LINGUIST List 23.330 Wed Jan 18 2012 Diss: Discourse Analysis/Socioling: McCubbin: 'Inimircigh agus an ...' Editor for this issue: Xiyan Wang <xiyanlinguistlist.org> To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.cfm. Directory         1.     Justin McCubbin , Inimircigh agus an Ghaeilge: Idé-eolaíocht agus cleachtas teanga lucht inimirce na Gaeilge in Éirinn Message 1: Inimircigh agus an Ghaeilge: Idé-eolaíocht agus cleachtas teanga lucht inimirce na Gaeilge in Éirinn Date: 09-Jan-2012 From: Justin McCubbin <jhmccubbingmail.com> Subject: Inimircigh agus an Ghaeilge: Idé-eolaíocht agus cleachtas teanga lucht inimirce na Gaeilge in Éirinn E-mail this message to a friend Institution: University of Limerick Program: PhD in Sociolinguistics Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2011 Author: Justin McCubbin Dissertation Title: Inimircigh agus an Ghaeilge: Idé-eolaíocht agus cleachtas teanga lucht inimirce na Gaeilge in Éirinn Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis                             Sociolinguistics Subject Language(s): Irish (gle) Dissertation Director: Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin Dissertation Abstract: English title: Immigrants and Irish: The language ideology and practice of Irish-speaking immigrants in Ireland Irish title: Inimircigh agus an Ghaeilge: Idé-eolaíocht agus cleachtas teanga lucht inimirce na Gaeilge in Éirinn This is a sociolinguistic study of the language practice and ideology of a number of Irish-speaking immigrants in Ireland. It springs from the under-researched question of immigration into autochthonous minority language communities and therefore bridges two distinct sociolinguistic phenomena in Ireland: 1) the rapid ethnolinguistic diversification of Irish society around the turn of the 21st century; and 2) the ideological mismatch between official state language policy in support of Irish and the covert de facto language policy that continues to marginalize it. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2007 with seventeen immigrants to Ireland who have become daily speakers of Irish, approximately half of whom reside in the Gaeltacht (officially designated Irish-speaking areas) and the other half in urban areas throughout the country. Their language practices and beliefs were examined and their discourse was critically analyzed in relation to ethnocultural identification, language ownership, and the social functions of Irish in daily life. A critical analysis of the public's discourse on these matters was also performed by examining samples of English- and Irish-language print and broadcast media produced between 2005 and 2010. The results show that the informants speak Irish habitually in a wide range of language domains, both private and public. They discursively negotiate a complex repertoire of identities that includes Gaelic ethnocultural membership, sometimes in distinct contrast to a broader Irish identity, as well as simultaneous ethnic, cultural and transnational identities. The informants consistently depict Irish as a tool for social inclusion and present a social-constructionist view of language ownership; however, dominant public discourse is typified by an ethnic essentialism that derives its persuasiveness from naturalized ideologies about the death, dysfunction or otherwise irrelevant status of Irish to modern life. This finds expression most often in discourse on Irish-medium schooling, which is portrayed as fundamentally exclusionary. By comparing these two strands of discourse, it can be seen how language ideologies and categories of belonging are managed in relation to each other and expressed in language policy at various levels of society. The main conclusion is that immigrants are neither encouraged nor expected to learn Irish because doing so would contradict the de facto language policy of English monolingualism. Such policy dictates the type of integration that is expected of immigrants to Ireland, but also undermines official language policy by entrenching the minoritized status of Irish and potentially depriving the language of new users and new uses. This study sheds new light on language policy in Ireland as identity planning amid major demographic change. It contributes to our theoretical understanding of language shift and maintenance by challenging the ethnic essentialism that typically informs such efforts, arguing instead for the need to consider a social-constructionist perspective. Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue Page Updated: 18-Jan-2012       About LINGUIST    |   Contact Us       While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.