Report of a Survey on the Social Use of Welsh by Gwynedd's Primary

Report of a Survey on the Social Use of Welsh by Gwynedd’s Primary Sector Children

Dylan Bryn Roberts and Dr Enlli Thomas Research Report on the Social Use of Welsh

1. Introduction In July 2009, Dylan Bryn Roberts Consultancy in partnership with Dr Enlli Thomas, Bangor University was commissioned by hunan iaith and Gwynedd Education Department to carry out a survey into the social use of Welsh by primary school children in Gwynedd. The survey would focus on discovering which factors influence children’s choice and use of language, and would thus identify a series of recommendations which might possibly have a positive influence on children’s social use of Welsh.

2. Background The background to this survey was the findings of the Linguistic Impact Assessment Report of the Gwynedd School Reorganisation Scheme held in 2008. One of the main findings of this assessment was the lack of use children made of the Welsh language outside formal structured periods in school, such as during breaks, around the school premises and at lunchtime – and as a result, the findings demanded further attention and action. This is reinforced in Iaith Pawb:A National Action Plan for a Bilingual Wales (2003) which states that : A language confined to the education sector is not a living language.1

Through hunan iaith , Welsh Language Board funding was secured to research further into those factors influencing language choice and use among children in Gwynedd primary schools. GYDCA 2 approved the objective and purpose of the research, and following this, an invitation was extended to all Gwynedd primary schools to express an interest in forming part of the project.

At the same time, it was decided the survey could also make a key contribution to supporting the work of reorganising primary education, particularly since the promotion and strengthening of the Welsh language had been identified as one of the priorities of the Gwynedd Primary Education Reorganisation Improvement Working Party.

A joint decision was made between Dylan Bryn Roberts Consultancy, Gwynedd Education Department and hunan iaith on the list of schools participating in the project, bearing in mind the following: the schools which expressed an interest in being part of the research the schools reorganisation process varying size of schools rural and urban schools number and percentage of Welsh speakers in each community

1 Iaith Pawb, p. 7. 2 GYDCA – Primary and Special Catchment Area Advisory Group

2 We list below the schools which particiapted in the project: Ysgol Bro Cynfal Ysgol Cwm y Glo Ysgol Cymerau Ysgol Edmwnd Prys Ysgol Glan Cegin Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi Ysgol Llanbedrog Ysgol y Garnedd

Below are listed the schools in the Tywyn catchment area which participated in the research from the standpoint of school reorganisation: Ysgol Aberdyfi Ysgol Abergynolwyn Ysgol Bryncrug Ysgol Dyffryn Dulas Ysgol Llanegryn Ysgol Llwyngwril Ysgol Pennal Ysgol Penybryn

3. Remit There were 3 aspects to this research: i) Carry out a survey, consult and cooperate with headteachers and teachers, assistants, ancillary staff, pupils, parents and community leaders to discover: what influences children’s social use of Welsh within school boundaries and beyond in what situations do they use or not use the language confidently their attutides towards the language and how this influences their use of Welsh the influence of the language used at home the influence of parental and peer attitudes towards the language whether the school and its surroundings, e.g., the playground, has a Welsh ethos and atmosphere intensity of Welshmedium extracurricular activities and pre/after school clubs how the school staff promote and facilitate the use of Welsh how ancillary staff facilitate and particularly concentrate on the use of Welsh in the playground and around the school how parents encourage and facilitate the use of Welsh at home any other relevant considerations

3 ii) Following the consultation, drawing up a series of innovative, varied and detailed proposals which will seek to respond to those factors identified as influencing children’s social use of Welsh to be trialled as a national experiment in Gwynedd. These proposals will be a means of identifying and delivering varied and innovative opportunities to facilitate the social use of Welsh in school and beyond. In drawing up the proposals, consult with headteachers, staff and volunteers in the schools, together with parents, guardians and any other community leaders.

iii) Cooperate with the Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn catchment area – which is the first area to be prioritised in the reorganisation of primary education – so as to assist the process of identifying and implementing proposals which can strengthen and support the Welsh language as primary education in the area begins the process of reorganisation.

