Language teachers of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in mainstream primary schools – what can they learn from Irish-Medium (IM) practitioners?

Thomas Rogan
May 27
4 min read

Updated: Jun 2

Thomas Rogan | 27th May 2025 | Opinion Articles

In this opinion piece, Thomas Rogan suggests three ways in which teachers of MFL in mainstream primary classrooms might enhance their practice by taking cognisance of the practice of IM practitioners.

What is Irish-Medium Education (IME)?

IME is a form of immersion education where learners are extensively exposed to Irish to develop both academic and linguistic proficiency. In this setting, children are taught in a minority language that is, for the most part, not spoken at home (CCEA, 2009 ).

Immersion education mirrors first language learning, fostering competency through acquisition and exposure. In IM settings, children acquire Irish through frequent exposure to speech patterns, social interaction, and a language-rich environment. As their proficiency grows, explicit instruction in grammar, sentence structure, and language patterns increases.

IM Pedagogy

IM settings use immersion pedagogy, where the target language is the primary medium of instruction. The goal is to develop second-language proficiency while simultaneously promoting academic achievement. The curriculum mirrors that of monolingual settings, following a dual-focus approach that integrates both language and subject learning.

In IM settings emphasis is placed on the following to support learning and teaching: context embedded learning, the use of song, rhyme, music and story, practical learning, a language rich environment, high quality language input, dialogue and repetition

Recommendation 1: Creating Immersive Language Learning Experiences

In IM settings, children are immersed in a rich language environment where the target language is highly visible and audible (Andrews, 2018 ). While full immersion is difficult to replicate in English-medium classrooms, language lessons should maximise exposure to the target language. Practitioners should deliver as much of the lesson as possible in the target language and create meaningful, interactive opportunities for its use. Regular interaction between staff and peers, as seen in IM settings, exposes learners to varied language registers, normalises second-language use, and is essential for developing language skills.

Incorporating basic greetings, transitional phrases, and slow, clear, repetitive and intelligible speech into daily routines normalises second-language use. Visuals, contextual objects, and gestures further support comprehension. Integrating such practices into MFL environments will enhance the quality and effectiveness of language instruction.

Recommendation 2: Focussing on Language Input which Encourages Language Output

Language proficiency develops through a strong connection between learning experiences, language input, and output. To develop proficiency in any language, children need frequent opportunities to listen, respond, practice vocabulary and sentence structure, and ask and answer questions.

To develop children's competency and proficiency, rich, comprehensible and purposeful input is essential. Comprehensible input, paired with opportunities for communication and social interaction, promote language production and output.

Ó Domagáin (2023) highlights a direct correlation between a practitioner’s language proficiency and that of the children. Rich, accurate, and clear language input encourages precise language production. Therefore, teachers have a duty to model correct pronunciation and language use.

In IM settings, practitioners are bilingual and use Irish confidently as their natural language of communication. In contrast, mainstream MFL teachers may face challenges if their proficiency is limited. As Valdera Gil and Crichton (2020) highlight, teachers often feel apprehensive about delivering lessons for fear of errors. Continuous professional development or support from a linguist—through activity design, phonetics, pronunciation, and modelled interaction—can strengthen teachers' linguistic skills and enhance lesson quality.

Language input is essential for exposing young learners to the target language, but regular opportunities for meaningful communication are equally important. Van Patten et al. (2020) distinguish between practice output and communicative output. The latter, shaped by context, serves a specific purpose and is dialogic, enabling learners to apply language skills in diverse situations.

In many MFL lessons, the focus is often on mechanical language practice with little communicative value. In contrast, IM settings prioritise natural expression over rote learning. MFL teachers could benefit from this approach by embedding key social phrases into daily routines, such as greetings, instructions, and common classroom expressions (e.g., “your turn”), making the language more functional and authentic.

Young children, whose cognitive resources are still developing, acquire languages gradually and therefore require sustained input to build proficiency in the target language (Myles, 2017). To enhance second language skills, they should be regularly exposed to meaningful communicative opportunities, such as paired and group work, role-plays, and the exchange of basic phrases and greetings. For language lessons to be effective and impactful, greater emphasis on communicative output is essential. Expanding language input beyond dedicated FL lessons would align MFL teaching practices more closely with those of IM practitioners, promoting a more immersive and authentic language learning experience.

Recommendation 3: Valuing Second Language Learning

Practitioners in IM settings deliberately choose to teach in immersion schools, with many being linguists who have learned Irish as a second language. Their motivation often stems from recognising the value of second language learning in fostering bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. In these settings, where language learning is valued, children thrive on staff enthusiasm and benefit from rich linguistic experiences.

In monolingual/ mainstream settings FLs are often taught by teachers who may not naturally be teachers of language, and may not feel confident regarding their delivery of the FL. To provide worthwhile, engaging and motivating language learning opportunities for the pupils, these teachers need to be seen as valuing this type of learning. Dörnyei’s (2009) three levels of motivation highlight a learner's need to learn, desire to learn, and the encouragement provided by the learning experience. A teacher’s excitement and enthusiasm for language learning fuels children’s curiosity, and children learn best where teachers deliver confidently and enthusiastically.

In summary, MFL teachers can improve their practice by adopting strategies from IM practitioners. In MFL classrooms, teachers can enhance immersion in the target language by extending language input beyond dedicated FL lessons. This would increase opportunities for language output, boost student engagement, and improve language production quality.

About the author

Thomas Rogan is a Senior Lecturer in Irish Medium Education at St Mary’s University College, Belfast. A former primary school teacher in an Irish medium school, his research interests include immersion education, bilingual education, and the support of learners with additional needs.