Innovation in Language Learning

The Irish language is the first language of the Irish state. On 01 January 2007, Irish became a full EU working language, with a temporary derogation, further extended for a period of five years until 31 December 2016.

The delivery of Irish language training for lawyers changed in 2008 requiring a multi-disciplinary course design and delivery approach. There were disparate criteria to be satisfied: the legal status of the language, vocationally relevant learning outcomes, robust linguistic integrity, pre-existing solicitor training programme timetable restrictions, students of varying abilities and satisfactory monitoring and quality control for annual reporting to Government.

The Legal Practice Irish Courses subsequently designed and delivered in the Law Society of Ireland Education Department used ‘blended learning’ that embraced ICT, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL), embedded in an open source Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Moodle. An elementary course, Legal Practice Irish (LPI) addressed the following trainee solicitors’ competencies: to meet and greet a client who wished to do legal business through Irish, to use Irish legal terminology in that interaction and to refer that client to a solicitor who practices law through Irish. The innovative approach, design, and teaching and learning methodologies of this course formed part of a national research project, co-ordinated by University College Cork (UCC).  In early 2010 the first Advanced Legal Practice Irish (ALPI) course was launched, building on the elementary structure using a framework of lawyer skills and incorporating CEFR and CPD criteria. Linguistic expertise was added to the in-house team later that year, allowing for communication with faculty through Irish and dispensing with the need for outsourcing translation work

In 2012 the Legal Practice Irish Courses won the European Language Label (ELL). The Jury commented as follows: “The project addresses the needs of learners at various levels so as to equip them with the skills to deal with their clients through Irish – some at a very basic level and others at a much higher level (e.g. native speakers)…A wide range of resources is used for blended learning…Highly motivational for learners and teachers as course materials are adapted to suit needs…Very creative use of technology and materials for all different abilities, from students new to the language to native speakers…This project is adaptable to all languages in which legal services are provided and is particularly suitable to less used languages.” Future development, with transnational collaborations, incorporating greater ICT accessibility for those with disabilities, is anticipated.

In this paper we will outline the original multi-disciplinary vocational blended learning collaboration process and enhancements since achieving the ELL, which, as reported to NELLIP, has been an invaluable support to this work.