In this post Carys Jennings, an OU Primary Curriculum Tutor on the PGCE Wales course, outlines how the Welsh language is supported by the education system and curriculum in Wales and discusses the benefits of bilingualism. It would be great to hear your experiences and views about these issues- please leave a comment.
Shwmae!
Celebrating diversity, culture and heritage is such an important aspect of education. To educate is to open minds, to see possibilities and participate in new experiences. When peeking through the door of another world, the environment, rituals and customs that are part of cultural traditions can be sampled and appreciated. However, when we add to that mix the language that is spoken, it often opens up a whole host of new opportunities that couldn’t have been imagined previously.
‘One language sets you on a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way’
(Smith,1992)
Educating learners in Wales means affording our youngest citizens with the ability to learn two languages. Welsh and English are given equal legal status within education and beyond, with the Welsh Government’s pledge to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 being testimony to its commitment to ensure thriving Welsh communities (Welsh Government, 2020). With this in mind, ensuring schools encourage and produce ethically informed citizens who can, with increased confidence speak Welsh is imperative.
Our youngest children usually start full time education in reception classes at the age of 4 years with many having attended preschool and nursery classes prior to that. One such example is the Welsh medium preschool provisions in Wales run by Mudiad meithrin that (https://meithrin.cymru) has long held the view that growing up bilingual is to be celebrated – two languages mean two options.
The national education reform currently underway sees the roll out of Curriculum for Wales (2022) across all primary and Year 7 in secondary schools. The content of the curriculum is delivered as a balance of bespoke areas and a blend of the areas brought together by purposeful contexts with the ‘four purposes’ and ‘6 areas of learning and experience’ guiding the way (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales ). One of these areas of learning and experience is Languages, literacy and communication which aims to support learning across the whole curriculum and to enable learners to gain knowledge and skills in Welsh, English and international languages as well as in literature (https://hwb.gov.wales ). Note that the word ‘languages’ is highlighted to promote the diversity of speakers here in Wales and to demonstrate an acknowledgement of their background. Literacy is also given additional attention along with numeracy and digital competency as being one of the cross-curricular responsibilities that all teachers should promote and develop across all areas of the curriculum.
From a cognitive perspective learning additional languages during infancy and early childhood is thought to be easier as it will probably happen within an experiential context making more sense for the developing child to understand meaning as it occurs.
Singing songs, reciting rhymes, playing games and engaging in language rich environments are the bedrock of language learning in classes across the nation. Creating experiences where talk is encouraged, interaction is planned for and developing opportunities to share are constants on a practitioner’s planning for learning. Activities that begin as a whole class or group directed task is then broadened within the learning environment so that the children can use, practise and consolidate their understanding of this newfound treasure trove of words. Each element of learning a language requires time, space and resources to promote effective engagement and enjoyment. A significant part of the planning involves knowing where each child is at as regards his or her ability to speak the languages and prepare accordingly to support progression.
As a former classroom teacher and early years lead it was essential that children heard high quality use of language, were exposed to print on a regular basis throughout the indoor & outdoor environment and were encouraged to communicate in a plethora of ways.
Many of the children came from an English-speaking background to our Welsh medium school, one method to aid the learning would be the sandwich method where a word would be said in Welsh – English – Welsh so that the learner was exposed to and able to understand in her own language also maintaining wellbeing. This can be used for any language and is an effective way to encourage participation.
Talk time was a daily activity when each child had 10 minutes exclusively with an adult to discuss whatever they deemed important to them – a story, a song, an experience they’d had or getting their personal items shoebox and talking about an item that was special to them. This allowed the child to be the lead or more able other and the adult to listen, support and prompt in a sensitive manner.
Letter fun involved creating a collection of objects that matched the letter of the week – these all started with the letter. HOWEVER children also need to recognise letters in the middle and at the end of words so we would sing or recite:
| B is the letter of the week
Bin begins with b. B in rubber at the end of web Our letter of the week is B.
|
C yw llythyren yr wythnos hon
C am cot, cap, ci. C yn bwced ar ddiwedd tanc. C yw’n llythyren ni. |
We would search for hidden letters during letter hunts and using coloured pens highlight letters in old newspapers or magazines.
Pointing, modelling and intonation was another strategy that gave the children cue and clues when learning new vocabulary and phrases. We would point to objects or show what we meant by doing or modelling the activity so that the words had meaning in the first instance. Changing the tone of speech along with body language are effective ways of supporting acquisition.
Interestingly during the pandemic in 2020, Welsh became the fastest growing language in the UK with many turning to popular apps to support their language journey. Potentially this could be an additional means of supporting language learning in settings and schools especially with parents. Utilising resources that further support individuals in an engaging way could enhance the learner experience.
Marian & Shook (2012) highlight that the neurological benefits of bilingualism extend from early childhood to old age as the brain more efficiently processes information and staves off cognitive decline. There are also social benefits of being able to engage in different pastimes and employability benefits of being bilingual.
We are now a globalized people with opportunities that are far reaching, since the late decades of 1900’s bilingualism has become a popular discussion point and it is now recognised as beneficial not only to the individual but to society as whole. Bilingualism can open doors to new possibilities and to a new understanding from differing perspectives. Unlock that hidden world – start today!
Some words & phrases
Shwmae! – Hi there!
Sut wyt ti? – How are you?
Croeso – Welcome / your welcome
Diolch yn fawr – Thank you very much
Llongyfarchiadau! – Congratulations
Further reading:
Daily Welsh on Pinterest
Hamman-Ortiz, L. (2020) Identity and two-way bilingual education: considering student perspectives: introduction to the special issue. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13670050.2020.1819096
Smith, F (1992) To think: in language, learning and education. London: Routledge
Welsh Government (2022) Welsh medium and bilingual education. Available at: https://gov.wales/welsh-medium-and-bilingual-education
Welsh Government (2017) Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-12/cymraeg-2050-welsh-language-strategy.pdf