We are all talking these days about gender in many aspects of our daily lives. We often think about languages as something that women are simply better at, so we don’t even question why so few language educators in schools and universities are men.
Currently, the vast majority of students at second level are studying foreign languages alongside Irish and English. In language classrooms at third level, with students now having the choice whether to continue language learning, the picture is less diverse. While gender equality initiatives have attracted many more students identifying as female to STEM subjects, the under-representation of those not identifying as female in subjects such as Language Studies conceals an untapped resource and hidden pool of talent that can transform attitudes towards language learning within society at large. The GELS project, funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), is starting the conversation on gender equality in Language Studies and the contribution this can make to the future educational and economic development of Irish society.
Cloistear caint faoi láthair faoi chúrsaí inscne i roinnt mhaith gnéithe dár saol laethúil. Is minic a áitítear go mbíonn cumas níos fearr ag mná i gcoitinne nuair a thagann sé chomh fada le teangacha a fhoghlaim agus ní cheistítear an chúis lena laghad sin d’fhir ar teagascóirí agus léachtóirí teanga iad sna scoileanna agus sna hollscoileanna araon.
Faoi láthair, tá formhór mór na scoláirí ag an dara leibhéal ag gabháil do theangacha iasachta anuas ar Ghaeilge agus ar Bhéarla. I seomraí ranga teanga ag an tríú leibhéal, agus an rogha anois ag mic léinn leanúint ar aghaidh le foghlaim na teanga ag an leibhéal sin, níl an oiread céanna éagsúlachta i gceist. Cé gur mheall tionscnaimh chomhionannais inscne i bhfad níos mó mac léinn ar aithin iad féin mar mhná in ábhair ETIM (Eolaíocht, Teicneolaíocht, Innealtóireacht agus Matamaitic), fós féin, tá ionadaíocht níos lú acu siúd nach n-aithníonn mar mhná le fáil in ábhair mar Léann Teangacha. Cuireann an tionscadal GELS, atá á mhaoiniú ag an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas (HEA), tús leis an gcomhrá ar chomhionannas inscne sa Léann Teangacha agus ar an méid is féidir leis seo a chur le forbairt oideachasúil agus eacnamaíoch shochaí na hÉireann amach anseo.
The Project
Gender Equality in Language Studies (GELS) arose from a recognition among project partners that common interpretations of gender-equality issues overlook challenges within some disciplines (e.g. Language Studies – Modern Foreign Languages and Gaeilge). GELS, therefore, seeks to enrich current gender-equality debates by conducting research into a discipline where converse dynamics prevail with a view to addressing the under-representation and increasing the participation of individuals who do not identify as female.
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An Tionscadal
D’eascair Comhionannas Inscne sa Léann Teanga (GELS) as an tuiscint a bhí ag comhpháirtithe an tionscadail go dtugann léirmhínithe coitianta ar shaincheisteanna comhionannais inscne neamhaird ar dhúshláin áirithe a mhaireann laistigh de dhisciplíní áirithe (m.sh. An Léann Teangacha – nuatheangacha iasachta agus an Ghaeilge). Dá bharr sin, féachann GELS le na díospóireachtaí comhionannais inscne atá ann faoi láthair a shaibhriú trí thaighde a dhéanamh d’fhonn aghaidh a thabhairt ar ghannionadaíocht agus rannpháirtíocht daoine aonair nach n-aithníonn iad féin mar mhná sa Léann Teangacha a mhéadú.
Data Collection
The GELS team are currently conducting online surveys of, and follow-up interviews/focus groups with students and staff in universities and DEIS schools in four regions. These were chosen following specific criteria (e.g. single sex vs co-ed, urban vs rural, English-medium vs Irish-medium etc) in order to mirror the diversity of the educational system within the research project’s sample.
The data collection focuses on exploring factors impacting upon students’ decision-making around the (dis)continuation of Language Studies for Senior Cycle and third level. Once this data is collected, outreach activities, developed specifically to enable more diverse role models and potential career paths to be introduced to students, will be delivered via online sessions with successful students/graduates studying and working with languages in Ireland and abroad. Finally, students who engaged with outreach activities, focussing particularly on those who do not identify as female, will then be invited to complete a short follow-up online survey and participate in interviews/focus groups to ascertain whether the activities have led to any changes in students’ decision-making processes and gendered views on language learning.
Bailiú Sonraí
Tá suirbhéanna ar líne agus agallaimh/grúpaí fócais le mic léinn agus le baill foirne ar siúl faoi láthair in Institiúidí Ardoideachais agus scoileanna DEIS i gceithre réigiún. Roghnaíodh na scoileanna seo de réir critéir ar leith (m.sh. aonghnéis in aghaidh comhoideachais, uirbeach in aghaidh tuaithe, Béarla in aghaidh Gaelscolaíochta, srl.) chun éagsúlacht an chórais laistigh de shampla an tionscadail taighde a léiriú.
Tugann an bailiú sonraí faoi fhachtóirí a fhiosrú a théann i bhfeidhm ar chinntí na mac léinn maidir le leanúint ar aghaidh, leis an Léann Teangacha don tSraith Shinsearach agus don tríú leibhéal nó éirí as ar fad. Nuair a bheidh na sonraí seo bailithe, déanfar gníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana, a forbraíodh go sonrach chun eiseamláirí níos éagsúla agus bealaí gairme féideartha a thabhairt do mhic léinn. Chuige seo, eagrófar seisiúin ar líne le mic léinn/céimithe rathúla atá ag staidéar agus ag obair le teangacha in Éirinn agus thar lear. Ar deireadh, tabharfar cuireadh ansin do mhic léinn a thug faoi na gníomhaíochtaí for-rochtana seo (ag díriú go háirithe orthu siúd nach n-aithníonn iad féin mar mhná) suirbhé leantach gearr ar líne a chomhlánú agus páirt a ghlacadh in agallaimh/grúpaí fócais d’fhonn aon athruithe a thagann ar a gcuid cinntí agus tuairimí i leith inscne agus foghlaim teanga a thomhas.
This project is funded by Higher Education Authority of Ireland
