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Irish Language Revival: Study Gaelic Online |
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May 14, 2007
by
J.V. Staples
First Stop Degree Online Columnist
Each St. Patrick's Day, shamrocks and leprechauns festoon cards, cookies, windows, and parade-floats to celebrate the Green Isle. But Ireland has a much more interesting facet of its culture to explore. Irish (Gaeilge in Irish) is Ireland's national language, and anyone who wants to truly know Ireland should learn a bit about it.
History of a Celtic Language
Among the oldest of Europe's living languages, written Irish became well established with the rise of Christianity. Irish monks put pen to paper for poems and phrases in the margins of sacred manuscripts. The Normans assimilated into the Irish-speaking world and contributed to the language, introducing new vocabulary and dialects.
Master a Living Language
After centuries of oppression, the country is valiantly attempting to revive the people's ancient way of expression, and many of these efforts are proving fruitful. Long a required subject in both primary and secondary schools, Irish is now the official language of Ireland. This year, Irish became an official language of the European Union.
A Language You Can Learn Online
Although very useful, you don't have to travel to Ireland to study Irish. Many online courses exist, and you can even obtain an online degree in Celtic Languages. Simply request information from one of the many accredited colleges and universities offering online degree programs. If you don't want to embark on a full degree program, however, you can simply opt to start with an online language course.
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About the Author:
J.V. Staples is a writer and teacher living on the southeast coast of Ireland. He has worked as a graphic designer; teacher of English as a foreign language; university writing instructor; and editor of Salt Hill, a literary magazine. John holds an honors BA in English from the University of Georgia and a Masters in creative writing from Syracuse University. |
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