Classroom discussion strategies for Irish junior cycle English instruction

¶ … initiating classroom discussions, it is important to keep in mind the overall goals of the program and to communicate and facilitate the successful completion of those goals. Teaching English in Ireland is much more than just reading comprehension or an analysis of plot, theme, and point of view. As a bilingual country, Ireland promotes active awareness of the historical, social, and political role language plays in Irish culture and identity. Literature provides a window into social and political issues, and contextualizes other subjects like history and philosophy. This is as true for Irish language work as well as works penned in English that encapsulates elements of Irish culture, history, or identity. Initiating classroom discussions effectively depends on understanding how English and language arts fit into a broader curriculum and academic programs. The rationale of my approach to initiating and facilitating discussions related to English and literature is linked to the NCCA (2015) standards related to junior cycle education, and includes the enrichment of student understanding of the role of language in communication and also to empower students with the ability to communicate more effectively.

In my 1st and 2nd year English classes, I found the textbook Great Expectations 1 by Catherine Leddin, which is ideal preparation for Junior Cycle Student Award (JCSA). According to the NCCA (2015), \"Junior cycle education places students at the centre of the educational experience, enabling them to actively participate in their communities and in society and to be resourceful and confident learners in all aspects and stages of their lives,\" (p. 4). Some topics I have covered to achieve the JCSA goals include poems like Yeats\'s \"The lake Isle of Innisfree,\" and \"He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven,\" as well as \"Blackberry Picking\" by Seamus Heaney. However, it is also critical to include non-literary texts such as formal and informal letters and interviews because these reveal a different use of language versus language used in literary contexts like poetry. Learning how to compose pragmatic communications is integral to classroom discussions because these types of text are \"important to social development and as part of this process students develop the competence and confidence needed to meet the demands of school, employment, further education and life,\" (NCCA, 2015, p. 6). Students can also learn to gather information using interviews, engaging more in journalistic than literary communications. Practical communications like letters or digital copy may not bear the potential for appreciation or creativity as much as literature does, yet is nevertheless a related pursuit in language arts.

Integrating English with core Irish language elements remains essential in fulfilling the goals of Irish Junior Cycle English. Specific aims of classroom instruction include improving student \"confidence\" in speaking and writing in both Irish and English, enhancing creativity, and deepening respect for Irish literature (NCCA, 2015, p. 7). Students can learn to appreciate the canon of Irish literature, written in both Gaelic and English, and also how to use literature as a springboard for their own creative and intellectual development. Through an exploration of the written word, students can understand how language functions as a medium of communication and also as a means of documenting important historical events and cultural attitudes. The classroom exercises I have used such as interviews have helped students to understand the diversity of applications for language arts, and also to connect what students learn in other classroom environments with the study of language and literature. Exercises as diverse as letter writing and poetry appreciation also help students to become more critically engaged with what they encounter, and able to form and express opinions by interacting with peers.

Classroom discussions foster the three core goals of junior certification: reading, writing, and communication (NCCA, 2015, p. 13). Reading allows students to familiarize themselves with the conventions of language, and the various forms of poetry, prose, and exposition. Students absorb the language through their reading assignments and learn to embed what they have learned from others into their own writing. When writing, students not only provide material for the teacher to assess, but also practice their hand at the creative exercise of language arts. Ultimately, better communication -- oral and written -- is the goal of the English classroom environment. The classroom instruction activities have been instrumental in helping the students to reflect on their own progress, even as they come to understand the similarities and differences between themselves and their peers. Students develop the self-awareness to cultivate unique identities that are influenced but not constrained by their communities and cultures. Empowerment is the ultimate goal of classroom discussions, because students need to be empowered with knowledge or information, critical thinking skills, creativity, and also with the ability to express ideas in a multitude of ways.