PLANNING THE REGENERATION OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE CONSULTATION DISCUSSION POINT 4: CREATING WELSH SPEAKERS – DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE

Reply

The latest discussion point of our consultation on Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language is Developing the Workforce.

As before, we would be very grateful to receive your comments, suggestions and any practical experience you may have. You are welcome to use the questions and template below or send your comments in any other format that suits you.

Below is a summary of Dyfodol’s demands in relation to the role of the workplace. If you would like to read the full text of Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language, a copy is available on our website, dyfodol.net

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our discussion. We look forward to hearing from you – do get in touch:

[email protected]

or telephone 01248 811798

 DISCUSSION POINT 4: CREATING WELSH SPEAKERS – DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE

 Dyfodol believes that:

One significant challenge in education, and to which the response is at present insufficient, is developing the workforce, both teachers and classroom assistants, to undertake the work through the medium of Welsh and do so to a high standard. The only way of doing this is to release staff from their posts for extended periods, either to improve their language skills or to learn Welsh from scratch.

This is absolutely fundamental and there is no option but to invest heavily in this. Habe, the organisation responsible for this in Euskadi, has an annual budget of 40 million Euros. If we are serious about creating a million Welsh speakers, we need a comparable sum and to focus on two things:

  • Workforce development, particularly teachers and classroom assistants
  • Supporting parents whose children receive Welsh-medium education, particularly in the early years, who want to create Welsh-speaking homes to learn Welsh or develop their confidence in using it.

 The effect of such investment would be cumulative: creating new Welsh speakers who in turn would produce a host of new speakers through the education and care sectors.

In addition to the above summary, Dyfodol have also written a paper on the Welsh language among the public sector workforce and in the workplace. We concluded that:

  • We need to collect comprehensive data on the language skills of public sector staff.
  • We need a clear policy aimed at providing an appropriate quota of Welsh language workers and workplaces.
  • Establish a 10-year targeted programme for Welsh language skills within public sector workplaces.
  • 4 local authorities to work, or set out a programme for internal, Welsh-language administration: Gwynedd (who currently do so), Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Sir Gaerfyrddin.
  • We must acknowledge the comparative strength of the language within different areas and set targets based on the percentage of Welsh speakers within these areas.
  • Where it is not practical to aim for Welsh language administration, public sector organisations in those areas should adopt and promote the principle of welcoming and encouraging the Welsh language as a working medium and elevate and appreciate the language as a professional skill.

 DO YOU AGREE WITH US? HAVE YOU ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE ROLE OF THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORKPLACE IN REGENERATING THE WELSH LANGUAGE?

YMGYNGHORIAD CYNLLUNIO ADFERIAD Y GYMRAEG PWNC TRAFOD 3: CREU SIARADWYR – ADDYSG STATUDOL, BELLACH AC UWCH

Reply

Y testun trafod diweddaraf yn ein hymgynghoriad ar Gynllunio Adferiad y Gymraeg yw Addysg Statudol, Bellach ac Uwch.

Fel o’r blaen, byddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn o dderbyn eich sylwadau, awgrymiadau ac unrhyw brofiadau ymarferol perthnasol sydd gennych i’w rhannu â ni. Mae croeso i chwi ddefnyddio’r templed cwestiynau isod neu anfon eich sylwadau atom ar unrhyw ffurf arall.

Isod, ceir crynodeb o ofynion Dyfodol ynglŷn â chreu siaradwyr drwy’r gyfundrefn addysg statudol, bellach ac uwch. Os ydych am weld y ddogfen, Cynllunio Adferiad y Gymraeg yn ei chrynswth, mae copi ar gael i’w darllen ar ein gwefan, dyfodol.net

Diolch drachefn i bawb sydd wedi ymateb hyd yma. Edrychwn ymlaen at glywed gennych – cysylltwch â ni gyda’ch sylwadau:

[email protected]

neu ffoniwch 01248 811798

PWNC TRAFOD 3: CREU SIARADWYR – ADDYSG STATUDOL, BELLACH AC UWCH

Dyma farn Dyfodol:

Mae twf yn nifer yr ysgolion Cymraeg penodedig yn hanfodol. Mae i bob ysgol ei rhan yn y gwaith ond mae gallu ysgolion Cymraeg penodedig, drwy weithredu fel cymunedau Cymraeg, i gynhyrchu siaradwyr hyderus yn gwbl unigryw. Mewn ysgolion eraill, bydd rhyw gymaint o ddysgu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn angenrheidiol.

