Learning and practising the Irish language presents many opportunities across the island and even abroad for work and education.

Whether you're pursuing a language degree at the undergraduate, master's, or PhD levels, you'll undoubtedly be considering your job options. The good news is that Irish language students have a wide range of job opportunities at their disposal.

Studying Irish helps you become fluent in that language, but it also teaches you a lot about the culture of that language's speakers, how to translate, converse and write essays.

Speaking and being able to write in Irish could give you exactly the advantage you need to make it in the competitive international jobs market. Many organisations value language skills too, particularly if they are looking to break into all corners of the Irish markets.

While knowing Irish well in itself may guarantee you a job, you can become a highly sought-after candidate with additional training.

Graduates with fluency in Irish might pursue intriguing employment outside of the more conventional fields of translation, and the media, such as the arts and cultural sector, public sector organizations, and the fields of healthcare, ICT, and marketing.

Nationwide, a lot more people are choosing to become elementary and secondary school teachers.

As you can see there are quite a few different avenues that you could explore if you wish to work through the language that you love.

You can use your language in a variety of employment situations, whether you want to work solely in Irish, through Irish, or wish to somehow incorporate it into your work.

If you are wondering how to improve your grades in Irish then you should explore all of the different avenues to accomplishing just that!

Ireland
Learning the Irish language will also help you to understand the culture of the people. source: unaplsh
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Jobs and opportunities in the Irish language

Ireland has experienced an increase in demand for TV programs in particular, which has created a variety of work prospects for individuals who have acquired the language.

The Gaeilge-speaking community has also been welcomed by the IT, media, and customer service industries which are advertising many employment positions with language proficiency as a condition.

Working in the tourism sector may seem like a no-brainer to any travel addicts out there. If you're a travel nut, you might just want to spend your working hours chatting with co-workers about travel, assisting others in having life-changing travel experiences and living the travel lifestyle yourself.

Due to the numerous Social Media platforms available today, earning money while travelling is now simpler than it once was. This is possibly why it has become such a sought-after job option for language students.

Additionally, working in the Irish media gives you access to a wide range of options. You could, for instance, work in print, television, or radio, where there are, of course, a range of programs to suit your tastes, including news and politics, sports, entertainment, culture, and religion.

Think about the Irish broadcast station TG4. The station airs a number of different shows that are popular across the world, not just here on the island of Ireland. Obviously being an Irish station, many of the shows that are aired need to come with subtitles or with a voice-over in the language.

Given the amount of content that goes through these stations, you can imagine the associated workload and subsequent demand for native Irish speakers in media.

You could also work as a translator which could entail anything from translating government documents both domestically or for the European Union or United Nations to mediating interviews for an Irish audience.

The opportunities often far exceed what people might think at first. Particularly as we move towards an increasingly digital world, you would be surprised not only at what you can do with the Irish language but also at where you can do it from.

Studying for the Irish Oral exam is one of the best ways you can spend time before the exam.

Podcast microphone in a dark room
Irish Media is a great place to look for employment. Source - unsplash

Start teaching at primary school

One of the more conventional avenues that you might want to explore after attaining some formal qualification in the language is teaching it to younger learners.

What could be more rewarding than teaching your country’s language to younger generations?

Being a primary school teacher in Ireland is frequently simpler than it seems, especially when you first start looking. Given the wealth of information and alternatives at your disposal, it could be difficult to know where to begin your search.

The need for primary school teachers who can speak Irish is probably higher than it has ever been due to the rise in enrolment.

It can be a great way to develop as a teacher to be able to involve your students in a range of subjects that are not covered in the primary school curriculum.

It's conceivable that by educating students in elementary school, you're building the groundwork for the future generation of thinkers, which is unquestionably a rewarding and fulfilling sense to gain from your work.

Teaching in a primary school will improve both your and your student's growth. Including any tutoring experience on your resume may also be beneficial and attract companies if you have ambitions for a job other than teaching.

elementary school Before beginning to teach students at the school, Irish language teachers must have completed at least a year of training or experience in the classroom.

Irish language students also have plenty of options to get their foot in the door. Work placements are a great example which frequently leads to full-time employment teaching the subject when the candidate completes their degree.

The Irish language or as it is called in Ireland, Gaeilge is spoken as the primary language in the Gaeltacht regions of the country. In every other part, English is the first language and the Irish language is taken as a subject in schools at every level. Teaching the Irish language as a subject at school or at a higher level on a language course at university is rewarding work.

Every year you will have a new group of subjects to teach Gaeilge to and you would be promoting Irish education and teaching the future generations their home language, sounds fulfilling right?

Teaching Irish at a University

You can also choose to teach the language at a higher level. At university, you can have students from a variety of different ages so you are bound to have some stimulating discussions in your lecture hall.

Despite the fact that there are several options for those wishing to teach Irish at university level, those who pursue a specialist degree from one of the nation's best universities will have a better chance of success.

If you want to teach the language as a subject at third-level, you will need a deeper understanding of the subject. You will often need to hold a PhD in the language. It will take a lot of commitment to accomplish this!

It should not come as a surprise that an increasing number of students are opting to study the topic at the university level as, if you haven't already realized it, a job as an Irish language tutor will provide you with countless options all across the island.

You must complete additional training and teach a specialized subject if you want to work in higher education. You might also have to modify your teaching techniques for older kids!

To advance your career in education, think about working as a teaching assistant at a university for one of the college's Irish language and culture programs.

You might want to look at a few various entry points into education that exist in tutoring before you start seeking a job as a teacher or in any other role in education.

Students can study the Irish language outside of school by talking amongst friends or taking a trip to one of the Irish-speaking regions on the island.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to some of the past students of your school to get some information on studying an Irish course after you leave school and start your university education.

Practising for the Irish listening exam is essential if you want to achieve the highest grade possible.

Help with Iriah
The langauge will even help you to travel to certain areas of the island where Irish is the first language. source: Unsplash

Make the most of your opportunities with Superprof

If any of these options tickle your fancy, then you might want some assistance to ensure you get there.

Each of the different opportunities mentioned in this article requires quite a bit of hard work and dedication if you are to become successful in the field or even get your foot in the door.

The majority of teachers for the Irish language at both school and university levels will likely admit that they wish Superprof had existed when they first began teaching if you ask them.

The resources they require can be found at Superprof for students who are interested in developing new skills. This is a fantastic place to promote and teach once you receive your degree from one of the aforementioned universities.

These classes can either be taught in person or virtually using the platform's webcam. This is typically advantageous for people who balance a second job or tutoring with their academic responsibilities.

Both ordinary and higher-level Irish students should start to think about what university they would like to continue their education at. If you think you will achieve enough points from your grades then no school or university should be out of your reach.

Expanding your Irish vocabulary is a great way to show off your ability to an examiner.

If you are currently in this situation and wish to transition into one of the aforementioned career paths this option will be invaluable. Having the flexibility to schedule your Irish lessons as you please will help you to be more consistent with your learning in the long run!

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Samuel

I enjoy reading fiction, playing chess, live music and traveling.