Children in Cork and Dublin filmed learning Irish

A new, three-part documentary series on the lives of pre-school children in Cork and Dublin will air this month on TG4.

The show, entitled Naíonra, will be broadcast next week, and will follow the lives of children who attend Naíonra, Thomáis Dáibhís, in Mallow, in Co Cork, as well as Naíonra Chaitlín Maude, in Tallaght, in Co Dublin.

The series, chronicling children on their Irish-language learning journey, was filmed over a one-year period, and saw cameras embedded into the classroom environment for a fly-on-the-wall effect.

Both of the Naíonraí featured are located outside of a Gaeltacht area, and were chosen to gain insight in to the minds of Ireland’s next generation as they take their first steps in becoming fluent in a second language.

As the show progresses, experts, including speech-and-language therapist, Dr Ciara O’Toole, explain how we acquire language and how the brain is wired to learn multiple languages.

Clinical psychologist Dr Cáit Verling and education expert An tOllamh Emeritus Pádraig Ó Duibhir also explain how this period in a child’s life is pivotal for development, and they give context to the experiences of the children and of their teachers as the viewers ‘join’ them.

In addition to the series, TG4 is working in partnership with the language-and-education organisations, Foras na Gaeilge and Gaeloideachas, to provide educational and learning segments based on the experiences of children in the documented Naíonraí.

Foghlaim TG4 will offer 26 educational segments on its website, supporting parents and teachers in gaining a better understanding of language acquisition and the learning of Irish in the early years.

Episode one of Naíonra will air at 9.30pm on TG4 on October 16, and will be repeated on October 20 at 8.30pm.