Ouf! Brexit boost for language teaching

IRELAND’S poor record in successfully mastering foreign languages compared to our EU counterparts has long been a source of national embarrassment.

But it seems the prospect of Brexit is finally putting the skates under the Department of Education.

Education Minister Richard Bruton is set to increase the number of foreign language assistants working in schools this academic year by 25% – in an effort to help Brexit proof the country.

The Government had already announced it is planning to double the number of native Spanish, German, French and Italian speakers who work in our classrooms as language assistants by 2026.

However, Mr Bruton will announce today that they are set to ramp up the numbers by a quarter this coming academic year, increasing them from 110 to approximately 140, to ‘ensure Ireland is well-prepared for the challenges that lie ahead’ in the wake of Brexit.

Foreign language assistants are native speakers who work in secondary schools, supporting teachers by using their ‘fluency and authenticity’ in the classroom. After Brexit, Ireland, along with Malta, will be one of just two English-speaking countries in the EU.

The department said: ‘In the context of Brexit and the increasing importance globally of non-English speaking countries, Minister Bruton is taking action to ensure Ireland is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.’

The foreign languages strategy was announced last year, and one aspect of it was a commitment to double the number of foreign language assistants in schools by 2026. Assistants are paid a ‘monthly allowance’ and are generally scheduled to work for 12 hours a week across four days.