Joanna Fortune: My son has a mental block about Irish

Wed, 04 Oct, 2023 - 08:35

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Child psychotherapist

My 11-year-old has a mental block about studying Irish. He says it's too difficult and doesn't understand the grammar. I've tried to help him but he doesn't want to do the homework. Is there a way I could coax him to do even the bare minimum?

Have you spoken with his teacher and raised his difficulty with Irish? Learning languages can be especially challenging for some children for lots of reasons. Perhaps the teacher has observed him struggling and has some helpful suggestions or may be able to explore options for extra learning resource time to help get him beyond this block.

Some people are motivated by the reward and others are motivated by fear of failure which can lead to anxiety and resistance.

Connection as an impactful motivational force is often overlooked. The strength we draw from relational connection can give a great sense of security and self-belief. It can help to motivate and drive us forward while also giving us the courage to take on new challenges.

Our beliefs can quickly become our truths. What I mean is whether you believe that you can or cannot, you will be correct. So you need to gently offer an alternative belief. Try saying: 'You believe you cannot learn Irish. I understand that it is challenging for you and can be frustrating. I believe you can do it with some help and I am here to help you'.

Joanna Fortune , child psychotherapist and author. Photograph Moya Nolan

Making learning fun can be helpful too, so try the following tactics...

Books: Some beautiful Irish language children's picture books are now available, including ones by Sadhbh Devlin. A picture book can be a safe and appealing way to deepen a child's understanding of a story as the pictures help us better understand the words we are reading. Your local library should be a good resource for Irish language books. You may also find the Irish language version of a book he already likes in English to spark interest.

Quiz show: You can help him learn Irish by first guiding him through the homework and afterwards acting out being a quiz game show host while he is the contestant. Give him a bell/buzzer that he presses when he knows the answer. Encourage him to attempt an answer whether it is right or wrong.

Draw it out: Invite him to draw a picture, to sum up the story you have just read together. This helps him to embed the meaning in a playful and creative way.

Stick it up: Write out the Irish words for everyday items and some simple phrases you use each day and stick them around the house to create associations.

Praise: Praise effort over outcome and be specific in your praise. Don’t just say, 'You’re great!'. Say something like: 'I can see how hard you are trying and that makes me so proud of you'.

Effort over outcome is more powerful in effecting sustained self-esteem than general praise.