An Nasc idir an teanga agus an pobal i gCorca Dhuibhne - The intersection of language and community in Corca Dhuibhne

This project used qualitative and ethnographic methods to gain a deeper understanding of the trajectory of a community-level language planning agency in Ireland—Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (OChD)—and how it has responded, and continues to respond, to an evolving social, political, and economic landscape in a Gaeltacht area. In doing so, the project has helped us gain a deeper understanding of the role that community-level language planning initiatives play in cultural and linguistic maintenance, which in turn allows us to effectively target key areas for further development.

The project consisted of three main work components, each of which focused on a specific area of language revitalization: 1) families, as a lens to examining intergenerational language transmission and language attitudes, 2) how OChD’s mosaic of initiatives complement each other strategically, 3) “new speakers” of the language. Cumulatively, the knowledge gained will lead to the design of a targeted language planning initiative, which is intended to benefit not only the Corca Dhuibhne community, but to be adapted as a template for endangered language communities worldwide.