhí siad ag míniú gur ‘Mamó’ agus ‘Daideo’ a thug siad ar a máthair nhór agus a n-athair mór i mBaile Átha Cliath. Bhí Grannie agsu Granda an-tugtha ag na téarmaí seo agus d’iarr siad ar mo pháistí ‘Mamó’ agus ‘Daideo’ a thabhairt orthu siúd chomh maith. Phléasc na páistí amach ag gáire. ‘Ach ní Mamó agus Daideo sibh, is Grannie agus Granda sibh!’
Léiríonn an scéilín beag seo an tuiscint atá ag páistí ó aois an-óg ar ilteangachas. Tuigeann siad go maith gur teanga amhain a labhraítear i gcomhthéacs ar leith agus teanga eile i gcomhthéacs eile.
Más é Béarla an gnáththeanga sa teach, mar sin, caithfear Gaeilge a thógáil isteach trí chluichí, trí ról-imirt agus drámaíocht, agus trí spas/am/comhthéacs ar leith a chur ar fáil don teanga.
One day my kids were visiting Grannie and Granda in Belfast. They were quite young at the time, and were explaining that the Dublin grandparents were called ‘Mamó’ and ‘Daideo’. Grannie and Granda were quite taken by these terms and asked the children if they could also be called ‘Mamó’ and ‘Daideo’. The children burst out laughing. ‘Sure youse aren’t Mamó and Daideo, youse are Grannie and Granda!’
This story shows the understanding that young children have - from very early on - of multilingualism. They fully understand how one language may be spoken in one context and another in a different context.
If English is your normal daily household language, therefore, Irish will need to be brought in through games, roleplay and drama, and through a specific space/time/context being made for Irish in the house. Don’t force it just before your child xtarts school – use play and fun to discuss it.
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