Dr. Teresa Lynn:

There is a lot we an learn from other countries, in what they do and how they use technology, with regard to naíonraí agus preschools. This is where research comes in. If we start to examine how other countries have managed to do things well, such as the Basque Country, Wales and so on, we can learn from that. We can have a blueprint and a template and adapt it. There are so many innovative ways in which one can use technology for education.

Virtual reality is one of them. I know it sounds a little bit out there, but it is one, because immersion can happen in virtual reality. It may be a bit scary for the little ones, but the older ones can definitely use it. Virtual reality will become a thing. It is normalised in some places the world and it will become normal. I saw Chinese students in DCU had virtual reality during the week, where they felt they were in a world where they could speak Chinese and feel they were in China. With the absence of one-on-one tuition, that fills a gap. I am just throwing it out there. It sounds a bit futuristic, but my point is there are innovative ways in using technology, to try to cultivate a language-learning environment that is a little bit more fun and engaging, especially for younger people, than currently might be the case with regard to Irish.