Immersion Education

An accessible, insightful exposition of the immersion education model in Ireland that will inform practice

This book offers a detailed account of the success of young immersion learners of Irish in becoming competent speakers of the minority language. The results highlight the limitations of an immersion system and will help immersion educators to gain a greater understanding of how young immersion learners learn and acquire the target language.

Pádraig Ó Duibhir is Deputy Dean and Professor of Education, Dublin City University Institute of Education, Ireland. He has worked as an immersion teacher and now researches teacher education and second language teaching, with a particular interest in the teaching of Irish as a subject and as a medium of instruction.

Pádraig Ó Duibhir is Deputy Dean and Professor of Education, Dublin City University Institute of Education, Ireland. He has worked as an immersion teacher and now researches teacher education and second language teaching, with a particular interest in the teaching of Irish as a subject and as a medium of instruction.

Throughout this book, Ó Duibhir’s significant experience of immersion education – as a pupil, a teacher, a principal, a lecturer and a researcher – is evident. It allows for an accessible, insightful exposition of the immersion education model in Ireland and internationally that would be difficult to achieve without having such a background. The book will serve as a useful text for researchers in immersion education and language revitalisation studies.

Niamh Ní Mhaoláin, Cork Education Support Centre, Ireland:

[This book] will be a springboard for rich debate in the area of immersion education in Ireland (...) It will most definitely help inform future teacher education strategies and provide a valuable resource to immersion teachers and students and also second language acquisition researchers. The author's work has continued to strengthen the sector by providing a body of research that can now inform practice.

This book is an important addition to the body of research on immersion education. Pádraig Ó Duibhir, a respected academic and former practitioner in the sector, provides an insightful analysis of four research projects on the subject, bringing together both Irish and international perspectives and charting a way forward based on empirical evidence.

Drawing on data from a wealth of studies along with his many years of experience as a successful teacher and acclaimed academic, Ó Duibhir presents an honest account of the current, changing status of the Irish language, the prognosis for its future, and the pivotal role of education. This fascinating volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the Irish language, minority language survival, bilingual education, language policy and planning, and/or applied linguistics.

This book makes a substantial contribution to the literature on immersion education by exploring students’ Irish language development and attitudes while proposing possibilities for change both within and beyond the classroom. Pádraig Ó Duibhir’s welcome contribution is indispensable reading for anyone interested in understanding the full potential of immersion education.