The Irish Language in the United States: A Historical, Sociolinguistic, and Applied Linguistic Survey

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Many Irish-Americans feel like outsiders when the topic turns to the Irish language. This collection of essays will inform them of the history of the language in America, the role this language plays in Irish-American identity, and the best way to go about learning it. The sociolinguistic essays concentrate on Irish as an American ethnic language, including interviews with native Irish speakers in the United States today, surveys of Irish usage, and an examination of letters by immigrants back to Ireland in the nineteenth century. Applied linguistic essays describe the Irish language student population in the United States, survey materials and methods used to teach Americans, and tell the story of one Irish language teacher in California whose work has led to great personal satisfaction and considerable Irish-American group solidarity. This is the first major work in English on the Irish language in America.

Author Bio

THOMAS W. IHDE is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States. He has degrees from the University of Dublin and St. Mary's University and teaches linguistics as an Adjunct at Montclair State College. He also serves in the Little Falls, NJ public school system as a language arts teacher. His research involves first and second language acquisition, bilingual education, and the relationship between language and identity.