Abstract
In a context of steadily increasing global migration, ethnic and linguistic diversity in Irish schools is becoming both more prevalent and more visible. In Ireland, schools have been availing of Department of Education and Science (DES) funding since 1999 in order to provide English-language support for bilingual students. The support provided in post-primary schools is examined here with reference to research carried out in a number of schools in a large urban centre. The picture that emerges is one in which teachers are struggling to meet the needs of their bilingual students in a context of limited training and resources. Language support practices vary widely and do not reflect international best practice. Practice in these schools is interpreted in light of discourses which construct Irishness in narrow terms. The State's ‘ad hoc’ approach to provision for bilingual students reflects discourses which position those who are not native English speakers as ‘other’ with consequent implications for their integration into Irish society.
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