Nuair a thosaigh mé ag obair mar Oifigeach Forbartha Teanga le Líonra leitir Ceanainn do mo shochrúchán oibre, shíl mé go raibh a fhios agam cad a bhí i gceist le ‘Pleanáil Teanga’. Anois i ndiaidh deich seachtain a chaitheamh leis an Líonra, tá tuiscint i bhfad níos fearr agam ar an chineál oibre atá i gceist leis an ról. Is rud measartha nua é Pleanáil Teanga, ag tosú chun an Ghaeilge a spreagadh agus a chur chun cinn ar fud na tíre. Bíonn Comhordaitheoir Pleanála Teanga agus Oifigigh Pleanála Teanga ag obair leis an phobal, le heagraíochtaí, comhlachtaí agus araile chun comhairle agus tacaíocht a thabhairt daoibh ó thaobh na Gaeilge de. Mar shampla, cén dóigh chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid sa chomhlacht nó imeachtaí tríd an Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil. Mar aon leis sin, bíonn siad ag obair ar phlean nó treochlár a chur ar fáil don phobal maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge sa cheantar faoi Acht na Gaeltachta 2012. Tá sé mar aidhm ag plean teanga an Ghaeilge a spreagadh agus a chur leis na seirbhisí Gaeilge atá ar fáil don cheantar.
Mar chuid de mo chuid oibre, bím páirteach de chruinnithe atá ar siúl leis an líonra agus le heagraíochtaí éagsúla. Mar shampla Seirbhís Óige Dhún na nGall, Chomhpháirtíocht Spóirt Dhún na nGall, Comhairle Chontae Dhún na nGall agus leis na hOifigigh Pleanála Teanga. Bíonn na cruinnithe seo iontach suimiúil i mo thuairim agus bíonn sé i gcónaí maith a bhualadh leis na daoine atá ag cur leis an Ghaeilge i nDún na Gall.
Seachas sin, tá mé ag obair mar theagascóir le dhá grúpa. Tá rang amháin dírithe ar dhaoine gur bhog go hÉirinn agus níl aon Ghaeilge acu – glantosaitheoirí atá i gceist mar sin. Tagann siad ó go leor tíortha éagsúla. Is léir go bhfuil meas speisialta ag na teaghlaigh seo ar teangacha agus ar an Ghaeilge. Chomh maith leis an Bhéarla agus an Ghaeilge, tá go leor teangacha ag an ghrúpa mar shampla, Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu agus Sinhalese. Creidim go bhfuil sé thar a bheith tábhachtach tacaíocht a chur ar fáil don dream nach bhfuil Gaeilge ar bith acu agus is iontach é go bhfuil deiseanna ar fáil don phobal seo ar leith chun an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim. Tá an rang bunaithe ar fhuaimeanna agus ar frásaí bunúsacha ionas go mbeidh siad in ann cuidiú lena gcuid páistí le hobair bhaile. Is mór an onóir dom an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh don dream seo. Chruthaigh mé cluiche chláir tríd an Ghaeilge don rang seo agus dá gcuid páistí fosta agus tá mé ag tnúth le bheith ag imirt leo leis. Chomh maith leis sin, tá mé ag obair le grúpa ó Seirbhís Óige Dhún na nGall agus Comhpháirtíocht Spórt Dhún na nGall. Ba mhaith leo níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid san eagraíocht agus go mbeidh sí feiceálach san eagraíocht fosta. Arís, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach chun seirbhísí a bheith ar fáil tríd an Ghaeilge agus tá na heagraíochtaí seo ag glacadh an chéad chéime go dtí sin!
Baineann tábhacht le taighde sa phleanáil teanga agus bhí an seans agam chun píosa taighde a dhéanamh le ITLC. Tá an líonra ag iarraidh labhairt leis na mic léinn, an fhoireann agus daoine eile in ITLC faoin Ghaeilge agus a fháil amach cén éileamh atá ann don Ghaeilge san insitiúid. Chruthaigh mé suirbhé ag cur ceisteanna orthu faoi chúrsaí Gaeilge agus ansin bhí deis agam dul isteach agus labhairt le daoine faoi. Ansin rinne mé anailís ar na torthaí go bhfuair muid. Measaim go bhfuil an píosa taighde sin iontach tábhachtach a fháil amach cad atá ó na daoine in ITLC ó thaobh na Gaeilge de ionas go dtiocfadh leis an líonra seirbhísí, imeachtaí agus araile atá oiriúnach a chur ar fáil daoibh.
