Nearly all learners involved early immersion provision enjoy learning Welsh and become engrossed in activities where immersion education is provided in non-maintained settings and primary schools. They begin by listening to Welsh being modelled by adults and responding appropriately to instructions with gestures to support them. Most learners begin to join in with adults and other children with increasing confidence, for example by singing short songs and saying nursery rhymes. They begin to emulate practitioners by using key vocabulary suitably. During their time in the foundation phase, most learners become increasingly confident speakers.
Most learners develop listening and speaking skills effectively. In settings and schools where standards of listening and speaking are strong, learners respond to a variety of prompts in sessions that are planned purposefully to promote and develop listening and speaking skills. Understanding first comes where learners make sense of vocabulary while re-using it. For example, they take part in familiar games and activities, and sing and rap in different contexts. This develops their understanding which, in turn, supports them to become increasingly confident speakers.
As practitioners introduce and re-visit a range of correct syntactical patterns, most learners emulate them correctly, and apply and assimilate them with increasing accuracy over time. From an early age, they begin to respond suitably to simple instructions, for example, ‘Ewch i eistedd wrth y bwrdd coch’ (‘Go and sit at the red table’). They listen to practitioners in group sessions and respond appropriately, for example by suggesting the title of a suitable song when asked ‘Pa gân hoffet ti ganu?’ (‘What song would you like to sing?’). They respond to questions from practitioners with increasing independence when playing in the areas of provision both inside and outside the classroom.
Cameo – using Welsh language skills in the different areas of provision
At Ysgol Mornant, in Flintshire County Council, learners develop listening and speaking skills successfully from an early age while playing and responding to activities in the different areas of the foundation phase. For example, learners in the nursery class develop listening and speaking skills around the sand pit.
These learners search for dinosaurs and stones in the sand enthusiastically. This hands-on activity sparks the learners’ imagination and provides many opportunities for practitioners to introduce language. Assistants question them effectively and reinforce vocabulary as learners sort the toys. As a result, they respond positively to questions such as ‘I ba flwch mae’r garreg yma’n mynd?’ (‘Which box does this stone go into?’) and offer simple adjectives such as ‘bach’ (‘small’) and ‘mawr’ (‘big’). Learners recall vocabulary that relates to the theme appropriately, for example by offering the word ‘sgerbwd’ to help a friend who was using the word ‘skeleton’.
During their time in the foundation phase, most learners grow in confidence to speak Welsh in a rich variety of learning contexts. They use a range of vocabulary that accompanies the theme increasingly well, for example to describe the meaning of the word ‘ffrwydro’ (‘explode’) when discussing fireworks. By Year 1, many learners respond enthusiastically in full sentences with regular support from practitioners.
Many learners grow in confidence when discussing with their friends, practitioners, and visitors during the early immersion stage. For example, they develop confidence by practising and performing in concerts and eisteddfodau, or by attending clubs that promote the use of the Welsh language. A minority make linguistic errors in terms of the accuracy of language when responding to questions and expressing themselves. On the whole, they have the confidence to speak and discuss, and often correct themselves or their peers. However, a minority of learners do not develop to become fluent enough speakers as practitioners do not provide frequent enough opportunities to speak Welsh in informal situations. As a result, a minority of learners tend to translate vocabulary and syntactical patterns from English to Welsh before pronouncing them.
Most learners make consistent progress in developing their reading skills. They come to recognise the sounds of different letters correctly before combining the sounds to read simple words. They join in with group activities to reinforce this knowledge, for example by singing songs about individual letters enthusiastically and making movements that are associated with them. They practise these skills beneficially in individual activities. For example, they look and refer to the shape of a letter that is hidden in a picture, choose a magnet that corresponds to the letter, and then pronounce the sound correctly. As a result, they recognise letters with increasing confidence and develop early reading skills successfully.
During the foundation phase, many learners develop their reading skills consistently over a period that is commensurate with their age. In settings and schools where standards of reading are strong, learners enjoy looking at a range of attractive books from an early age and show an increasing interest in the text. By the end of the foundation phase, most explain relevant details from texts confidently, for example when re‑telling a story. Many learners apply their reading skills for a purpose successfully, for example when reading words that describe different animals, such as ‘cigysydd’ (‘carnivore’) and ‘llysieuydd’ (‘herbivore’) to solve a riddle in the style of ‘who am I?’.
Many learners’ writing skills in the foundation phase are sound. In non-maintained settings and nursery classes, learners begin to develop writing skills by experimenting and mark-making and produce suitable pieces of early writing. As they move through the phase, many learners record events appropriately with scaffolds and support from practitioners. For example, they write instructions in the context of their theme work or create shopping lists. By the end of the foundation phase, many write consistently for different purposes and communicate clearly and expressively.
Many learners develop their speaking and writing skills effectively, and this link is a key part of the immersion process. In the best practice, providers give learners valuable opportunities to apply vocabulary and syntactical patterns in drama and writing activities. For example, learners use vocabulary such as ‘anhygoel’ (‘unbelievable’), syntactical patterns such as ‘tawelwch llethol’ (‘overwhelming silence’) and idioms such as ‘ar ben ei ddigon’ (“in clover”) highly effectively. However, in the few cases where standards of writing are weak, learners have difficulty internalising the language as there are not frequent enough opportunities for them to practise and develop their speaking skills. This hinders their ability to write freely and with independent confidence.
Overall, learners from different groups make consistent progress by being immersed in the Welsh language. Nearly all learners with additional learning needs make suitable progress in line with the targets in their individual development plans. Learners who speak English as an additional language also acquire Welsh language skills to the same degree as their peers who speak English as their first language. On the whole, learners from Welsh-speaking and non-Welsh-speaking homes make consistent progress. However, in a few cases where practitioners’ expectations of learners are too low, more able learners do not make enough progress in acquiring the Welsh language.