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Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract 1113 views

A new model for Welsh Second Language?

Alex Lovell

Swansea University Author: Alex Lovell

Abstract

Since publishing its new language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers (2017), the Welsh Government has shown a clear commitment to increasing the number of bilingual speakers in Wales. A key part in realising this ambitious goal is “to transform how we teach Welsh to learners” in Englis...

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Published: Gregynog Hall, Tregynog, Powys, Wales. The Welsh language in English-medium Education 2018
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa50598
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Abstract: Since publishing its new language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers (2017), the Welsh Government has shown a clear commitment to increasing the number of bilingual speakers in Wales. A key part in realising this ambitious goal is “to transform how we teach Welsh to learners” in English-medium schools (Welsh Government, 2017, p. 38). The shortcomings of Welsh Second Language have long been expressed in reports by Estyn, as well as by Sioned Davies in her review of Welsh Second Language in Key Stages 3 & 4, One language for all, and Grahame Donaldson (2015) in his recent review of the Welsh curriculum, Successful Futures. Despite recent significant developments in language and education policy however, a gap between policy and practice, in terms of delivering Welsh effectively as a second language, continues to exist.The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the doctoral research conducted by the researcher, in which he explores how best the delivery of Welsh as a second language can be successfully supported in English-medium schools in Wales. This research focuses on a model that is place in an English-medium school in South Wales, where bilingual provision, known as the ‘Cwrs Carlam’, is offered to a group of L2 Welsh learners. The research suggests that CLIL provision should be further considered for delivering Welsh as a second language. The research also suggests that a holistic approach to developing Welsh across the school is also key in successfully implementing Welsh as a second language.
Item Description: This conference paper was delivered as a part of a conference co-organised by myself and a colleague in The School of Education, Bangor University. The conference was sponsered by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Keywords: Welsh second language, Welsh, CLIL, second language acquisition, bilingualism, bilingual education, policy and practice.
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences