Maire Mhic Mhathuna
Máire Mhic Mhathúna, B.A., M.Ed., PhD
Acting Head of the Department of Social Sciences
Subjects include Early Education, Curriculum, Child Language, Second Language Acquisition and Research Methods
Studied in Our Lady of Mercy College of Education, Carysfort, University College Dublin, Uppsala University and Trinity College Dublin.
M. Ed. Thesis: Roinnt fachtóirí ag cabhrú le sealbhú na Gaeilge in Naíonraí. (Factors facilitating the Acquisition of Irish in Naíonraí)
Ph.D. thesis: Storytelling as Vehicle for Second Language Acquisition: Learning Irish in a Naíonra.
Research interests include Early Education and First and Second Language Acquisition, particularly in relation to the Irish language.
Recent publications
SLA before ABC: Factors Facilitating Second Language Acquisition in Irish-Medium Playgroups. Teanga 15 (1995): 127-136. (Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics)
Early steps in Bilingualism: Learning Irish in Irish-medium Pre-schools. Early Years, Vol. 19, No. 2, (1999): 38 – 50. (Journal of Tactyc, the Professional Association of Early Childhood Educators, UK.)
Bilingual Narrative: Young children’s responses to stories in Irish. Other ways of seeing: Diversity in Language and Literacy. Proceedings of 12th. European conference on Reading. Vol.2. (2003). pp.41-146. Dublin: Reading Association of Ireland.
Narrative in a Naíonra: Learning about Story though a Second Language. Transformations: Theory and Practice in Early Education. Proceedings of OMEP Conference, University College Cork. (2003). pp 187-196.
They don’t speak English: Young Children Learning English as an Additional Language in Early Years Settings. (2004). Children of the Global Village. Proceedings of OMEP Conference, Dublin Institute of Technology. (2004). pp.153-163.
Storytelling as Vehicle for Second Language Acquisition: Learning Irish in a Naíonra. (2004).Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Dublin: Trinity College Dublin.
Pleanáil Curaclam agus Teanga sa Naíonra. Commissioned chapter in Cúnamh. Tacábhar Cúram Leanaí 0-6. (Assistance: Supporting material for Childcare 0-6) (2005). pp. 63-70. Deirdre Uí Ghrádaigh. (Ed.) Dublin: Forbairt Naíonraí Teo.
With Úna Hill. Strategies in working with children learning English as an a second language. (2007). An Leanbh Óg. Vol. 1. pp113 – 125.
Arís is Arís Eile: Scéalta mar áis teanga sa Naíonra. (Again an Again: Stories as a language aid in a Naíonra) (Under review by Oideas.)
Intercultural Books in Practice. (Under review for Proceedings of CECDE conference “Vision into Practice.” Dublin Castle, February 2007).
Supporting Children’s Participation in Second Language Stories: Developing Language and Narrative Understanding in an Irish Language Preschool. (Under review by Early Years.)
With Úna Hill. Stories and talk about diversity: the views and experiences of practitioners in early years settings. (Under review by An Leanbh Óg.)
Recent conference presentations
Baby-steps in Bilingualism: Learning Irish in Irish-medium Pre-schools. International Symposium on Bilingualism, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, 1997.
Bilingual Narrative; Young Children’s Response to Stories in Irish. Paper presented at Other ways of seeing: Diversity in Language and Literacy. International conference of Reading Association of Ireland, Dublin City University, Dublin, 2001.
Joint Construction of Narrative. Childhood Narratives. International conference of European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA), Hogskool Alkmaar, Alkmaar, The Netherlands, 2001.
Keynote paper on “Language, Culture and Diversity in Wexford,” at seminar on Diversity in the Early Years organised by ChildCare Loch Garman, the coordinating agency for childcare in Wexford, 2002.
Workshop on Supporting Second Language Children, at seminar on “Diversity in the Early Years,” organised by ChildCare Loch Garman, Wexford, 2002.
Keynote paper on “Language, Culture and Diversity in Co. Kerry,” at seminar on Cultural Diversity and Equality organised by Kerry County Childcare Committee, Killarney, 2002.
Invited speaker at meeting of National Advisors of An Comhchoiste Réamhscolaíochta, (agency for Irish language playgroups) on “Diversity in Irish immersion preschools,” Dublin, 2003.
Narrative in a Naíonra: Learning about Story though a Second Language. Paper presented at the OMEP Ireland Annual Conference, University College Cork, 2003.
Workshop on Supporting Children using English as an Additional Language. Seminar on “An Equal Future,” organised by Cork City and County Childcare Committees, Cork, 2003.
Learning a Second Language through Stories in an Immersion Setting. Paper presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference (EECERA). University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. 2003.
They don’t speak English: Young Children Learning English as an Additional Language in Early Years Settings. Paper presented at the OMEP Annual Conference, Dublin Institute of Technology, 2004.
Telling Second Language Stories Again and Again. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Bilingualism 5. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain. March 2005.
Scaffolding Young Children’s Participation in Second Language Stories. Paper presented at European Early Childhood Research Association (EECERA) international conference on Young Children as Citizens. St. Patrick’s College, Dublin. September 2005.
Invited keynote speaker on “Bilingual Issues for Staff and Children in Early Years Centres in Co. Waterford.” Waterford County Childcare Committee Annual Conference, Waterford, October 2005.
Strategies in working with children learning English as an additional language. Paper presented at the OMEP Annual Conference, University College Cork, April 2006.
Contextualising Stories told in a Naíonra. Paper presented at the international conference Sociolinguistics 16, University of Limerick, Limerick, July 2006.
Cuireadh chun léachta ar “Comhthéacs agus Teanga sa Naíonra Gaeltachta.” Seimineár ag Comhar Naíonrai na Gaeltachta ar Luath-oideachas trí Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Gaillimh, Meán Fómhair, 2007. (Invited speaker on “Context and Language in Gaeltacht Naíonraí. Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta seminar on Early Childhood Education in the Gaeltacht. Galway, September, 2007).
Contact:
Tel: +353 1 402 4204
Fax.: 402 4263
Email: maire.mhicmhathuna@dit.ie
