Ag Machnamh ar . . . an nGaeilge agus ar na Meáin Shóisialta

Updated / Tuesday, 15 March 2022 11:29

Reflecting On . . . The Irish language and Social Media

le Caoileann Ní Dhonnchadha

Bhain mise le glúin Bebo. Láithreán líonraithe sóisialta a bhí i mBebo agus bhí mé thart ar cheithre bliana déag d’aois nuair a thosaigh mé á úsáid. Ní dhearna mé aon trácht i mo phróifíl ar an nGaeilge ná ar an tábhacht a bhain leis an teanga i mo shaol. Ina ionad sin, dhírigh mo phróifíl ar rac-cheol, ar línitheoir súl agus go leor leor neon ar chúis éigin. Tá céad slán fágtha agam le Bebo bocht ó shin agus is ar Instagram agus ar Twitter is mo a bhím ag cur fúm ar líne agus is trí Ghaeilge amháin a bhím ag postáil agus ag giolcaireacht. Cé go bhfuil an-chuid fós á fhoghlaim againn faoi na míbhuntáistí i dteannta na dtairbhí a mbaineann leis na meáin shóisialta, díreoidh an blag seo ar an bpobal Gaelach atá le fáil ar líne, ar thábhacht láithreacht na Gaeilge ar na meáin shóisialta agus ar na féidearthachtaí a bhaineann leo seo don teanga. 

I belong to the Bebo generation. Bebo was a social networking site and I was around fourteen years old when I started using it. I never mentioned the Irish language or the importance of the language in my life on my profile. Instead, my profile focused on rock music, eyeliner and a lot of neon for some reason. These days, I’ve left Bebo behind for the likes of Instagram and Twitter where I post and tweet exclusively through the medium of Irish. While we still have a lot to learn about the flaws and advantages of social media, this blog focuses on the online Irish language community, the importance of the Irish language on social media and on the possibilities social media can afford the language.

Tá pobal láidir Gaeilge ar fáil ar na meáin shóisialta sa lá atá inniu ann. Nuair nach bhfuil tú i do chónaí i gceantar Gaeltachta, i mbaile ina mbíonn deis agat freastal ar ranganna Gaeilge nó ar Pop Up Gaeltacht, is féidir leideanna gramadaí na Gaeilge a roinnt agus a fhoghlaim, agus aon ábhar faoin spéir a phlé ar líne trí mheán na Gaeilge mar gheall ar na meáin shóisialta. Ar na saolta seo, baineann labhairt na teanga le níos mó ná húsáid na teanga ó bhéal. Baineann muid úsáid as téacsanna, ríomhphoist, glórnótaí, emojianna, méiméanna, tvuíteanna agus i bhfad níos mó eile chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh, muid féin a chur in iúl agus ár gcuid tuairimí a roinnt. Tugann na hardáin éagsúla ar na meáin shóisialta, cosúil le Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok agus Instagram (gan ach beagán a lua), deis dúinn ceangal agus cumarsáid a dhéanamh le chéile agus le níos mó de phobal na Gaeilge ná mar a bhí roimhe seo. Léiríonn láithreacht na Gaeilge ar na meáin shóisialta do mhuintir na tíre, go bhfuil an teanga beo agus ag fás.

Nowadays, there is a strong Irish language community on social media. Even if you don’t live in a Gaeltacht area or in a community where you have access to Irish language classes, or can attend a Pop-Up Gaeltacht, you can still share and learn tips about Irish grammar, or discuss any subject through the medium of Irish thanks to social media. In today’s world, speaking a language involves more than speaking orally. We now use texts, emails, voice-notes, emoji’s, memes, tweets, and much more to communicate and share our thoughts and opinions. The various social media platforms, such as Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram (to name but a few), give us the opportunity to communicate and connect with one another and with the wider Irish speaking community like never before. This social media presence shows the country that the language is alive and thriving.  

Má táthar ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn agus a neartú ‘caithfear pobal teanga a chruthú nach bhfuil ag brath ar an scoil amháin chun í a labhairt’ (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021, lch.16). Thug mic léinn tríú léibhéal le fios i mo thaighde Máistreachta (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021) gur bhain an chuid is mó den teagmháil a bhí acu leis an nGaeilge taobh amuigh de shuíomh na scoile leis na meáin shóisialta. Thug 52.4% de na mic léinn a ghlac páirt sa taighde (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021) le fios gur úsáid siad Gaeilge ar na meáin shóisialta gach lá, rud a léiríonn an ceangal a bhí acu leis an teanga mar gheall ar na hardáin éagsúla a bhí in úsáid acu. Nuair a fiafraíodh de mhac léinn amháin faoin difríocht a dhéanann na meáin shóisialta ó thaobh na Gaeilge de, thug an mac léinn le fios: ‘Sea, cinnte, ceapaim go bhfuil sí [an Ghaeilge] i bhfad níos beo anois. Is féidir í a úsáid [ar na meáin shóisialta] seachas, taobh amuigh den scoil. Tá tú abálta a fheiceáil gur teanga bheo í, ní just, ní chaithfidh tú na próis, na dánta agus rudaí mar sin a fhoghlaim. Is féidir í a úsáid taobh amuigh den Ardteist”(Ní Dhonnchadha 2021, lch.58).

