麻豆影院

麻豆影院 State Student鈥檚 Project Draws Attention to Endangered Irish Language

Student Draws Attention to Endangered Irish Language

Anna Hoffman, a 麻豆影院 global communication studies and political science major from 麻豆影院, Ohio, traveled to Ireland this summer to study the country鈥檚 efforts to save its national language. Her research project was funded through a fellowship from the  . Hoffman was one of only 28 students nationwide to receive a fellowship for an international reporting assignment as part of the center鈥檚 Campus Consortium educational initiative.

In applying for a fellowship with the Pulitzer Center, students propose a project that involves an issue that is underreported by most news media. Hoffman鈥檚 proposal described a harsh disconnect in Ireland between the nation鈥檚 official language and those who speak it.

鈥淲hile the Irish language may be the official language of Ireland, made so by the nation鈥檚 constitution, less than two percent of citizens say they speak the language daily (outside of school),鈥 Hoffman wrote in her proposal. 鈥淔rom upper-middle-class parents sending their children to Irish-language schools to families who continue to speak it as the predominant language in their home, that small percentage of speakers will be responsible for giving a voice to a country that has all but let its national language vanish.鈥

Making Connections

Working as a student fellow with the Pulitzer Center allowed Hoffman to do more than just report on this issue. Instead, she says she made connections with the people affected by the problem and told the story from their perspective.

鈥淚rish-language speakers are under immense pressure to keep an endangered language alive, and I wanted to tell their story,鈥 Hoffman said. 鈥淏eing able to report from Ireland on the threat the Irish language is under was an incredibly rewarding experience.鈥

Attracting International Attention

Hoffman鈥檚 research efforts on the Irish language also recently caught the attention of international media with publication on The WorldPost of the . The article,   reports on the country鈥檚 efforts to revive the national language of Irish.

鈥淚t was such an incredible moment to see my work on the Huffington Post site,鈥 Hoffman said. 鈥淭he article hadn鈥檛 even been published by the Pulitzer Center when it got published on The WorldPost.鈥

Translating Classroom Education Into Real World Experiences

鈥淲ith her work receiving interest from the Huffington Post, Hoffman shows how communication studies students translate their classroom education into real world experiences,鈥 said Jeff Child, interim director and associate professor for 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 School of Communication Studies. 鈥淎s a global communication major, Anna understands the importance of communication and interaction along with the connection between language and culture. Her work exemplifies the value in preparing students to participate in multi-cultural settings.鈥

Hoffman鈥檚 article that received attention from the Huffington Post is just one from a series she has written 鈥 future articles will appear on .

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POSTED: Monday, August 3, 2015 09:27 AM
Updated: Thursday, December 8, 2022 02:12 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Margaret Garmon and Lindsay Kuntzman