During the academic year 2021-22, nine PGCE Primary and eight PGCE Secondary students chose the Pontio Welsh Language development group. In 2022-23, 13 PGCE Primary and five PGCE Secondary students are following the Pontio Welsh Language development element of their programme, indicating a rising number of Welsh language students wishing to bridge their language skills.
Pontio students traditionally have a good grasp of the Welsh language but wish to complete their training through the medium of English. Early identification of these students is paramount. Admissions alert Welsh tutors to Welsh speaking students with a Pontio profile before the programme starts, and this enables tutors to target students on an individual basis to discuss their Welsh skills, confidence levels and possible pathways to the Welsh medium pathway. The Pontio group is supported in a bespoke context so that the pathway towards working in the Welsh medium sector is kept open. This intervention is designed to address the shortage in the Welsh medium workforce as identified by Welsh Government, EWC and headteachers in our partner schools.
Welsh Development takes place in a very fluid and informal context in the Pontio setting in university. Students and tutors discuss needs which are identified via oral and written work. Each session, particularly for primary students, focuses on language resources and methodology for the classroom. Each session also includes language work at students’ own level in all skills. The students are taught in small groups to foster a supportive environment where the tutor understands the student teachers’ needs, motivation and language ability well. The focus of the sessions is on promoting confidence and oral fluency through regular opportunities to engage with the tutor and one another through the medium of Welsh. For many student teachers this is an opportunity to reactivate lapsed language skills.
Students track their personal progress in Welsh language skills and pedagogy at three key assessment points each year, allowing them to record standards and set targets. This allows them to focus on core aspects of their language development and play an active role in improving their use of spoken and written Welsh.
Invited speakers contribute to the Pontio provision. Following discussions in Welsh medium recruitment meetings with partnership headteachers, it is acknowledged that school-based staff have a key role to play in supporting this bridging group and supporting their journey towards Welsh medium sector. A secondary headteacher is invited to meet the group to discuss the opportunities available in Welsh medium secondary schools. Presentations also include interviews with staff who have learnt Welsh and are now working in the Welsh medium sector. The importance of role models as aspirational figures is vital in building confidence and showing that other teachers have successfully followed the path from English medium Welsh medium teaching.
Fellow students from the Welsh medium sector are also invited to contribute to the Pontio sessions. This allows students to gain an understanding of the linguistic expectations offered in the Welsh medium sector, and the range of support offered in this sector.
All Pontio students are offered the opportunity to attend a Welsh medium placement but tend to lack confidence in making this leap in their Welsh. However, the PGCE programme includes a three-week enrichment experience at the end of the programme. Pontio students are encouraged to attend a Welsh medium school (primary or secondary) to gain experience of teaching and learning through them medium of Welsh, without the pressure of assessment and formalised planning. These activities offer a scaffold moving towards the Welsh medium sector, allowing students to grow in confidence throughout their Welsh journey.