Ar a bharr sin, tá mé ag obair leis na meáin shóisialta ar Facebook, Instagram agus Twitter, mar aon leis an tsuíomh idirlín. Na laethanta seo, tá sé riachtanach a bheith gníomhach ar na meáin shóisialta ionas go bhfuil a fhios ag daoine cad atá ag tarlú leis an líonra, poiblíocht a dhéanamh ar imeachtaí agus an Ghaeilge a bheith in úsáid ar líne.
Sular thosaigh mé ag obair le Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, thuig mé cé chomh tábhachtach is atá pleanáil teanga, áfach, ní raibh a fhios agam an méid mór agus an réimse mór oibre atá i gceist leis. Caithfidh tú a bheith an-solúbtha agus caithfidh réimse leathán scileanna a bheith agat, mar shampla scileanna cumarsáide, teicneolaíochta, ar na meáin shóisialta, scríbhneoireachta agus i bhfad níos mó! Tá mé ag baint an-sult as an obair atá idir lámha aga, agus gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an líonra chun an deis iontach seo a chur ar fáil dom.
MY EXPERIENCES - Working with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn on Work Placement
When I started working as Irish Language Development Officer with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn for my work placement, I thought that I knew what was involved with ‘Language Planning’. Now, after spending ten weeks with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, I understand the type of work involved with the role a lot better. Language Planning is a relatively new concept, started to encourage the usage of Irish and to promote it throughout the country. The Language Planning Coordinator and Language Planning Officers work with the community, organisations, companies etc to advising them and providing them with support in terms of the Irish language. For example, how to use Irish in the company or how to organise events through Irish. As well as that, they are work on the plan or roadmap in regard to the usage of Irish in the area under The Gaeltacht Act 2012. It is the aim of the language plan to encourage Irish and to add to the Irish language services that are available for the area.
As part of my work, I take part in meetings with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn and the various different organisations. For example Donegal Youth Service, Donegal Sports Partnership, Donegal County Council, and with the language planning officers. These meetings are always very interesting in my opinion and it is great to meet the people that are contributing to the Irish language in Donegal.
Apart from that, I am working as a tutor for two groups. One group is focused on people who have moved to Ireland and they don’t have any Irish at all – complete beginners in question here. They come from may different countries. It is clear that these families have a special respect for languages and for Irish. As well as English and Irish of course, this group has many languages, for example, Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu and Sinhalese. I believe that it very important to make support available for the group of people that don’t have any Irish and it’s brilliant that these opportunities are available for this community to learn Irish. The class is based on sounds and basic phrases so that they will be able to help their children with their homework. It is a great privilege for me to teach Irish to this group. I created a board game through Irish for this class and their children, and I am really looking forward to playing it with them. As well as that, I am working with a group from Donegal Youth Service and Donegal Sports Partnership. They would like to use more Irish in their organisations and to make Irish more prominent within the organisation too. Again, it is extremely important to have these services available through Irish and these organisations are taking the first step towards that!
Research has great importance in language planning, and I have the opportunity to do a bit of research with LYIT. Líonra Leitir Ceanainn would like to speak with the students, staff, and others within LYIT about Irish and to find out the demand on Irish in the institute. I created a survey, asking them about Irish matters and then I had the chance to go in and speak to people about it. Then I analysed the results that we received. I think that that piece of research was very important, to find out what the people in LYIT want in terms of Irish, so that Líonra Leitir Ceanainn can provide services, events and more, that are suitable for them.
On top of that, I work with the social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as writing for the website. These days it is essential to be active on social media so that people know what is going on with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, as well as giving publicity for events, and to have Irish in use online.
Before I began working with Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, I understood just how important language planning is, however, I didn’t know the vast amount and broad range of work that was involved with it. You must be very flexible, and you have to have a broad range of skills, for example, communication skills, be skilled with technology and social media, writings skills and more! I am really enjoying my work, and I thank Líonra Leitir Ceanainn for giving me this brilliant opportunity!