‘I think they just think it’s going to go away at some stage’: Policy and practice in teaching english as an additional language in irish primary schools

Due to growth in immigration to the Republic of Ireland, the number of language minority students enrolling in primary schools has increased substantially over the last 10 years. The Irish context is a particularly interesting one in that until recently Ireland was a country of net emigration with limited experience of cultural diversity. An additional factor here is the Irish language, which makes the education system open to bilingualism and encouraging linguistic diversity. This study looks at how Ireland is responding to these changes in a case study of practice in teaching English as an additional language (EAL) to students in a city in western Ireland. A review of government policy initiatives in this area reveals that they seem to have been developed primarily in isolation from international models of best practice. Instead, the concern is with reacting to what is considered a temporary issue. Finally, the case study shows very inconsistent EAL provision for learners in schools and a general under-valuing of the subject and teachers involved in its delivery.