Irish Language Mid-term Essay: Why making the Irish language compulsory is the reason for it's decline..

a/n: one of my first argumentative essays, I'm new to do this! So any comments/criticism you can offer, I would be grateful! :)

This was our Mid-term English assignment, I personally don't learn Irish, so naturally I found this topic challenging...

Gardai= the police force/gendarme nationale/cops etc...

Gaeltacht= An area in the West of Ireland where Irish is the everyday language, not English.

To my fellow students, regarding the Irish language there are some who believe that by making it compulsory it has contributed greatly to it's decline. I am one of those people, I shall now present my argument with the following reasons.

Firstly, if you look back at history, looking back over the centuries, if people are forced to do something it is human nature to rebel against it. For example, strict parents might dictate to their teenager not to drink or impose curfews, the teenager may feel more inclined to rebel against their rules. It is the same with making students learn Irish and having no choice in the matter may make them less inclined to learn/participate in that class for whatever reason.

Another theory is that if a person is interested in a subject as a hobby which they could do in their own free time, but then forced to do it on a day to day basis with no say in the matter, it may take the enjoyment out of it for them. For example, if a person was interested in art as a hobby, and liked doing it as a hobby, they may loose their passion for it if they chose it as a career. It is the same with doing Irish as a compulsory subject.

Thirdly, as part of the modern world and European Union, Ireland is vastly becoming a cosmopolitan country with many different nationalities. Due to these cultural diversities, English has become the most commonly used language, as opposed to Irish. Because of this Irish is being used less frequently and therefore people find it less relevant in terms of job qualifications, with a few exceptions such as the Gardai and teaching.

However, some people will argue that in order to preserve the Irish culture and heritage, it is necessary to make the subject compulsory. But what about the Gaeltacht? The Gaeltacht is a flourishing area in the West of Ireland where Irish is the common language. And why is this may you ask? Because the people there are not forced to the subject, they grew up with Irish as their first language, as opposed to English. It is their choice, and they are proud to preserve their culture.

In conclusion, the decline of the Irish language is due to the lack of choice and a modern society. I believe that we, the student body, should be given the choice to learn the Irish language based on our personal interests and with relevance to future careers.