(Béarla thíos / English below)
Tá ról lárnach ag teaghlaigh sa phlean le húsáid agus feiceálacht na Gaeilge a mhéadú i Leitir Ceanainn. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint le húsáid na Gaeilge i suíomh an teaghlaigh sa bhaile i bhforbairt agus i gcur chun cinn na teanga, dar le Laoise Ní Dhúda, saineolaí i réimse na pleanála teanga. Mar sin nuair a thosaigh Líonra Leitir Ceanainn ag smaoineamh faoin taighde a bheadh le déanamh acu d’aithin siad go mbeadh sé thar a bheith tábhachtach, teaghlaigh a bheith i gcroílár an phlean. Ó thaobh na teaghlaigh féin de, i suirbhé a rinne an Líonra, d’aontaigh na tuismitheoirí a ghlac páirt d’aonghuth gur mhaith leo níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid sa bhaile lena dteaghlaigh. Léiríodh an suim céanna nuair a fiafraíodh dóibh an mbeadh siad sásta freastal ar imeachtaí do theaghlaigh trí mheán na Gaeilge, dá mbeadh siad ar siúl. Léiríonn an méid sin ann féin an toil atá ann i measc teaghlaigh a bheith páirteach san aistear teanga seo. Tá sé mar aidhm ag Líonra Leitir Ceanainn gach tacaíocht agus comhairle a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí atá ag tógáil a gclann le Gaeilge, ar mhaith leo a gclann a thógáil le Gaeilge nó go díreach na teaghlaigh sin ar mhaith leo níos mó úsáide a bhaint as an Ghaeilge lena dteaghlaigh. Ba mhaith leis an Líonra, tacaíocht a chur ar fáil do thuismitheoirí Choláiste Áiligh agus Gaelscoil Adhamhnán agus cuidiú a thabhairt dóibh imeachtaí a eagrú leis an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Ba mhaith linn fosta tuismitheoirí a chur ar an eolas maidir leis na seirbhísí cúraim lae trí Ghaeilge atá ar fáil i Leitir Ceanainn agus sa mhullach air sin eolaire a chur le chéile le gur féidir le tuismitheoirí teacht ar an eolas seo go furasta. Chomh maith leis na tacaíochtaí seo, ba mhaith le Líonra Leitir Ceanainn deiseanna a thabhairt do theaghlaigh a bheith páirteach i saol na Gaeilge sa bhaile. Tá sé i gceist ag an Líonra, imeachtaí teaghlaigh a eagrú do thuismitheoirí, bíodh siad ar bheagán Gaeilge nó líofa le deiseanna labhartha agus foghlamtha neamhfhoirmiúil a chur ar fáil dóibh. Ag na himeachtaí seo, tabharfar deis do pháistí agus tuismitheoirí araon, am a chaitheamh i dtimpeallacht lán-Ghaeilge nó dhátheangach, ag brath ar chumas teanga na teaghlaigh, lán siamsaíocht agus spraoi i gcomhluadar teaghlaigh eile. I dteannta na himeachtaí seo, ba mhaith leis an Líonra deis a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí agus tachráin theacht le chéile níos minice le húsáid a bhaint as a gcuid Gaeilge le chéile agus le teaghlaigh eile go neamhfhoirmiúil. Ar ndóigh, níl sa mhéid atá luaite anseo ach blaiseadh de chuid de na beartais atá beartaithe do theaghlaigh i bPlean Teanga Leitir Ceanainn. Ag deireadh an lae, is leis an phobal ina iomláine, teaghlaigh san áireamh an plean teanga seo agus beidh fáilte roimh theaghlaigh ionchur a bheith acu ar an phlean teanga agus moltaí a dhéanamh ina leith i gcónaí.
I láthair na huaire ba mhaith leis an Líonra cuireadh a thabhairt do theaghlaigh an bhaile agus an cheantair suirbhé a chomhlíonadh. Cuideoidh an suirbhé seo leis an Líonra eolas a bhailiú faoi theaghlaigh sa bhaile agus sa cheantar a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge agus faoi na spriocanna atá acu maidir leis an Ghaeilge agus cad iad na háiseanna agus na himeachtaí a bheadh ina chuidiú dóibh. Mar sin ba mhór ag Líonra Leitir Ceanainn dá mbeadh teaghlaigh ábalta agus sásta an suirbhé gairid ag an nasc seo a leanas a chomhlíonadh: https://forms.gle/kuvHgoHYQWRE1w1H6
Is féidir an plean ina iomláine a léamh anseo:
Families and the Letterkenny Irish Language Plan
Families have a central role in the plan to increase the use and visibility of Irish in Letterkenny. The use of Irish in the family home setting is pivotal in the development and promotion of the language, according to Laoise Ní Dhúda, an expert on language planning. Therefore when Líonra Leitir Ceanainn started to discuss the type of research that would be necessary to undertake, they recognised that it would be very important for families to be central in the plan. Based on a survey that the Líonra carried out, the majority of parents who completed the survey strongly indicated that they would like to use more Irish with their families in the town. Also, when asked would they be happy to attend events for families through the medium of Irish, a strong majority said that they would. That much in itself shows the willingness amongst families to take an active role in this journey that Líonra Leitir Ceanainn has embarked on in regards to the language. Líonra Leitir Ceanainn aims to provide support and advice to parents who are raising their families with Irish, those who would like to raise their families with Irish or those who would like to use more Irish with their families. The Líonra would like to provide support to the parents of Coláiste Áiligh and Gaelscoil Adhamhnán, respectively and help them to organise events to promote the language. We would also like to inform parents of the day care services available through the medium of Irish in Letterkenny and hope to compile a database of those services, which will be easily accessed by parents. As well as these supports, Líonra Leitir Ceanainn would like to provide opportunities for families to participate in activities through the medium of Irish in the town. Líonra Leitir Ceanainn hopes to organise family events for parents with little and fluent Irish, to provide them with opportunities to converse in Irish in an informal setting. It is hoped that these events will give both parents and children the opportunity to spend time in an all-Irish or bilingual environment, depending on the abilities of the families, full of entertainment and fun in the company of other families. Along with those events, the Líonra would like to bring parents and toddlers together on a regular basis to use their Irish together along with other families in an informal setting. These are only some of the measures which will be undertaken to support families as part of the language plan. Above all else, this language plan belongs to the community, families included and families will always be more than welcome to have an input in the plan and to make recommendations.
At the moment, the Líonra would like to invite families from the town and surrounding areas to complete a survey. This survey will help the Líonra gain valuable information regarding families in the town and surrounding areas that have an interest in Irish, their objectives regarding the language and what resources would be of help to them. Therefore Líonra Leitir Ceanainn would much appreciate it if families could complete the short survey at the following link: https://forms.gle/kuvHgoHYQWRE1w1H6.
The full plan can be viewed here: