In the previous chapter, I discussed immersion education in Ireland, its development as an educational approach and its popularity today among parents who wish their children to experience a bilingual educational environment. Achieving a level of second language (L2) proficiency in a sociolinguistic context where the target language, a minority language, is not broadly used or heard in everyday life, poses challenges for learners and teachers alike. In this chapter, I explore the origins and features of immersion education in Ireland and internationally, and present important research studies that have informed the development and progression of immersion and bilingual education, and pedagogical strategies that facilitate second language acquisition (SLA). I review research studies that examine the acquisition of the Irish language and those factors that can obstruct successful acquisition, particularly in the case of a minority language. Firstly though, let us look at the theoretical framework surrounding L2 learning.

Second Language Learning

Chomsky observed that children appear to acquire their first language (L1) relatively quickly and effortlessly and that they could not do so, based solely on the input that they have received, without the assistance of some innate language ability. Even if L2 learners do not achieve native-like mastery of the target language, an explanation is required as to how learners know more about the language than could be expected from the limited input that they have received. DeKeyser (2003) argues that children's access to universal grammar (UG) is outside their awareness, whereas adults use their analytical abilities to compare structures in the L2 with their L1. A study by Harley and Hart (1997) compared the French proficiency of continuing early immersion pupils with that of late immersion pupils in an eleventh-grade class. They found that L2 proficiency outcomes in early immersion tended to be more connected with memory ability whereas the late immersion pupils drew more on analytical language ability (Harley & Hart, 1997: 397).