If we want to promote and strengthen the Irish language ‘you have to create a language community that does not rely solely on school to speak it’ (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021, pg.16). Third level students in my master’s research (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021) indicated that one of main sources of exposure that they had to the Irish language outside of school was social media. 52.4% of the students who participated in the study (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021) indicated that they use the Irish language on social media every day, a result which illustrates the important connection they had to the language on the various social media platforms. When one of the students was asked about the difference social media makes in terms of the Irish language, the student answered: “Yes, of course, I think it’s much more alive now. You can use it on [on social media] outside of school, you can see it’s a living language, you don’t just have to learn the prose, the poems and things like that. You can use the language outside the Leaving Certificate” (Ní Dhonnchadha 2021, lch.58).

 

Pléann Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl et al 2018  an chaoi go gcuireann teicneolaíocht idirlín borradh faoi mhiontheangacha mar go gcothaítear spás ní hámháin do húsáid na teanga, ach spás chun gréasáin teanga a chothú, spás chun ceangal a dhéanamh le daoine tríd an sprioctheanga. Tagann sé seo le taighde Ní Bhroin (2015) maidir le Twitter, ina áitíonn sí: ‘Irish language participants were looking for opportunities to extend their networks and use the language in synchronous communication contexts (2015, lch. 98). Is léir go bhfuil an Ghaeilge á húsáid ar na meáin shóisialta ar bhealaí nua agus níos cruthaithí ná mar a bhí riamh cheana, rud a thugann deis do dhaoine rochtain phearsanta a bheith acu ar an teanga. B’fhéidir go mbeidh teacht ag níos mó daoine ar an teanga mar gheall ar na gifeanna atá ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge? Meabhraíonn na méimeanna agus na gifeanna a úsáidtear ar líne go bhfuil rud bunúsach ag baint leis an gcaoi a n-úsáideann muid teanga ar bith. Is modh cumarsáide atá i dteanga, bealach chun eolas, greann, áthas agus uaireanta, uafás a léiriú agus a roinnt. Sa ré dhigiteach seo, má éiríonn le do mhéim Ghaeilge, d’fhíseán trí Ghaeilge nó do tvuít faoin nGaeilge scaipeadh go rábach, tá ag éirí leat agus, leis an teanga.

Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl et al 2018 discusses how internet technology bolsters minority languages by creating, not only ca space to use a language, but a space to create a language network, that is, a space where people can connect through the target language. This also aligns with Ní Bhroin’s research (2015) regarding Twitter, where she states: “Irish language participants were looking for opportunities to extend their networks and use the language in synchronous communication contexts” (p. 98). It’s clear that the Irish language is being used on social media in new and innovative ways and that people can now access the Irish language in a more personal way. Maybe more people will engage with the Irish language and avail of the many gifs it has to offer? Online memes and gifs remind us of some of the basic elements of any language, that a language is a means of communication, a way in which we denote and share information, humour, joy, and sometimes horror. In this digital age, if your Irish language meme, your video through the medium of Irish, or, if your tweet about the Irish language manages to go viral, you’re succeeding in the online world and, so is your language.

 

Mar fhocal scoir, más ag plé cúrsaí polaitíochta atá muid, ag dearadh ‘búmarang’ ar Instagram nó ag lorg tacaíochta don síneadh fada, tá láithreacht na Gaeilge ar na meáin shóisialta cumhachtach. Catalaíoch a d’fhéadfadh a bheith anseo a léiríonn don domhan mór an teacht aniar atá sa teanga agus i bhfocail Eoin Mc Evoy, nach bhfuil sí ‘ag gabháil aon áit’.

As a parting word, if you’re discussing politics, creating “boomerangs” on Instagram, or promoting awareness of the “síneadh fada,” then the Irish language’s presence on social media is powerful. This can even operate as a catalyst by showing the Irish language’s resilience to the world and, in the words of Eoin Mc Evoy, that the Irish language is “not going anywhere.”  

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of the Museum of Childhood Ireland.

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