Irish-Medium Education (IME) is a form of Immersion Education where all children are taught all subjects through the medium of Irish. At the end of their schooling children are bilingual. There are many benefits to being bilingual.
Bilingualism develops the brain differently, stimulating more mental flexibility, creativity and originality of thought. Bilingual children will have the capacity to look at any problem, big or small, from many different perspectives. Words can have multiple meanings; problems can have multiple solutions; situations can be seen from multiple viewpoints. When children think in two languages, they can easily imagine more than one way to accomplish their objectives and more than one way to approach a complex dilemma.
Those who speak, read and write in two languages:
- Are open-minded to other cultures
- Possess stronger problem-solving skills
- Have enhanced cognitive development
- Express greater creativity: think outside the box
- Easily learn a third and fourth language
- Embrace differences in people
- Actively seek multicultural friendships
Is d’aicme an Tumoideachais é an Gaeloideachas (GO) mar a dteagasctar gach ábhar do na páistí uile trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ag deireadh a gcuid scolaíochta bíonn na páistí dátheangach. Is iomaí sochar atá le bheith dátheangach.
Forbraíonn an dátheangachas an inchinn ar dhóigh eile, spreagann sé níos mó solúbthacht intinne, cruthaitheachta agus úrmhaireachta smaointe. Beidh de chumas i bpáistí dátheangacha breathnú ar aon fhadhb, mór nó beag, ó léargais éagsúla. Bheadh ilchiallanna le focail; ilfhuascailtí le fadhbanna; cásanna le feiceáil ó iltreonna. Nuair a smaoiníonn páistí i dá dteanga, is furasta a shamhlóidh siad níos mó ná dóigh amháin lena gcuspóirí a bhaint amach agus níos mó ná dóigh amháin le tabhairt faoi aincheist chasta.
Iad siúd a labhraíonn, a léann agus a scríobhann i dhá dteanga:
- Beidh siad níos oscailte i ndearcadh do chultúir eile
- Beidh scileanna fadhbfhuascailte níos láidre acu
- Beidh forbairt chognaíoch mhéadaithe acu
- Léireoidh siad cruthaitheacht níos mó: smaoineoidh siad taobh amach den bhosca
- Foghlaimeoidh siad níos éasca an tríú nó an ceathrú teanga
- Cuimseoidh siad difríochtaí i ndaoine
- Cuardóidh siad go gníomhach cairdis ilchultúrtha.