The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 set out principles of respect and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity. ‘The Irish language, Ulster Scots and the languages of the various ethnic minorities’ were all explicitly mentioned as contributing to the ‘cultural wealth’ of the province¹.  The North/South Language Body, established on 2 December 1999 and comprising two separate agencies, Foras na Gaeilge (Irish Language Agency) and Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (Ulster-Scots Agency), promotes Irish and Ulster Scots and implements policies agreed by Ministers in the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with regard to these two languages. In August 2000 the Department of Education in Northern Ireland established Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta to encourage and facilitate the strategic development of Irish medium education and provide guidance and advice to the Irish-medium sector.

There are published statutory requirements for foreign languages teaching in the lower secondary phase (11-14) only². In 2006 the Department of Education commissioned the development of a Comprehensive Languages Strategy for Northern Ireland, ‘considering all aspects of languages: at primary, secondary, further and higher education levels, English as an additional language, languages for business, the languages of Northern Ireland, immigrant mother tongues, sign language, languages for special needs’ but this has yet to report³. 

English language support (EAL) was reviewed completely 2005-9 with the policy Every School a Good School - Supporting Newcomer Pupils launched on 1 April 2009.

The UK government recognises Irish and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland under the ECRML Languages. 

Official UK-wide data collection mechanisms on language diversity exist in terms of periodically updated municipal register data, census data and survey data. In these data collection mechanisms, national, regional and immigrant language varieties are addressed.

¹ Agreement reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations (‘The Good Friday Agreement’) (1998) Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland.
² www.nicurriculum.org.uk/key_stage_3/areas_of_learning/modern_languages/
³ www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/nils/index.php

Languages offered in pre-primary education

Children with limited ability in English often receive extra support and the teachers who provide this receive pre- and in-service training. Foreign languages are generally not taught in pre-primary, but there are 44 Irish medium pre-schools¹ and at least one private French-English bilingual nursery².

¹ www.deni.gov.uk/index/85-schools/10-types_of_school-nischools_pg/schools_-_types_of_school-_irish-medium_schools_pg/schools_-_types_of_school_lists_of_irishmedium_schools_pg.htm
² Report of the Review of Irish medium education, Department for Education for Northern Ireland, undated.

Languages offered in primary education

Irish medium education (IME) has been increasing in Northern Ireland since the first Irish medium primary school was set up by parents, outside the mainstream system, in 1971. 1.67% of all primary schoolchildren now attend IME primary schools or IME units within English language primary schools and the number is increasing year on year. IME is supported by government policy.

Modern Languages did not find a place in the new Northern Ireland primary curriculum which was revised in 2007, despite a positive evaluation of pilot projects which took place between 2005 and 2007, involving 21 schools teaching mainly French, with some Spanish. Despite the lack of curricular requirement, a survey in 2007 found that 57% of responding primary schools were making some provision for the teaching of a second language, although in over half of cases this was in the form of extra-curricular activity. The new curriculum encourages the teaching of modern languages within a multidisciplinary framework and guidance has been published to help teachers develop and integrate this. This guidance includes online resources for French, German, Irish and Spanish.  From 2008 the Department of Education for Northern Ireland funded a Primary Languages Programme which provided peripatetic teachers in Spanish or Irish to work alongside existing Key Stage 1 primary school classroom teachers (Polish was also included from 2009). The scheme was criticised for excluding French, which is the most widely taught language in secondary education. By 2009, 247 schools had participated in Spanish and 76 in Irish¹.

Newcomers receive intensive support in English before and during mainstream classes and there has been a concerted effort to provide EAL support in recent years as Northern Ireland has welcomed an increasing number of immigrants. Immigrant languages are not offered other than, occasionally, Polish.

¹ Primary languages in Northern Ireland: too little, too late? Purdy et al, Language Learning Journal vol 38, 2, 2010

Languages offered in secondary education

The situation as regards modern foreign languages in secondary schools in Northern Ireland has deteriorated rapidly since languages were made optional after the first three years of secondary education as part of the 2007 curriculum reform. This resulted in a 19% drop in numbers sitting GCSE examinations over three years with French, as the first foreign language taught, being the worst hit. Spanish is now the second most widely taught modern language and is managing to maintain numbers. However German also suffered declines. At lower secondary level, however, many schools require pupils to study two languages.

