JC Gaeilge encourages students to:
- Use the language effectively and confidently with other users in the language community.
- To use the language accurately when writing and speaking in Irish.
- Enjoy communicating creatively and innovatively through Irish.
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Strand 1: Communicative competence
Communicative competence consists of students’ ability in the following five skills: listening, reading, spoken production, spoken interaction and writing. These are skills required to communicate with other users of the language. Students can function in interpersonal communication situations. They can both understand and use the principal messages of communication. They enjoy participating in communication with other users and interacting with them. They read a wide range of texts, including multi-modal texts which are used in the language community, and understand the primary messages of these texts. They compose their own relevant texts to communicate with other users.
Strand 2: Language and cultural awareness
Students notice both the accuracy and the richness of the style of the language. They understand the significant differences between Irish and English to avoid inaccuracies in speaking and writing. They think about the way in which the language works to achieve mastery of the language in speech and writing. They gain knowledge of the living culture of the Irish language and develop a respect for that culture and the Irish-speaking community and are motivated to use the language.
Strand 3: Learner’s self-awareness
Students concentrate on their own individual attributes as language learners. They understand how to use learning strategies that are appropriate to themselves. They understand their own personal motivation in learning the language and take personal ownership of the language and of the process of acquiring fluency.
Through interacting with classmates and through reflection, students’ understanding of themselves as language learners and users is developed. By taking advantage of opportunities to communicate with classmates in group work and in pairs in class and in everyday contexts outside of school, the students interact through the language.
Irish is the only subject where both CBAs are done in 3rd year.
CBA 1 Language Portfolio
- Will be completed during the first term of 3rd year.
- Students will create a Language portfolio with samples of their work. The language portfolio focuses on the language learning process and places the student and their learning journey at the centre of teaching, learning, and assessment. This gives students an opportunity to set personal learning goals, showcase their work, reflect on the work, and observe progress.
- The portfolio may include a range of student-created texts, e.g. projects, learning logs, creative pieces (poems/songs etc. created by the student) reflective pieces, recorded material (audio-visual and visual), texts, presentations completed etc.
- As evidence of their learning, students choose three portfolio items to submit for assessment. One
- sound/video piece must be included.
- Students should make use of a literary text or texts from second and/or third year as a stimulus for at least one of the chosen portfolio items to be submitted.
- Students are supported in outlining reasons for personally selecting the three pieces of work.
CBA 2 Communicative Task
- Will be completed during the second term of 3rd year.
- The Communicative task gives students the opportunity to choose a subject, topic or issue in which they are interested or is important to them, and explore it over a period of time. In this task, strong emphasis is placed on the student’s oral and interactive skills and on their connection to other language users. In completing the task, students may use any one of the following formats: presentation, interview, role play, drama or conversation in response to stimulus material. Students may work individually, in pairs or in groups. However, where students have collaborated to complete the activity, the teacher should ensure that each student makes a meaningful individual contribution.
The students are given an opportunity to:
- Communicate and cooperate through Irish by interacting with their classmates, with the teacher and the language community.
- Enhance language skills.
- Develop general skills (researching, time management, self-management, working with others, etc.)
- Assume ownership of learning.
- Enjoy the language.
As evidence of their learning, the students research, prepare, give a short classroom presentation and respond to questions.
Assessment Task
- Will be completed during 2nd term of 3rd year
- 10% of final mark
Written Exam
- Will be completed at the end of 3rd year
- 2 hour exam based on the learning outcomes the students will have engaged in throughout the 3 year course.
- 90% of final mark