4. Methodology i) Desktop research was carried out by considering the following: Linguistic Impact Assessment Report of the Gwynedd School Reorganisation Scheme (2008) Gwynedd’s Welsh Language Education Scheme, and Education Department data on pupils’ language in the schools Data obtained through the Welsh Language Board on the linguistic profile of areas in Gwynedd Research carried out by the Welsh Language Board with a cluster of secondary schools in southwest Wales Immigration data obtained through Gwynedd Council’s Research Unit Researching and discovering innovative proposals/similar practice in other bilingual (or multilingual) countries.

ii) A series of facetoface meetings was held with each school (16 in all) to obtain the opinions of headteachers, teachers, and ancillary/support staff (on site). This was the pattern followed at each school: Individual interview with the headteacher Interviews with teachers either in several small groups (2/4) or individually – whichever was most practical Individual interview with catchment area language coordinator Small group (1/2) interviews with ancillary staff, depending on numbers and whatever was most practical Consideration was given to the notes of individual interviews held with the headteachers of two schools which follow current linguistic good practice as part of the Linguistic Impact Assessment Report of the Gwynedd School Reorganisation Scheme( May 2008).

Before the facetoface interviews, a comprehensive picture of the school pupils’ language pattern and use was drawn up, based on available data. Interviews were structured using specific questions and routes so as to allow

4 enough flexibility for the discussion to take any direction or to encompass any aspect/subject. Copies of the questions used for the interviews may be seen in Appendix 1.

iii) Pupils were observed by school (in class, in the corridors, in the playground, and in the dinner room) – for a whole day in the case of 8 schools and a half day in the case of 8 schools in the Tywyn area – and up to 3 focus groups of up to 5 pupils were held with groups divided according to age as follows: group of 47 year olds (total of 23 8 with pupils from Welsh backgrounds, 13 from English backgrounds and 2 from bilingual backgrounds) group of 811 year olds (total of 27 – 10 with pupils from Welsh backgrounds, 11 from English backgrounds and 6 from bilingual backgrounds) on the basis of home language, Welsh, English or Bilingual.

In larger schools membership of the focus groups was agreed beforehand with the head of the school, and in a number of the smaller schools, all pupils were members of the focus group.

The consultants were CRB checked, and a letter was sent to the parents of each child likely to be a member of the focus groups to obtain their permission to contribute to the survey.

The focus groups for 47 year old pupils were questioned about their: Linguistic background (regarding their use of language with different members of the family and extended family) Use of language (in school, the community, and influences) Attitudes towards the language

This was achieved using a sheet of informal questions for the whole group, and on a onetoone level. A questionnaire for the children to complete was piloted, but this was not effective.

In the focus groups for 811 year old pupils, they were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning: Linguistic background (regarding their use of language with different members of the family and extended family) Use of language (in school, the community, and influences) Attitudes towards the language A copy of the questionnaire can be seen in Appendix 2.

iv) A more communityfocused questionnaire was also drawn up in order to obtain a wider range of opinion on the situation and use of the language in school, in the community surrounding the school, in community activities and activities by specific organisations, together with those factors which may have a positive influence on the children’s social use of Welsh.

5 The community questionnaire was distributed to assistants, ancillary staff, parents and community leaders in the 16 schools. A supply was also left at each school, using the same email address so as to collect all the replies electronically, but contributors were also welcome to return the sheet by post. The confidentiality of each respondent was respected, and it was possible to submit comments anonymously with an individual code for each school on the questionnaire.

