I didn’t go into great detail about the all-Manx school before. I thought it’d be better if I could actually show pictures and video to illustrate the way the children learn and utilize the recently-revived Manx language.

The school is called the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh (literally: “Primary school of Manx”), and all subjects are taught in Manx Gaelic except for English. Students enroll when they’re four years old and learn Manx through natural exposure, continuing on until they’re about eleven or twelve, at which point they’re able to communicate freely and effectively.

I got the chance to observe the kids in several stages of exposure to Manx, from the youngest kids to the oldest and most fluent.

The littlest kids learn basic reading skills (note the Manx projects on the board in the background), and are encouraged to play and have fun in Manx. By the time they’re done with their first year, they tend to be able to converse fairly well in Manx.

These two children pictured below, at the slightly older level, were able to negotiate ownership of their toy entirely in Manx:

At the highest level, I interviewed a few of the Manx-speaking kids and got their pictures. I’ll include the details of all of their interviews in the independent study, and a little videoclip of their lesson as soon as I get Internet access fast enough to upload it.

In the meantime, here’s a short clip of Ruben dubbing Friends and Heroes in Manx:

And here’s a video of Adrian’s Manx lesson at Castle Rushen School:

Anyway, more adventures to come! Scout’s honor.