‘Beatha Teanga í a Labhairt’ an manna a roghnaíodh don scoil. Tá an Ghaeilge Labhartha fíor-thábhachtach dúinn mar scoil. Is í an Ghaeilge teanga theagaisc & teanga chumarsáide na scoile. Is teanga bheo í an Ghaeilge sa scoil laistigh agus lasmuigh de na ranganna, sa chlós agus i dtimpeallacht na scoile. Tá sé mar aidhm againn dearcadh dearfach agus grá don Ghaeilge agus don chultúr Gaelach a spreagadh sna daltaí, i bpobal na scoile agus sa cheantair máguaird. Déanaimíd iarracht Gaeltacht bheag a chruthú inár scoil agus sa cheantair thart orainn.

  • Is í an Ghaeilge an teanga theagaisc agus an teanga chumarsáide idir na múinteoirí, na páistí, an bhainistíocht agus na tuismitheoirí / caomhnóirí (nuair is féidir é) i nGaelscoil Faithleann.
  • Is teanga bheo í an Ghaeilge sa scoil laistigh agus lasmuigh de na ranganna, sa chlós agus i dtimpeallacht na scoile.
  • Is í an Ghaeilge an teanga chumarsáide ag ócáidí sóisialta, ócáidí spóirt nó drámaíochta nó aon imeachtaí eile ar a bhfreastalaímid mar scoil.
  • Cuirtear fáilte roimh gach páiste sa scoil is cuma cén cúlra teanga atá acu.
  • Is i nGaeilge amháin a labhraítear leis an bpáiste nuair a thagann sé/sí ar scoil den chéad uair agus uaidh sin amach. Is é an córas luath thumoideachas iomlán atá i bhfeidhm sa scoil agus ní thosaítear ar an mBéarla a theagasc go dtí na naíonáin shinsearacha.
  • Iarraimid ar thuismitheoirí / chaomhnóirí agus gach duine eile a bhíonn bainteach leis and scoil cuidiú linn agus muid ag cruthú ‘Gaeltacht’ inár scoil agus inár dtimpeallacht.
    Molaimid go mór iarracht a dhéanamh an Ghaeilge a labhairt sa bhaile nuair is féidir, is cuma muna mbíonn ann ach cúpla focal, nathanna cainte nó abairtí anseo is ansiúd. Is mór an chabhair dúinne agus don pháiste má bhíonn dearcadh dearfach i leith na Gaeilge le sonrú sa bhaile chomh maith leis an scoil.
  • Má theastaíonn ó thuismitheoir / chaomhnóir labhairt leis an múinteoir le linn ranga, iarraimid air/uirthi Gaeilge a labhairt.

Immersion Education

Immersion education is a system which helps children to become fluent in Irish naturally, by giving them daily experience of an Irish-speaking environment. This means that all subjects, apart from English, are taught through the medium of Irish right up until 6th class.

It also means that Irish is the language of communication in the school, both inside and outside the classroom and on the playground. In this way, children’s fluency in the language is supported.

The Advantages of Immersion Education

Children benefit in many ways from immersion education. According to Irish and international research, the advantages of immersion education include:

Cognitive advantages

Immersion education helps children to develop greater cognitive flexibility and divergent thinking. This means that they can be more creative thinkers, and can give a range of valid solutions to a problem.

Children also develop increased attentional and executive control; they’re better able to pay attention, to concentrate on and complete tasks.

Immersion education helps to improve memory skills, and research has shown that being bilingual can delay the onset of Alzheimer's Disease by four years!

Fluency and literacy in two languages

Children develop fluency in both Irish and English in school, and immersion education does not have a negative effect on the development of either language, or on the children’s progress with any other subject.

It’s easier for the children to learn additional languages, thanks to the literacy skills they acquire through immersion education. It gives them a better understanding of the foundations of language; grammar, word formation, sentence structure, and these transferrable skills can be applied to other languages.

Communication skills

Children who have benefitted from immersion education have more effective listening and communicative skills. They are better able to express themselves, and better able to understand other people.

Confidence and sense of identity

Immersion education fosters a higher level of empathy in children. They have a broader exposure to other cultures and develop a greater respect for them, leading to deeper multiculturalism and less racism.

Immersion education gives children a better understanding of their own sense of self, and this gives them increased self-esteem.

Increased educational attainment

Children in Irish-medium schools attain higher grades in standardized tests both in English and in Math’s than their peers in English-medium schools.

Immersion education helps children to develop their memory skills, they are better able to approach tasks and make reasonable decisions, and are more confident in their decision-making abilities.

The Economic and Social Research Institute have recognized that Irish-medium schools are more likely to provide a broader curriculum than other school types.

At post-primary level, a candidate who answers in Irish in the written examination in certain Leaving Certificate subjects may be given bonus marks.