Paths to fluency: the role of Welsh-medium education in Wales Dr Catrin Redknap Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg/ Welsh Language B

1. Paths to fluency: the role of Welsh-medium education in Wales Dr Catrin Redknap Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg/ Welsh Language Board, Cardiff, Wales catrin.redknap@byig-wlb.org.uk

2. 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]

3. % able to speak Welsh

4. Percentage of Welsh speakers amongst children 5 -15 years old: 40.8%

5. 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

6. 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)

7. ‘Paths to fluency: the role of Welsh-medium education in Wales’

8. • 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?

9. 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?

10. 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

11. 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

12. Recurring themes: • Strategic planning • Structural / organisational mechanisms • Teaching methodologies • Practitioner supply and expertise • Support materials and resources

13. 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)

14. Welsh-medium Early Years Provision: Challenges • Varying linguistic needs of children • Working in a mixed economy • Resources and staffing (initial training and INSET)

15. 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

16. Late immersion • Established practices in Wales • Centres for Latecomers

17. Language Learning through Immersion and Intensive Methods: Welsh Assembly Government-sponsored project, developed by the Welsh Language Board

18. Findings and implications: • Dedicated structures and support mechanisms • Partnership between primary and secondary sectors • Continuity and Progression • Teacher Training • Materials and Accreditation

19. Are there alternative paths? Welsh as a ‘second language’?

20. 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

21. • Is the Welsh-medium option available? • Are pupils aware of the importance of continuity? • National, local authority and school policy

22. 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

23. 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

24. Fluency Aim: to produce pupils who are functionally fluent in as broad a range as possible of skills and sociolinguistic contexts

25. 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

26. Fluency: Classroom-based considerations Curricular planning and teaching methodologies •Principlesof immersioneducation • Intensity of Welsh-medium input • Linguistic balance between Welsh and English • Catering for pupils’ different linguistic needs

27. Teacher Training • Accurate assessment of numbers required: national strategy • Methodology: principles of immersion and Welsh-medium delivery

28. Materials • Equal availability of Welsh-medium resources • Speed of production • Corpus planning and terminology

29. 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

30. Working in Partnership within the Community

31. Welsh as the language of employment • Perceptions of the value of Welsh • Opportunities to use Welsh in the workplace

32. Welsh in technology and the media

33. Communicating with pupils and their parents: • Information to parents • Advice, guidance and marketing • Careers advice

34. Conclusions • Successes of Welsh-medium education provision • Early years Welsh-medium provision / Late immersion

35. Conclusions •Journey to fluency: rewarding but challenging • Combined effort of school and community

36. 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

37. Resources: http://www.wjec.co.uk http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk http://old.accac.org.uk/eng/content.php?cID=3