You don't have to be an Irish speaker to enjoy Irish with young children

The fact is that until you have tried it, whether as a parent, grandparent or practitioner you will never realise how easily you can introduce Irish rhymes while playing with young children. 'Playing' is the key word here, as the emphasis must be on having fun. The more fun it is the more the children will want to stay with it. Hearing and acquiring new words and rhymes while playing is the best way to be introduced to any new language.  

So how do we do this? Well firstly, you don't have to be an Irish speaker. All you have to do is learn the rhyme. If the only Irish you have is “aon, dó, trí” or “slán” don't be afraid to try. The most effective way to introduce Irish to children is to link the rhyme to toys or equipment or connect a recurring action with a rhyme e.g. washing and drying hands, bathtime, lunchtime, cleaning the room, festivals and celebrations etc. For example, the following rhyme is enjoyable for walking to and can be extended to introduce further vocabulary – see below.

Next, to the tune of “The Farmer wants a wife” , sing or recite the following as you walk:

Tá mé ag siúl, I am walking,

Tá mé ag siúl, I am walking,

Hé Hó mo Dhaidí ó, Hey, Ho my Daddy O,

Tá mé ag siúl. I am walking.

This simple rhyme can be adapted for the following actions:

Tá mé ag léim (I am jumping), Tá mé ag snámh (I am swimming), Tá mé ag rith ( I am running) , Tá mé ag ól (I am drinking), Tá mé ag ithe, (I am eating),Tá mé ag scríobh (I am writing), Tá mé ag gáire (I am laughing), Tá mé ag caoineadh (I am crying) , and so on.

Young children learn by listening, seeing, imitating, and repetition. So talk to them from the start. Tell them what you are doing. Don’t spoil the experience by demanding that they repeat the rhyme. It takes most children two years to begin to use their first language but that is not to say that nothing has been happening for those two years. Listening and understanding are the essential first steps to speaking, so be patient. And most importantly – have fun!

Áine Ní Dhúlaing