Attitudes towards immigrant children and their home languages within the Irish education system.

Abstract

This article explores the position and importance attributed to immigrant children’s home languages within the Irish education system. In particular, it examines teachers’ perceptions towards using immigrant children’s home languages as an academic resource to support additional language learning. Additionally, it analyses the importance given to immigrant students’ home languages as a marker of identity. The intent is to provide a brief synopsis from a larger piece of research conducted for an undergraduate dissertation. "Courtney graduated with a Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) from Marino Institute of Education in 2021. Her interest in the area of interculturalism and language diversity has emerged from her educational, personal, and professional experience."