Up until the introduction of the Northern Ireland Curriculum in 1989, Irish was the second most common language after French despite being taught only in the Maintained (Catholic) sector, and maintained this position in GCSE entries until 2002. The language was excluded from fulfilling the compulsory language requirement offered by schools under the Northern Ireland Curriculum¹ but since 2006 has been reinstated. A GCSE Irish medium (Gaeilge) exam was introduced in 1993 to cater for the relatively small number of post-primary pupils being educated through Irish. Irish medium education presents more difficulties at secondary level than primary as a result of a lack of teachers able to teach other subjects through Irish at this level. Fewer than 0.5% of all secondary pupils are in Irish medium education.

At ages 16-18, the numbers studying languages have remained steadier but have declined as a proportion of the cohort. The pattern is French declining significantly; German, from a smaller base, less so; Spanish still gaining numbers; and Irish maintaining equilibrium.

Newcomers receive extra support in English before and during mainstream classes. There is not a needs-based diagnosis of English language skills before entering secondary education, but skills are monitored regularly using age appropriate standard instruments. As with Primary education, there has been a concerted effort to provide EAL support in recent years as Northern Ireland has welcomed an increasing number of immigrants. Immigrant languages are not offered.

¹ McKendry, E. (2007) Minority-language Education in a Situation of Conflict: Irish in English-medium Schools in Northern Ireland. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007, 394-409.

Languages offered across 3 VET institutions in Northern Ireland

Languages offered across 2 higher education institutions in Northern Ireland

In common with the rest of the UK, there is very little provision for languages in vocational courses, although Northern Ireland’s two universities (Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster) both offer languages in combination with other specialisms, as well as degree courses in the foreign languages taught in schools. However, Queen’s University Belfast closed its German department in 2009, reflecting the squeeze on languages in higher education which is being felt across the UK.  Northern Ireland is a long way from being self-sufficient in producing linguists in the languages likely to be most needed by its businesses in future, such as Asian languages and a wider range of European languages.

Languages offered in audiovisual media and press in 1 city in Northern Ireland

Radio programmes are offered mainly in English, with several hours a week in Irish and a few minutes in Cantonese. Television programmes are mainly in English but there are listed broadcasts in Irish, Scots Gaelic, French and Ulster Scots. However the concept of ‘terrestrial channels’ is becoming obsolete in the digital age with foreign language television and radio channels widely available via Freeview, online and satellite. Sign language is regularly offered in important media events. Foreign Language press is not always available in hard copy but is widely available digitally.

Languages offered in public services and spaces across 1 city in Northern Ireland (N ≥ 2)

The Good Friday agreement, together with recent immigration, appears to have raised awareness of language issues in public life and of the need for public service translation and interpreting. According to the Language Rich Europe research, many public bodies in Belfast provide information not only in Irish – and, to a lesser extent, Ulster Scots – but also in languages such as Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovak , Cantonese and Arabic. The languages supported are defined by the languages of the communities being served.

Although not surveyed by Language Rich Europe, in common with the rest of the UK, Northern Irish employers are not very language aware. However improved language skills would support the Northern Irish economy in facing challenges ranging from increasing exports to promoting tourism and inward investment.

The last decade or so has seen enormous changes in Northern Ireland. From being a country of emigration and conflict in the late 20th century it has become more peaceful and more globally connected with an increase in tourism, low cost air travel and immigration. Although it is still probably least linguistically diverse of the four UK nations, its history makes it sensitive to issues of language and culture and the measures adopted so far have been inclusive. However, as the Language Rich Europe research shows, Northern Ireland has a weak profile as regards foreign language learning and now needs to give this a much higher priority at all levels in the education system.

The proposed Languages Strategy for Northern Ireland, the result of more than five years’ consultation and discussion with policymakers, is intended to provide an assessment of needs and an action plan across the full spectrum of languages in education, business and public life and should offer opportunities for some focused development.

There have been some encouraging examples of development in Northern Ireland as regards teacher training in languages. A successful development is reported at Stranmillis University College to introduce an optional primary languages module which has now become an embedded feature of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) course¹.  In response to the demand for subject specific teachers in the growing Irish Medium Post Primary sector, St. Mary’s University College, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster have formed a partnership to offer a one year PGCE course to students interested in becoming teachers in Irish Medium secondary education. Additional places have been added to the PGCE intake quotas for both universities, specifically for those applicants who wish to teach in the Irish Medium Post-Primary sector. On completion of the course, these students will be awarded a Certificate in Bilingual Education from St. Mary’s University College in addition to their PGCE qualification.

¹ Report of the Review of Irish medium education, Department for Education for Northern Ireland, undated.