One of my objectives while on Achill in February was to follow the experiences of two teachers new to the Achill experience. The result is in the latest show for Absolutely Intercultural and fills most of the podcast. I deliberately asked two teachers who were new to the Achill project and it was interesting to follow their progress during the intensive week on the Island. Both teachers reported initial enthusiasm but by mid-week experiences diverged. The one group hit a mid-week low with some students motivated while others seemed to let things happen. In the second group the enthusiasm continued unabated and was in a way an obstacle to progress as everyone wanted to have their say. But by the time we got to the end of the week and the students had given their presentations both teachers were very proud of their students' achievements. The work done by the students was based on discussions within the group as well as contact with the Achill Islanders themselves. They also experienced for themselves aspects of the Irish culture with inevitable trips to the pub where Dainora, our Lithuanian teacher could show off her prowess on the violin in harmony with local musicians and not so inevitable invitations to some of the Islanders' houses.
One group worked on the topic of migration, both what it is like to be an Irish migrant and what it is like to be a migrant in Ireland. The second group was exploring the meaning of cultural artefacts and their process of discovery included revelations about the students' own cultures as well as discoveries about Irish culture. The Achill experience usually marks participants at a deep level and I think that this trip was no exception.
The podcast ends with an excerpt of singing by Kate O'Malley who works in the Achill Cliff House Hotel where we had our dinners each evening. She sang 'The Island' a haunting song first popularised by Paul Brady.
Keywords: Absolutely Intercultural, Achill, experience-based learning, Ireland, The Island