In addition, the opinions of the 4 Language Units were considered because of their key contribution to the assimilation of newcomers, together with the Living in Wales scheme which they operate which offers an introduction to the area and to the Welsh language to the parents of those pupils attending the Language Units. Further, a discussion was held with the Welsh Language Advisor at Cynnal.

v) On the basis of the survey findings, the facetoface interviews, and the focus groups, a series of recommendations was drawn up which would seek to respond positively to those factors which have a positive influence on pupils’ social use of Welsh. These recommendations will help to identify and deliver varied and innovative opportunities to facilitate the social use of Welsh within the school and beyond. iv) As part of the process of drawing up the recommendations, they were submitted in draft form to hunan iaith and the Head of Gwynedd’s Education Department for comments. A thorough consultation process was carried out on the draft recommendations with headteachers, staff and volunteers at the schools, together with parents, guardians, and any other community leaders, as well as the Language Units and Cynnal. This was achieved by submitting a paper on the recommendations for the attention of the headteachers and governors of each school, and by visiting each individual school.

Following this consultation process, responses were received from 12 (75%) schools of the total of 16 which took part in the survey, and 3 (75%) of the 4 Language Units, namely: Ysgol Aberdyfi Ysgol Abergynolwyn Ysgol Bryncrug Ysgol Cymerau Ysgol Dyffryn Dulas Ysgol Edmwnd Prys/Bro Cynfal Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi Ysgol Llanbedrog Ysgol Llwyngwril Ysgol Pennal Ysgol Penybryn, Tywyn Cefn Coch Language Unit, Penrhyndeudraeth Llangybi and Maesincla, Caernarfon Language Units

6 vii) Following the consultation process on the draft recommendations, they were revised and refined so as to submit a list of practical final recommendations which could easily be translated into an Action Plan.

viii) Also as part of the commission, it was expected that criteria would be identified to measure achievement in seeking to influence children’s social use of Welsh.

As regards defining ‘achievement’, reference could be made to changing the pattern of language use of: Individual pupils Groups of friends/peers, wider groupings pursuing the same activity Increase in the percentage speaking Welsh or all pupils at the school when the Catchment Area Coordinators assess proficiency in Welsh at transfer to secondary school in Year 6 Change in the percentages of linguistic categories (A to Ch) Change in the percentages by Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Locations such as break times, in the corridor, breakfast time or dinner time

It is foreseen also that the scale of success with some of these recommendations will depend on the success of campaigns or activities targeted towards a wider audience than primary school pupils only, such as Twf, Early Years schemes, and provision by Welsh for Adults centres in north and mid Wales. It is foreseen therefore that the recommendations should be viewed holistically and a strategy sought which weaves together attempts to have a positive influence on the language use of children, young people, families and community activities.

5. Findings

(i) Findings of the desktop research

Further research in this area is very limited – both in Wales and internationally. Since 2008/09 the Welsh Language Board has been carrying out a Language Practice Support Project for young people in 10 secondary schools in southwest Wales and 10 secondary schools in the southeast. These are the main findings:

Lack of confidence • Lack of confidence is one of the chief influences on pupil choice in relation to their linguistic use and choice.

Lingustic background of the home • Pupils from Welshspeaking backgrounds tend to have more confidence, awareness and ownership of the language, with pupils

7 from nonWelsh backgrounds tending to see Welsh as more of a challenge.

Role models • Reference was made to several types of influential persons: family (extended – specifically, grandparents); teachers (sports specifically); older pupils; community officers; employers and sports/music celebrities. It was recognised that individuals had succeeded in a subtle way in increasing their confidence and skills in Welsh, and that by not drawing specific attention to Welsh. • In the rural schools, a tendency to see parents who can speak Welsh but who don’t do so (children’s attitudes on the theme of future language transfer varies)

Pupils’ use of language • That there is a need for better understanding of the factors creating change in pupils’ language use in the first place rather than seeking to respond to the change after it has happended.

Primary Sector • That language patterns are established during Yrs.56 in primary, but are rooted soon after reaching secondary. It was noted duirng the last years in primary and first year of secondary that Welsh is increasingly associated with learning, structure, routine and compulsion. On the other hand, English is associated with television, echatting and socialising. • A large number (Welsh and English background) have been happy to speak Welsh with everyone in primary school friends and teachers. • By Yrs. 45, begin to be influenced by older pupils at school, begin to feel selfconscious. • A number state that their older siblings have told them to turn to English the use of Welsh outside the classroom declines considerably from Yr. 5 on.

