To Dream Speaking English (Why does this happen?) - The Irish English Teacher (2023)

FAQs

Why do they speak English in Ireland? ›

1. The English language was first taken to Ireland in the late twelfth century and despite many vicissitudes has remained there since, becoming the first language of the majority of the population in the course of several centuries.

While Ireland has its own language and distinct cultural identity, English is the universal spoken language and is one of the reasons why so many multinational businesses locate their European base here.

English is the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad.

There are a number of languages used in Ireland. Since the late eighteenth century, English has been the predominant first language, displacing Irish. A large minority claims some ability to use Irish, and it is the first language for a small percentage of the population.

As Ireland is a bilingual country, the English spoken there has been greatly influenced by Gaelic and so can come across as strikingly different. One form this takes is the difference in the way the Irish pronounce 'th'.

Historians teach that they are mostly descended from different peoples: the Irish from the Celts, and the English from the Anglo-Saxons who invaded from northern Europe and drove the Celts to the country's western and northern fringes.

Goidelic languages

Indo‑Europ... languages

Celtic languages

One of the draws of studying abroad is the adventure of experiencing a different culture and language. Although Ireland and America are both English-speaking countries, we speak different kinds of English. For instance, a “Car Park” sign in Ireland is the equivalent to “Parking Lot” in America.

Increased Brainpower

Many believe learning and speaking English as a second language increases mental flexibility and results in many cognitive benefits, such as increased creativity, better problem-solving skills, and increased creativity.

We talk to form social bonds

Decades of research in social psychology has shown that people talk to form and grow social bonds. Conversations ensure that we understand one another.

Where is Irish English spoken? ›

Hiberno-English (from Latin Hibernia: "Ireland") or Irish English, also formerly Anglo-Irish, is the set of English dialects native to the island of Ireland (including both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland).

Not only is the Irish language the best part of a millennium older than English, the latter language was not spoken in any large measure in Ireland until the 1400s and did not become the main language of Ireland until the 1860s, having gained its dominant position by over a million Irish speakers dying due to famine ...

With the partition of Ireland, the relationship between Ireland and Britain changed dramatically. While the Republic of Ireland distanced itself from Britain, the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland clung fiercely to its British identity, and Catholics there suffered discrimination in employment and housing.

Irish and British citizens are accorded equivalent reciprocal rights and entitlements (with a small number of minor exceptions) and a Common Travel Area exists between Ireland, United Kingdom, and the Crown Dependencies.

People in Ireland generally use grammar the same way as British English speakers, except for those who speak local dialect. However, when one looks at colloquial speech then it is obvious that there are many salient structures in vernacular Irish English which set it apart from standard British or American English.

Unionists and loyalists, who for historical reasons were mostly Ulster Protestants, wanted Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. Irish nationalists and republicans, who were mostly Irish Catholics, wanted Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland.

Did you know? English and Irish (Gaeilge) are the official languages in the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is where you'll hear the soft strains of Ullans (Ulster-Scots). You'll find Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas predominantly along the west coast, where Irish is widely spoken.

1. Irish has no words for yes and no. This tends to be the first thing newcomers are told about the language, so let's start here. You will find no equivalents for yes and no in an English–Irish dictionary because Irish has no such words.

To say Goodbye in Irish you would say “Slán leat” – literally meaning “goodbye (health) to you”. You can be less formal and just say “Slán”, bye.

1. Maidin mhaith! The most basic way to say “good morning” in Irish is to say it like this. Maidin mhaith is a direct translation of the English greeting, where Mhaith means good and Maidin means morning.

How do Irish people say good morning? ›

“Maidin mhaaaaith!” Maidin mhaith, which is the simplest way to say “good morning” in Irish, is a direct translation of the English phrase.

The term “black Irish” refers to persons of Irish descent who are supposed to be descendants of the Spanish Armada, which sailed around the middle of the 15th century, and had dark hair and or eyes. The term is used among people of Irish descent and sometimes confuses people since it doesn't refer to dark skin color.

What is the most famous Irish blessing? “May the road rise up to meet you” is one of the most famous Irish blessings.

Irish is a Celtic language (as English is a Germanic language, French a Romance language, and so on). This means that it is a member of the Celtic family of languages. Its “sister” languages are Scottish, Gaelic, and Manx (Isle of Man); its more distant “cousins” are Welsh, Breton, and Cornish.

When rendered as 'bold' (as in 'gold') it means 'naughty', even 'bad' or 'reprehensible'. When Edna O'Brien's books were banned in Ireland, (and sometimes burned) because of their frank sexual content, Edna was often referred to as 'that bold hussy'.

brogue. 2 of 2 noun. : a dialect or regional pronunciation. especially : an Irish accent.

Scots, Irish Gaelic, 17th century English and Hiberno-English (the variety of English spoken throughout Ireland) have all influenced the development of Northern Irish English, and this mixture explains the very distinctive hybrid that has emerged.

British rule in Ireland built upon the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland on behalf of the English king and eventually spanned several centuries that involved British control of parts, or entirety, of the island of Ireland.

In the mid 17th century English was re-introduced on Ireland on a large-scale (see Hickey 1997: 359): Lands in Ireland were seized through act of war under Oliver Cromwell and given to loyal English and Scottish settlers. These so-called 'Plantations' were meant to strengthen England's political control over Ireland.

After Brexit, Ireland becomes the only English-speaking country in the EU while being the hub of Europe and the USA. Therefore, education in Ireland becomes the first choice when people talk about studying overseas in European countries.

When did the Irish stop speaking Gaelic? ›

The decline has been slow and steady. Gaelic was introduced to Scotland from Ireland in the 5th century and remained the main language in most rural areas until the early 17th century. It was outlawed by the crown in 1616, and suppressed further after the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.

Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century.

Hiberno-English (from Latin Hibernia: "Ireland") or Irish English, also formerly Anglo-Irish, is the set of English dialects native to the island of Ireland (including both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland).

The Irish accent has multiple dialects, the most common of which is the Dublin accent. Still, even the Dublin accent has different variations within it. The local Dublin English accent is usually associated with working-class urbanites, while the new Dublin English accent is considered more upper-class elite.

The United States and India have the most total English speakers, with 306 million and 265 million, respectively. These are followed by Pakistan (104 million), the United Kingdom (68 million), and Nigeria (60 million).

English is the first language of almost everyone in Ireland. You will be fine with just knowing English. A good few people can speak Irish, but don't use it day to day. A small number of people speak Irish as their first language, however a large number of them will speak English as well.

Here we ask why the Irish language first lost its pre-eminent position in Ireland and then declined almost to the point of extinction. Factors often cited are the famine of th 1840s, emmigration and the introduction of English-speaking compulsory National Schools in the 1830s.

The Irish language case

This was followed in 1537 with The Statute of Ireland – An Act for the English Order Habit and Language that prohibited the use of the Irish language in the Irish Parliament. In 1541, further legislation was passed which banned the use of Irish in the areas of Ireland then under English rule.

The decline of the Irish language was the result of two factors: the Great Irish Potato Famine and the repeal of Penal Laws. The Potato Famine led to a decline in the Irish-speaking population. The repeal of Penal Law made Catholics interested in learning English as a way to get ahead in life.