paths to fluency: the role of welsh- medium education in wales dr catrin redknap bwrdd yr iaith...
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Paths to fluency: the role of Welsh-medium education in WalesDr Catrin RedknapBwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg/ Welsh Language Board, Cardiff, [email protected]
Wales and the Welsh language: background facts
• Population of Wales: 2.9 million• Welsh speakers in 2001: 20.8% (582,400)
[18.7% in 1991, 19% in 1981]
% able to speak Welsh
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1891 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001
Cyfrifiad / Census
%
Percentage of Welsh speakers amongst children 5 -15 years old: 40.8%
1944 Education Act: gave pupils the right to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents
1947: first local authority-funded primary school
1956: first local authority-funded secondary school
2008: 20.6% of primary-aged children in classes where Welsh the only or main medium of education
2006/07: 40,702 pupils received their education in Welsh-medium secondary schools (corresponding figure for 1991: 27,897)
‘Paths to fluency: the role of Welsh-medium education in Wales’
• Paths – one or several?
• Paths – providing and maintaining them, and keeping pupils on the path
• Fluency – what is it and how do we achieve it?
Paths – one or several?
• Welsh-medium/immersion from the early years: recognised route to successful acquisition of skills
• Late immersion
• Are there alternative models of delivery?
Providing and maintaining paths, and keeping pupils on the path
• Planning availability of provision and access to it
• Clear routes of progression, and planning for continuity
Fluency
• Challenges of the Welsh-medium learning setting: pupils from non-Welsh-speaking backgrounds
• Pupils with variety of linguistic needs
• Welsh and English in contact
• Willingness / reluctance to use Welsh
• Crucial link between fluency and usage
Recurring themes:
• Strategic planning
• Structural / organisational mechanisms
• Teaching methodologies
• Practitioner supply and expertise
• Support materials and resources
Paths: one or several?
Recognised benefits of Welsh-medium and immersion education from the early years
1971: Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (Welsh-medium pre-school Playgroups Association)
Welsh-medium Early Years Provision: Challenges
• Varying linguistic needs of children
• Working in a mixed economy
• Resources and staffing (initial training and INSET)
Need for further work on our understanding of principles of immersion education
• To inform all developments, including training
• European-funded project to clarify principles of early years immersion methodology, and share good practice
• Immersion education units in early years qualifications
Late immersion
• Established practices in Wales
• Centres for Latecomers
Language Learning through Immersion and Intensive Methods: Welsh Assembly Government-sponsored project, developed by the Welsh Language Board
Findings and implications:
• Dedicated structures and support mechanisms
• Partnership between primary and secondary sectors
• Continuity and Progression
• Teacher Training
• Materials and Accreditation
Are there alternative paths?
Welsh as a ‘second language’?
Providing and maintaining paths, and keeping pupils on the path
Availability and accessibility of provision:
• Strategic planning• Identification of gaps in provision• Transport• Working in partnership• Transition from one sector to the next
• Is the Welsh-medium option available?
• Are pupils aware of the importance of continuity?
• National, local authority and school policy
Welsh Language Board Project on Linguistic Continuity
• Small number of pilot schools
• Transition from primary to secondary school and within secondary provision
• Identify factors limiting take-up of Welsh-medium provision
• Work with local authorities, schools, pupils and parents to increase levels of continuity
Welsh Language Board Project on Linguistic Continuity
• Local authority and school policy
• Availability of provision: teacher supply and expertise – training needs
• Parental awareness and pupil engagement – attitudinal factors
Fluency
Aim: to produce pupils who are functionally fluent in as broad a range as possible of skills and sociolinguistic contexts
Challenges:
• Welsh in constant contact with English• Welsh limited to language of school for
significant proportions of pupils• Attitudinal factors and influence of social
networks
Fluency: Classroom-based considerations
Curricular planning and teaching methodologies
• Principles of immersion education
• Intensity of Welsh-medium input
• Linguistic balance between Welsh and English
• Catering for pupils’ different linguistic needs
Teacher Training
• Accurate assessment of numbers required: national strategy• Methodology: principles of immersion and Welsh-medium delivery
Materials
• Equal availability of Welsh-medium resources• Speed of production• Corpus planning and terminology
Fluency: Extending beyond the classroom
Promoting Welsh as the language of the playground and social networks
Welsh Language Board Project: Promoting and Supporting Language Use
Working in Partnership within the Community
Welsh as the language of employment
• Perceptions of the value of Welsh
• Opportunities to use Welsh in the workplace
Welsh in technology and the media
Communicating with pupils and their parents:
• Information to parents
• Advice, guidance and marketing
• Careers advice
Conclusions
• Successes of Welsh-medium education provision
• Early years Welsh-medium provision / Late immersion
Conclusions
• Journey to fluency: rewarding but challenging
• Combined effort of school and community
References
Further Information on Welsh-medium Education:http:www.byig-wlb.org.uk
Welsh Assembly Government Welsh-medium Education Strategy (Consultation Draft):http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/consultation/090507wmsen.pdf
Resources:
http://www.wjec.co.uk
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk
http://old.accac.org.uk/eng/content.php?cID=3