The role of emotions and ideology among 'new speakers' of Irish
What is it about?
This paper investigates 'new speakers' of Irish, fluent and regular speakers who were not raised with Irish but acquired it later in life. Becoming a new speaker of Irish is an emotional experience and interviewees reported a range of emotions including pride, well-being, shame and frustration. The paper considers how the emotional experience of learning a minority language such as Irish differs from language learning in general.
Why is it important?
Emotions can be powerful and may impede or facilitate the transition from learner to new speaker. Therefore, it is important that we map them and understanding their roles throughout the life cycle. Research in the field has examined emotions and language learning in general, rather than minority languages in particular. The data suggests that the emotional experience is distinct in the case of new speakers of minority languages.