Is Ireland the only country in the world where everyone doesn't speak the native language?

Answer 1

I don't speak apache and I live in the USA

Answer 2

We have gaelscoileana (Irish speaking schools), I speak Irish, and so do 90% of the people here, it's one of the few gaeltacht areas left here in Donegal.
For most of the rest of Ireland English IS the native language. The term "native language" means that you used it as your first language ever, not that it is the language of the natives.

By the way, Mr Pickled Unicorn, sending your child to an Irish speaking school although you yourself can't speak it properly is only to be recommended, how else can the language be kept alive?

Answer 3

Many people in Ireland do speak Irish. It's just not as widely used as some people would like. Although many just disslike it, there are more and more people using Irish each day and even more people taking classes to learn it.

Irish is still taught in schools here in Ireland although many feel that it's taught badly. That coupled with the fact that school kids would do anything than use a language taught in school is what gives it such a negative image. Although, this seems to be changing with the influx in popularity of Gael Scoils (Irish language schools). Although many people think parents send their children to these schools as a status symbol and have little Irish themselves, which I consider to be pretentious in many cases.

There are many other countries who no longer speak their once native language. In Ireland, English is considered our native language moreso than Irish as more of us have English as our first language. This is how places develop and change. Even the languages themselves change. Irish probably sounded completely diferent before latin influence, as did English and many other languages.

Answer 4

Certainly not. There are more people in the Republic of Ireland who speak their native language than people in the USA who speak English (as we Brits know it) or any native American language. Until the Welsh revival, there were probably more people speaking Welsh in Patagonia than in Welsh Wales.
I don't know the statistics, but I would like to bet, that there are more people speaking the Chechnyan language outside Chechnya than around Grozny.

Answer 5

Well, there are Wales and Scotland who are in more or less the same position. I think the native languages of both of those countries are arguable. Pretty much all the South American countries. I imagine English couldn't really be called the native language of any of the antipodean countries. What are the native languages of North America? There must be loads of native american languages or dialects. It's a pretty ridiculous question really.

Answer 6

Well, I was reading about the Roma, the "gypsies" out of Kosovo.
There are many of these folk who are adopting new ways so quickly, they don't speak the old language at all. This of course, due to diaspora and depression. And with Ireland, it was the same thing. There are more Irish descendants than Irish, and the language has all but totally died.
But think about it, and this from an Irish-American:
Aren't there tons of languages and cultures that have died out? Nobody is truly Latin anymore, and few study it. The Church won't even hold Mass in it anymore.
Weren't there Viking languages, and alphabets (wel,, that was more for magic, the runes), and Etruscans, and all sorts of people who died out?
And species,
and even land masses?
That's life.
It's just sad to see it happen before our own eyes.

Answer 7

No there are many counyries that have lost or given up their native tongue. America is probably the best example. The native tongue is American Indian but very few speak it. It all depends on things like immigration and conquest by other nations. Australia, Canada, Africa, and many smaller countries have all been affected.

Answer 8

I am sure quite a few people do speak Irish in Ireland, I am sure if they saw your question they would be offended. Not sure if Irish is taught in school anymore. The Welsh do get taught Welsh in schools. As for Scotland I think less and less people can speak Scotish.

Answer 9

There are Gaelic areas in Ireland who speak it fluently only they choose not to speak it when others do not understand just manners I suppose my brother-in-law could but only in the company of those who understood the language

Answer 10

Native language for Scotland is Gaelic but very few Scots now speak it, there is a bit of a revival going on in schools now though

Answer 11

No, I live in Spain and lots of people don't speak the native language here, I don't speak it very well.