"Múin Béarla do na Leanbháin" ('Teach the Children English'): Migration as a Prism for Viewing Ethnolinguistic Vitality in Northern Ireland

A majority of research on language in Northern Ireland (NI) has focused on deepening our understanding of the history and contemporary diversity of the languages and dialects spoken by the two major ethnic groups (Roman Catholics and Protestants). This scholarly focus reflects aspects of the social conflict endured by the NI population for much of the twentieth century, and heated debates have surrounded the linguistic heritages of these communities (respectively, Irish Gaelic and Ulster Scots). The recent Peace Process has, on the one hand, ensured greater protection for Irish and Ulster Scots, and, on the other, has made NI more attractive to economic migrants. This has resulted in unprecedented inward migration (particularly from the new EU countries) so that ethnic minorities in the region (and the languages they speak) have become increasingly audible and visible. This has led to new sources of tension between certain sectors of the traditional NI populations (particularly young, working-class males) and the new arrivals. Reports in the media following racist attacks have, for instance, proclaimed that these ethnic minorities 'have become the new victims in Northern NI's post-conflict society' (See Visual Evidence Attachment, p.1 (A)-(E)).

This project seeks to understand better the socio-cultural and linguistic impact on NI of its changing population. Another important objective is to compare the experiences of contemporary migrants to NI with those of the NI Diaspora, people who themselves fled abroad in response to historical conflicts, famine and economic depression within the region. By providing insights into the problems with integration experienced by previous generations of migrants from the ethnic majority communities, the lives of future migrants to NI can be improved. The proposal is supported in this endeavour by a research network of national scholars that the PI would lead, its members having interests in bilingualism and social justice. The project will also collaborate with two partners based in Northern Ireland: the Ultach Trust, and the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies, both of which have extensive experience of engaging the wider public. Their mission is to ensure that NI becomes an informed community, confidently and creatively engaged with all aspects of the diverse cultures and languages that the region now supports. The project would also benefit from knowledge exchange activities that the PI will lead involving teachers and young people from primary and post-primary education. The research will also support two linguistic investigations: (i) An investigation of historical archival data that will capitalize on considerable recent research council investment in the digitisation of emigrant letters and personal narratives of migration and return, which the PI would lead and (ii) An investigation of new interviews conducted as part of the planned proposal amongst groups of young people drawn from different social, ethnic and geographic backgrounds, which the RA would lead. This study will draw parallels between similar research projects conducted in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland so that comparisons can be made which are both methodological and theoretical in orientation. These two investigations will also be supported by research networks led by the PI that are both international and cross-disciplinary in nature and will result in collaborative outputs including conferences and publications.

This project has an extensive plan to engage community members from the outset, particularly with educational providers, the heritage industries and the general public, and includes impacts both during and beyond the life of the project.

Six events are planned to increase awareness of the societal issues posed by the increasing ethnolinguistic diversity of Northern Ireland (NI), as (A)-(E) on p.1 of the Visual Evidence attachment demonstrates. This will be achieved by directly engaging with teachers and their students in ways such as those successfully used in other research projects directed by the PI (Visual Evidence, p.2, (I)) i.e.: (i) Two Personal Development for Mutual Understanding (PDMU) workshops for pre-adolescents at St. Anne's, Belfast and St. Patrick's, Donaghmore; (ii) A Continuing Professional Development event on the topic of 'Best Practice in the Teaching of Other Languages through the Medium of Irish' in St. Catherine's College, Armagh which has an Irish-Medium Unit; (iii) Two Masterclasses on ethnolinguistic diversity for secondary school students (St. Brigid's and St. Catherine's, Armagh) and (iv) A Knowledge Exchange event on the topic of 'Best Practices for achieving high levels of attainment by young people in Irish medium units and for whom English is a Second or Other language' for teachers in primary and secondary schools across all sectors of Northern Ireland's non-HEI education system.

The project also includes extensive public outreach, both directly and via the heritage sector. A significant impact output of this project, of interest and benefit to a wide, ethnically diverse audience, is the exhibition at the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies (MCMS) entitled: '"Múin Béarla do na Leanbháin" ('Teach the Children English')' (see examples of some of the images that will be included and the databases and archives they are drawn from in the Visual Evidence attachment, p.2, (F) & (H)). The week-long event and accompanying booklet/CD-ROM elucidate historical and contemporary ethnolinguistic diversity in the region and draw comparisons between the Irish Diaspora in former times and the experiences of inward migrants to NI.

Similarly, a Continuing Professional Development activity on language and migration at the Ulster American Folk Park (UAFP) will better equip the tour guides of the museum to disseminate current research in a form that will engage the wider public, thus providing an additional, indirect and long-term benefit. There are two public lectures scheduled at MCMS. The first is entitled: 'The Genesis of Old and New Ethnolects in Northern Ireland' and it directly involves Omagh Ethnic Communities Support Group; it is timed to occur in Race Relations week for maximal impact. The second is entitled: 'What do Young Irelanders and the New Kids on the Block have in common?' and is scheduled to coincide with a popular public event, the Literature of Irish Exile Autumn School.

The creation of Research Network (A) (detailed in section 5 of the Case) ensures the high calibre and extensive reach of the impact to a wider community because participants in Research Network (A) have world-class expertise in bilingualism, language policy and social justice. Moreover, the participation of three language-policy focused charities, the Ultach Trust (UT), Bilingualism Matters (BM) and staff from the Ulster Centre on Multilingualism (UCoM), will provide an avenue for influencing public policy both during and beyond the life of the project. Furthermore, the participation of these three charities increases the effectiveness of these organisations themselves, thus compounding the benefit to the community in general, and especially to speakers of linguistic minority and regional languages in NI.