Yr hyn sydd ei angen felly yw proses o symud drwy gontinw-wm gan amcanu at gyrraedd, lle bynnag y bo hynny’n bosibl, statws ysgol Gymraeg benodedig. Yn Ewscadi, gwlad y Basgiaid, ers i’r wlad honno ennill hunan-lywodraeth, gwelwyd symudiad cyson o ysgolion Sbaeneg-yn-unig i ysgolion dwyieithog ac yna i ysgolion Basgeg, nes i’r categori cyntaf grebachu allan o fodolaeth a’r trydydd categori ddenu’r mwyafrif mawr.  Yn Sir Gaerfyrddin ar hyn o bryd, wedi profiad diflas Llangennech a’r llwyddiant yno yn y diwedd, mae’r un broses ar waith yn y sector cynradd heb fawr o wrthwynebiad gan rieni.

Mewn cymdeithas mor symudol ag un heddiw, mae delio â hwyrddyfodiaid yn sialens a’r unig ateb boddhaol yw cyrsiau dwys mewn canolfannau iaith.

Mae gwaith mawr pellach i’w wneud mewn addysg bellach a hyfforddiant, sydd erbyn hyn yn gyfrifoldeb i’r Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. Rhaid diogelu a datblygu ymhellach waith y Coleg hwnnw mewn Addysg Uwch.

Os am dwf sylweddol mewn addysg Gymraeg, mae’n rhaid gwneud mwy nag ateb y galw, fel y mae Eluned Morgan wedi’i nodi. Rhaid ei ysgogi a’i arwain.

YDYCH CHI’N CYTUNO Â NI? OES GENNYCH UNRHYW SYLWADAU?

  • Ydych chi’n cytuno bod ysgolion Cymraeg penodedig yn angenrheidiol ac y dylid anelu, lle bynnag y byddo hynny’n bosibl, i bob ysgol symud tuag at statws ysgol Gymraeg benodedig?
  • Ydych chi’n cytuno y dylai pob ysgol gynnal rhyw gymaint o ddysgu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg?
  • Ydych chi’n cytuno bod angen canolfannau iaith i gynnig cyrsiau Cymraeg dwys i hwyrddyfodiaid?

GWERTHFAWROGWN YN OGYSTAL EICH SYLWADAU AR SUT I GYMREIGIO ADDYSG BELLACH, ADDYSG UWCH A PHRENTISIAETHAU.

PLANNING THE REGENERATION OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE CONSULTATION DISCUSSION POINT 2: CREATING WELSH SPEAKERS (i) THE EARLY YEARS

Reply

The second discussion point of our consultation on Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language is the key area of the early years.

As before, we would be very grateful to receive your comments, suggestions and any practical experience you may have of this work. You are welcome to use the questions and template below or send your comments in any other format that suits you.

We also note that the Welsh Government is currently conducting a consultation on a National Policy on Welsh language transmission and use in families (closing date 5th May, 2020). Perhaps you may also wish to contribute to this, and if so, then you are most welcome to share your comments with us as well.

Below is a summary of Dyfodol’s demands in relation to the provision of Welsh during the early years. If you would like to read the full text of Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language, a copy is available on our website, dyfodol.net

We look forward to hearing from you – do get in touch:

[email protected]

or telephone 01248 811798

 DISCUSSION POINT 2: CREATING WELSH SPEAKERS (i) THE EARLY YEARS

 The Principle:

The early years are of key importance in terms of establishing both fluency and the habit of using the language.

 DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS PRINCIPLE? HAVE YOU ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE?

The Aim:

  • During these years, the transference of the language through the home and family is of central significance – currently about 7% of homes are Welsh-speaking. We need to encourage and support parents to transmit the language to their children, The Twf plan (created by Cwmni Iaith Cyf, but now administered through Mudiad Meithrin) shows how this can be done.
  • In parallel with this, the use of the Welsh language needs to increase within the childcare system – in nursery classes but also the whole range of locations which provide care for young children. At this age, immersion rather than bilingualism is the fundamental principle. Much excellent work has already been done and the results have been impressive, but major gaps remain.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THE ABOVE AIMS?

WHAT HELP AND SUPPORT DO PARENTS AND CARERS NEED TO TRANSFER THE WELSH LANGUAGE IN THE HOME?

HOW CAN WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE WELSH-MEDIUM CHILDCARE FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN?

HAVE YOU ANY EXPERIENCES OF PROMOTING EARLY YEARS USE OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE WITH US?

HAVE YOU ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON PROMOTING THE WELSH LANGUAGE DURING THE EARLY YEARS?