2013 Press Releases
Life after English
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Four students will be the envy of their classmates this week as they tour the Forbidden City, the Emperor’s Summer Palace and the Great Wall, before representing Ireland at the World Chinese Bridge Language Contest.
The secondary school students, who hail from schools in Dublin, Kildare and Cork, earned a coveted place on the trip to Yunnan, China, following their success in the final of the 6th Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students in Ireland in June. The competition was organised by UCC’s Confucius Institute and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The two-week all expenses paid cultural exchange will culminate in the students battling it out with over 1000 of their global counterparts, as the judges seek the most eloquent Mandarin Chinese speakers from a group of extraordinary young people.
Take Aisling Chambers, who attends Confey Community College in Leixlip, Co Kildare, for instance. In 2012, Confey College became the first school in the country to offer Mandarin Chinese as a full junior cycle subject. At 14-years-old, Aisling is one of the youngest secondary school students in the country to have the inside track on a language some see as the gateway to success in the future. Along with 17 of her classmates, she is now two years into a three-year study programme on the language of the world’s second largest economy. Although there is not yet a Junior Cert exam in Chinese, the students will complete a level of the Chinese Cultural Institute’s Youth Chinese Test each year. Her mother Claire spoke of how much the opportunity to go to China means to Aisling, so much so that she even sacrificed her spot with Lucan Sarsfields Under-14 Camogie team in the Dublin Championship Division One final clash against Castleknock recently. “It is a fabulous opportunity for any young person, and all the work she put in has paid off. We are immensely proud that she feels independent enough to go on her own at 14 years of age."
Confey College Principal Niall Hare says that what started out as an experiment has very quickly proven successful. “We’ve been very lucky to have had two tremendous teachers who have imparted a real sense of fun and adventure to the language learning, and bright and enthusiastic students who were willing to take on the challenge of learning Chinese. We also have to acknowledge the great support we’ve had from the Language department in NUIM Maynooth.”
17-year old Billy Lonergan is on a similar trajectory. When he leaves Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire, Cork, he will take Spanish, Chinese and fluent Irish with him. The 5th year Gaelgoir who has immersed himself in languages is not “a complete nerd” as he puts it, playing for Mayfield GAA Minors and U21 in Cork. An opportunity to try Chinese as a Transition Year (TY) module, focusing on Chinese script, sounds, conversational language and culture, was the catalyst. His self-imposed homework has seen him attend a night course in Chinese at UCC, as well as spending countless hours learning online. This will be his second trip to China, having already been earlier in the year representing one of 32 schools from all over Ireland as part of the largest ever delegation of Transition Year students sent to China (See a multimedia Storify treatment of that trip by clicking here).
Rónan Murray who lives in Carrigaline, Cork and attends Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven (Réalt na Mara) is similarly motivated. “Chinese is such an interesting language to learn because it is completely different from English. Learning Chinese has been a cultural experience as well. The trip will be a once in a lifetime experience.” Kieran Enright, who teaches History and Irish and is TY co-ordinator in the same school, will accompany the students as their team leader in China. He spoke of the success to date of their TY programme, which is now in its third year, and his hope that the school is close to twinning with a counterpart in Shanghai in the near future.
Oisin McEnroe, who attends Blackrock College in Dublin and is a gifted musician, has come to the competition through a slightly different route. It was when his family was based in Singapore for two years that he first began to learn Chinese. A return to Ireland in 2012 saw him choose Blackrock College specifically for its Confucius Classroom accreditation under the University College Dublin Confucius Institute. If Oisin is wired for languages, the same can be said for music. The double-bassist and piano player is a member of several orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin Youth Orchestra and Blackrock College Orchestra.
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Below, Billy Lonergan reflects on his experience trí Gaeilge:
Liam (Billy) Ó Lonergain is ainm dom. Táim seacht mbliana déag d'aois. Táim an páiste is sine as seisear. Táim i mo chónaí i Ghleann Maghair. Freastalaím ar scoil lán-gaelach, Coláiste an Phiarsaigh atá ann. Táim sa cúigiú bliain faoi láthair. Thosaigh mé ionad Sínis le linn an Idirbhliain agus cheap mé go raibh sé suimiúl. Chinn mé chun é a thógaint suas i rith na hoíche i gColáiste na hOllscoile Chorcaí mar níor rith an tionad ach ó Mean Fomhair go dtí an Nollaig. Chuaigh mé ar turas go dtí Shanghai le linn an Cháisc agus bhí sé thar barr. Bhí a lán daltaí ó scoileanna eile ann ar an dturas agus d'fanamar i Ollscoil Shanghai. Bhí ranganna Sínis agus cultúr againn agus chonaiceamar na radharcanna do Shanghai chomh maith. San am saor a bhí againn bhí cead againn an metro a fháil isteach go dtí an chathair agus bhuaileadh le daoine agus caint leo.
Thaitin sé go mór liom chun a bheith ag úsáid mo chúpla focail sínise leis na dúchasaigh agus iad ag thuiscint cad a bhí mé ag iarraidh rá leo. Rinne mé a lán chairde nua le linn an turas agus bhuail mé leo le linn na bhliana. Thaitin an tSín go mór liom agus bhí fhios agam go mbeinn ag iarraidh filleadh ar ais lá éigin. Críochnaigh mo ranganna sínise i UCC i mí Márta agus ní raibh aon rogha agam ach é a staidéar i m'aonair trí úsáid a bhaint as leabhair agus an t-idirlíon. Chuaigh mo iar-mhúinteoir sínise William (Zhang Gaowei an fíor ainm a bhí air, thug an chuid is mó dos na múinteoirí sínise ainmneacha Béarla dóibh féin. Bhí mé baistithe leis an t-ainm sínis 'Luo Bin' ó cheann dos na mhúinteoirí) i dteangmháil liom chun labhairt liom faoi iontráil a chuir isteach don chomórtas 'Chinese Bridge' i mí Mheitheamh. Is comórtas é ag scrúdú scileanna cainte sínis agus eolais faoin gcultúr. Fuair mé áit chun dul go dtí Comórtas 'Chinese Bridge' an domhain agus bhí mé an-sásta mar anois bhí fhios agam go mbeinn ag dul ar ais go dtí an tSín. Bhí Mr.Xia, ceann comhairle an roinn Sínis i UCC an-chabhrach liom agus shocraigh sé chun múinteoir nua a fhail dom chun cabhrú liom roimh a téim go dtí an chomórtas an Deireadh Fomhair seo. Celinda (Xin Huiming) an t-ainm a bhí uirthi agus bhí sí ar fheabhas. Dá bharr an obair a dhearna sí, tá a lán eolais agam anois faoi pop-cheoil an tSín!
Táim fós i dteangmháil leis m'iar-mhúinteoir William agus táim ag tnúth le bualadh leis i Beijing. Tá sínis tar éis domhain agus cultúr nua a oscailt dom. Tá sé tar éis cabhrú liom roghnú cad atá fonn orm a dhéanamh san Ollscoil. Cabhraigh sé liom freisin chun ábhair don Ardteist a roghnú. Sa todhcaí tá súil agam go mbeidh mé abalta roinnt mhaith am a chaitheamh san tSín, lá éigin ionas go mbeidh mé ábalta an teanga a fíor-fhoglaim.