Colonialism, Language Shift and Language Policy in Ireland

Abstract

This paper is a brief summary of an extensive study into the language policy of the Irish-English language shift from a historical perspective (see Pintér 2008, and also 2007). The research is organized around four key concepts: the language question in Ireland; the Irish-English language shift; historical observation and language policy. It covers the language-political history of Ireland from the adoption of Christianity in the 5th century AD to the formation of the sovereign Irish state in the early 20th century. The starting point has been provided by the hypothesis that a language-political examination will reveal such details of the language shift which remain less pronounced with alternative approaches, and that this will yield new interpretations of the main phases of the prolonged process.