Normalising language through television: the case of the Irish language television channel, TG4

摘要

This article addresses one of the major gaps in the existing research on the sociolinguistic effects of minority language media, namely the effect that such media have on actual language attitudes and language practices. One key notion addressed in the article is the role of minority media in supporting the revitalisation of minority languages, understood here as lesser-used languages. Drawing on the case of the Irish language television channel TG4, this article will provide evidence as to how the availability of such media has altered the position of the Irish language amongst a particular cohort of the Irish population, namely University students who are not first language Irish speakers. While a limited percentage of the participants reported a direct increase in their Irish language use as a direct result of watching TG4, there is a clear identifiable change in the way they perceive the language. It is argued that the impact the presence of minority languages on the media has on actual language practices is indirect and is mediated through language attitudes. On this basis the article concludes that the availability of media in minority languages is of benefit to the language revitalisation, particularly from the point of view of encouraging linguistic normalisation.