Language and migration in Ireland
Date
2017Author
O'Connor, Anne
Ciribuco, Andrea
Naughton, Anita
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O'Connor, Anne, Ciribuco, Andrea, & Naughton, Anita. (2017). Language and migration in Ireland, Immigrant Council of Ireland.
Abstract
This report looks at the linguistic landscape in Ireland in 2017, using the words of migrants to
describe their experiences in a changing and multilingual context. According to the 2016 Census,
612,018 people in Ireland speak a foreign language at home and this report gives a platform for
some of these voices to be heard. It bases its findings on the stories recounted by migrants in
surveys, focus groups and interviews to understand the reality of being a non-native speaker in
Ireland. It examines the place of language in the migrant experience and questions whether the
policies regarding languages and integration are having their desired effect. The migrant
experience is often studied from a sociological, economic, psychological or political viewpoint but
the linguistic aspect of migration is rarely taken into consideration. This report seeks to address
this lacuna and to highlight the importance of language in the migrant experience and its impact
on the daily lives of those who function in a multilingual context.