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News
Dr. Ciara O’Toole features on new Irish Language TV series Naíonra
UCC Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy is one of three experts to feature in Naíonra a new fly-on-the-wall three-part documentary series which begins on TG4 at 9.30pm this Wednesday, October 16th.
The programme follows all the action in two Naíonra over the course of one year in Tallaght, Dublin and one in Mallow, Co. Cork.
Dr. Ciara O’Toole, UCC Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy explains: “These two Naíonraí are not in a Gaeltacht and most of these children start with no Irish but their parents want to offer them the gift of Gaeilge… and in the Naíonra we see their first steps in becoming fluent in a second language.
“What we see in this series is how we acquire language and how the brain is wired to learn multiple languages from birth. These early learners aren’t just learning a second language. This is a period in childhood development where the brain is exploding with activity as it develops hugely”.
The new series allows viewers to observe the children while experts Dr. Ciara O’Toole, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Cáit Verling and Education expert An tOllamh Emeritus Pádraig Ó Duibhir enrich the understanding of their early experiences.
The series follows the two groups of preschool children attending an Irish immersion preschool- the ‘Naíonra’ over 12 months.
Dr. O’Toole says: “Starting young and learning a second language through communicative interactions in an immersive environment is one of the best ways to become bilingual and help to harness all the advantages that bilingualism can bring.
“We see the children grow in confidence, learn new skills, new words as Gaeilge and make new friends”.
YouTube Clip: Naíonra
The School of Clinical Therapies is one of six Schools within the College of Medicine and Health. The School was established in 2003, and it consists of two departments, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and the Discipline of Physiotherapy
The School offers degree programmes in disciplines such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Physiotherapy.