Social interaction and language use in Irish infant classrooms in the context of the revised Irish Primary School Curriculum (1999)

This article concerns the gap between government intention and classroom outcome. The author examines the treatment of spoken language in the Revised Irish Curriculum, which came into effect in 1999. He finds much to be commended in the recognition of its central role in learning. He then examines the implementation of this curriculum with children of 5 to 6 years, in fifteen Senior Infant classrooms. Extensive observations and interviews lead him to the view that pupil talk is still seen by most of the teachers observed as a distraction from the essential business of education, namely listening, reading and writing. The interviews revealed that these teachers did not seem to understand the important role of dialogue and discussion in developing learning or recognize the need to promote sustematically opportunities for oral interactions. He concludes that educational change cannot be achieved simply by producing new curriculum statements.