An Cailín Ciúin study guide launched to help with Irish language education

An Cailín Ciúin made headlines when it was nominated for an Oscar award but now the film will make an educational impact for young people trying to improve their Irish.

On Thursday IFI Education, which specialises in promoting film education, film culture and media literacy, launched the An Cailín Ciúin study guide.

Targeted at students in transition year and higher, the Irish language guide is suitable for classrooms in the Teanga 1 (Gaeltacht and Gaelscoils) and those in Teanga 2 (English-medium schools) contexts.

The guide features a range of oral, listening and written activities drawing on key aspects of An Cailín Ciúin with themes including family, filmmaking in Irish, Gaeltacht na nDéise and music. The guide also looks at the journey of the film, as well as key character studies.

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Students are presented with the movie poster and asked, for example, to describe the protagonist, if the title suits the film or where the film is based. Other activities include students being asked to fill in the blanks, or write diary entries.

Alicia McGivern, head of IFI Education, said they are “thrilled” to offer the free downloadable study guide for teachers.

[ Hit Irish-language film An Cailín Ciúin selected as Ireland’s Oscars entry ]

[ An Cailín Ciúin named film of the year by Dublin Film Critics’ Circle ]

[ Diarmaid Ferriter: From An Cailín Ciúin to Camhs, our sorry history of child neglect ]

“With the support of COGG and in association with Break Out Pictures, teachers can engage with An Cailín Ciúin in their classrooms, watching the film and choosing from a whole range of follow-up work in the guide,” she said.

Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin, or The Quiet Girl, is a modestly budgeted Irish-language production that was nominated for best international film at the Academy Awards earlier this year.

It made history as the first Irish-language film to receive a nod from the Oscars, though it lost to the German-language anti-war film All Quiet on the Western Front.