Blog 7 - What is the value of the Welsh language in primary education?

What is the value of the Welsh language in primary education?

Approximately 16% of pupils attend welsh medium schools and speak Welsh as their dominant language. A further 10% are bilingual in Welsh and are given the opportunity to communicate in welsh on a daily basis (Jones, 2016). These statistics are disappointingly low for Wales as Welsh is becoming a dying language (Somers, 2016). With the implementation of the new curriculum in 2020, it is with hope that Wales will start to be re-known for its Welsh language again, but what value does this have for children in school? 

Language is the essence of thinking, and is integral in communication, learning, reflection and creativity (Donaldson, 2015). Languages links in with the Languages, Literacy and Communication AoLE and it provides children with the fundamental building blocks for the different forms of communication, literacy and learning about language, and also the ability to develop their ability in different languages (Donaldson, 2015). In Wales, a crucial and compulsory language to learn in school is of course, Welsh (Donaldson, 2015). The Welsh Government (2019) state that being bilingual could: 

·     Make it easier for children to learn other languages and introduce children to different cultures and traditions

·     Have a positive effect on the brain

·     Be a distinct advantage when looking for work

These are cultural, cognitive and practical benefits for learning Welsh are prominent. (Donaldson, 2015; Welsh Government, 2019). In Wales, welsh-medium education is offered in every county across the country (Welsh Government, 2019), and the government have a long-term vision to see the Welsh language thrive again within Wales (Aberystwyth University, 2019; Donaldson, 2015). They hope to see a million people to being able to speak Welsh by 2050. To achieve this, schools and education authorities have a vital role in this development. It is their responsibility to educate and prepare the children of the future for this change as they are the only way for the Welsh language to be generally accepted in society (Aberystwyth University, 2019; Donaldson, 2015; Welsh Government, 2013). To do this it is important for children to understand and appreciate the value of our culture in Wales (Aberystwyth University, 2019; Donaldson, 2015). Wales has a vast culture that includes local history, food, landscape, music, building materials and Welsh crafts (Visit Wales, 2019). As a teacher, you can implement many cross-curricula lessons using any of these cultural traditions. A nice example of a lesson of this sort of implementation was during a mindfulness seminar where we played the drums and made music. We were able to incorporate a Welsh chant into the music and then we made welsh cakes and cooked them over the open fire. Not only does this massively link to expressive arts and health and well-being, but you can also include some humanities as you could make it into a history lesson with the kids as well. 

The cognitive benefits to being bilingual are huge (Donaldson, 2015). There is evidence that in the success of learning another language, it influences the capacity to learn subsequent languages and may have wider cognitive benefits (Donaldson, 2015). However, multiple language learning adds challenges to curriculum design, especially within primary schools. And even though there is evidence to suggest that Welsh in school has become weak and patchy, all school teachers and head teachers are committed to making this commitment to improve Welsh standards in Wales (Donaldson, 2015). This can be seen in and around most primary schools these days as every display and written in Welsh as well as English. However, in the retrieving of the specific resources and the prioritise time within the school day will be a cause for difficult questions about what are the priorities of a child’s education, especially amongst parents (Donaldson, 2015). However, Donaldson (2015) has identified the further benefits and used this AoLE to exploit links between both English and Welsh language, encouraging children to transfer skills between the too. This transferring of skills is an essential skill for a child to have, and is vital for them to develop if they wish to be successful within the future workforce (Donaldson, 2015). To add to this, the Welsh language can offer job seekers a valuable and in demand skill that only welsh speakers obtain – which is to speak welsh (Donaldson, 2015). Donaldson (2015, p. 59) states that “the Welsh Language Commissioner reports a significant shortage of people in the workforce who can work effectively in both English and Welsh, particularly in health, social care and tourism”. This clearly indicates that we are giving children a better chance at employment in Wales, by teaching them Welsh in schools. This is because, employers aren’t looking for people who can speak in depth, but for people who can hold a simple day to day conversation in Welsh, which is perfect for school learning (Donaldson, 2015). Even knowing the simplest of words can open up new doors in the future for these children (Cardiff University, no date). 

References 

1.    Aberystwyth University (2019) Accessed at: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/learn-welsh/why/(Accessed on: 1^stApril 2019)

2.    Cardiff University (no date) Why Learn Welsh? Accessed at:  https://welshforadults.cardiff.ac.uk/learning-welsh/why-learn-welsh(Accessed on: 1st April 2019)

3.    Donaldson, G (2015) Successful Futures: Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. Wales: Crown

4.    Jones, M (2016) Research Briefing: Welsh-medium education and Welsh as a subject. Wales: National Assembly for Wales. 

5.    Somers, A (2016) Welsh isn’t dying. But why is it in decline in some places and thriving just down the road? Accessed at:  https://nation.cymru/opinion/welsh-language-migration-immigration-dead-decline-thriving-gwynedd/(Accessed on: 1^stApril 2019)

6.    Visit Wales (2019) Promote the Welsh language and culture  https://businesswales.gov.wales/dmwales/sustainable-tourism/your-community-and-enhancing-local-wildlife/promote-welsh-language-and-culture

7. Welsh Government (2013) One language for all: Review of Welsh second language at Key Stages 3 and 4 – Report and recommendations. Wales: Welsh Government
8. Welsh Government (2019) Children 4-11. Accessed at: https://cymraeg.gov.wales/learning/schools/children-ages-4-11/?lang=en(Accessed on: 1^stApril 2019)