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I wonder how the Irish react if you (try to) speak Irish.
Due to cultural genocide many do not speak it.
Isn't it taught in school to everyone nowadays? I'd assume that most Irish people know at least a couple of words such as ''hello", "please" and "thank you" that allegedly make you everyone's BFF in the map's dark bluegreen area.
Yeah and pretty much all of America kids have to take multiple years of foreign language during school.
Doesn't mean they learn it unfortunately
Lol I took 5 years worth of foreign language during high school just because I could
1 year French, 2 years Spanish, 2 years Latin. IIRC i took French 1 and Spanish 2 in the same year. And then both Latin classes in senior year (changed schools, block schedule). I'd have taken German too if it wasn't for, you know, graduating.
Languages are fun
My understanding is it is taught like Canadian kids get taught French but that it doesn't tend to stick with most unless they make an effort.
I was taught Spanish in school, it was mostly a failure but I still know hola, por favor and gracias - and that's without having any connection to the spanish-speaking world whatsoever, neither through personal relationships nor through the state (my country doesn't have many spanish-speaking immigrants and doesn't share a border).
Do you think your handful of phrases counts as "speaking" the language? Most of the Irish people I know would know a bit of Irish but most could not have a discussion about anything significant in it.
Language skills fade if you do not use them.
I've been talking about the standard that the map applies to the dark bluegreen area, specifying it multiple times.
And my point is many Irish people know a handful of phrases and cannot hold conversations
Who are you arguing with? I never disputed that.
Slight panic at trying to remember the year they took of it at school (I'm guessing)
Spent two weeks on the West coast back in March. Some really tiny, tiny towns in the main Irish Gaelic speaking areas. Did not hear one word of Irish.
Compare this to when I was in the same area in late 1998, and in these small towns you'd still hear it often in the pubs. It is a damn shame, IMHO.
A friend of mine moved to Ireland for work. She told a co-worker that she'd like to learn a bit of Irish.
"Oh, great! You can teach me something after you do!"