How English Learners

International learners share their takes on the local dialect.

By Ryuto Kitano

English spoken in Ireland, often called the Irish accent, has unique characteristics in both sound and speed of talking. Additionally, Irish people speak a variety of distinct accents divided into three categories: East Coast (Dublin), SouthWestern Ireland, and Northern Ireland, depending on where they are from.

Having more than 150,000 students enrolling in language schools from all over the world, Ireland is certainly one of the most common choices for English learners.

Especially since, In Dublin, there are over 30 English language schools.

Then, how do English learners feel about the Irish accent? I conducted a survey targeting English students studying at two schools in Dublin 8: Kaplan Language school and Griffith college. The questionnaire contains, two Yes or No questions and two free-answer questions. Seventeen students from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Oman, Peru, and Turkey kindly shared their opinions.

Have you ever had difficulty understanding an Irish accent?

Almost all students, in total 16, answered YES to this question. This is because they have yet to be taught Irish English so far. They told me that they had learned US English or British English.

Six of the interviewees chose Ireland because of the simplicity of staying. Thanks to the European Union, Students from Europe do not need any complicated registration to study in this English-speaking country.

Secondly, four students decided to study in Ireland to avoid too many students from their countries, which might be a trap for language learning. Other students chose Ireland for a specific course, nightlife culture, rich nature, and friendly people. None of them mentioned the Irish accent as a reason for their choice.

When,

is the Irish accent difficult?

Two-thirds of the interviewees, nine interviewees, mentioned speaking speed with an Irish accent. They repeatedly said Irish people talk fast, and it is sometimes hard to keep up with. 4 students referred to the “t” sound. They talked about the fact that the dropped /t/ comes last. For example, “but” is pronounced as “bu-“ not “but” with an Irish accent.

Additionally, two students mentioned how they pronounce the first person. They are sometimes confused by the unique way of pronouncing “I” as “oi.”

Do you like the Irish accent?

Irish accents are only attractive to some English learners Nine of the students answered No, while eight students did answer Yes. A 19-year-old Belgium student in Kaplan said, “Irish accents do not sound nice”, while an 18-year-old Omani student in Kaplan said, “they speak like they are singing, I like it”.

This data implies that almost all learners do have difficulty with the Irish accent, while some people certainly like the unique accent. However, it can be seen that the Irish accent is not the reason for their choice itself. These facts don’t mean the Irish accent is bad, as a 25-year-old French student in Kaplan said in his interview. He concludes, “Every accent should be respected, as we respect people speaking different accents. Especially, we learners should adapt to the culture where we learn.”