ABSTRACT
Language policies aimed at promoting the revitalisation of a minority language such as Irish can have unforeseen consequences, leading to tensions between newcomers and existing speakers. There was a sense amongst many new speakers that the Gaeltacht was a repository for the language and provided a resource in terms of learning the language and a geographical space which they believed needed to be maintained. Many new speakers of Irish would have spent time in the Gaeltacht, ranging from short visits as part of a summer course to, in the case of others, extended periods of time living there. Another underlying theme relates to how new speakers experienced social anxiety and feelings of inadequacy about speaking Irish and often reported low levels of confidence in their ability to communicate effectively with Gaeltacht speakers. Labels are often the topic of political and intellectual debate, and in this respect, the ‘new speaker’ label is no different.