‘Reward or sanction’ for using or not using Welsh during school time. • Generally, we can conclude that rewarding pupils for speaking Welsh is a tool which works with younger pupils and which is successful in the short term. It is not, however, a practice which has longterm effects, frequently because pupils and teachers lose interest or because there is a feeling of lack of wholeschool consistency in the manner in which the pupils’ language challenge is dealt with. Older pupils in the schools argue against rewarding on the basis that it encourages pupils to speak Welsh for the wrong reasons, and that they are rewarded for doing what is expected of them in any case.

Advantages and disadvantages of penalising or rewarding pupils

8 • Pupils refer to campaigns in primary school and Yr. 7 where individual pupils or whole classes are offered prizes for speaking Welsh (e.g.,Camau Clôd / Cymraeg Cŵl / Cynllun Cymreictod) • Younger pupils have positive memories and attitudes – but the effects appear shortterm. • Pupils tend to speak Welsh in the teacher’s hearing so as to be rewarded • Negative feelings develop as pupils see that from Yr. 8 on they are penalised for speaking English – no more reward campaigns. A feeling that teachers’ attitudes towards them are changing is a reason to rebel.

Remind pupils to speak Welsh or let them speak English? • Several stated that if the teachers let them be, they would speak more Welsh because the ‘choice is there’. • Other view – some feel that the teachers have lost interest unless they are scolded for speaking English. A feeling that teachers have a responsibility to ensure that pupils speak Welsh. • Several references to influential teachers / adults who have succeeded in conveying the message on the importance of the language without preaching. • Lack of consistency among teachers who draw pupils’ attention to their language use and those who don’t.

Secondary Sixth Form • Clear signs that pupils see sixth form as an opportunity to change their language habits. Sixth form is referred to as a period where new friendship/subject groups are formed. This period is seen as a means of changing the language habits established in previous years. Reference was also made to the sixth form as an opportunity to reconsider their ideas and suppositions about the language. With more mature attitudes towards teachers and school life (as the senior members) and with a view to the future, several noted that they either expected to see or had seen their attitude towards Welsh improving and progress in their use of the language. • More socialising happens outside school clubs, local friends – turning to English.

Students’ responsibility for planning and implementing projects to promote Welshness • Placing responsibility on sixth form students to disseminate language points to younger pupils had ‘a considerable effect’ on all pupils’ language use. “ In several cases, this was wholly responsible for changing the language younger pupils speak with older pupils, and a means of placing a duty on the older pupils to give an example to the younger pupils and increasing their use of Welsh with their peers .”

Activities/systems to promote the use of the language in school

9 • That any activity or system used to promote language use should be part of a whole school framework to promote Welshness which is owned by all members of staff, and implemented fairly and consistently across the school.

Consideration was also given to “Language transfer within the family – Welsh Language Board’s Statistical Analysis of the 2001 Census” with the following main findings:

National • In families where both parents speak Welsh 82% of 3 to 4 year old children could speak Welsh in 2001. • In families where there is a couple but only one of the adults can speak Welsh, there has been an improvement since 1991: 61% of children in these families could speak Welsh in 2001, an increase of about 7 to 8 percentage points since 1991. • In families without an adult who can speak Welsh, there has been a great improvement since 1991: 28% of children in these families could speak Welsh in 2001, an increase of about 15 to 16 percentage points since 1991. • 18.8% of all children aged 34 who could speak Welsh; • 38.5% of all children aged 511 who could speak Welsh;

• If homes where there are two adults and they can speak Welsh and single parent homes where the adult can speak Welsh are defined as “Welshspeaking homes”, then across Wales 37% of children aged 3 to 4 who can speak Welsh live in a “Welshspeaking home. Only in three unitary authorities – Gwynedd, Ynys Môn and Ceredigion – do the majority of children who can speak Welsh live in a “Welshspeaking home”.

• Welsh transfer rates for children aged 3 and 4 – linguistic composition of the home: couple homes with 2 adults speaking Welsh 89% in Gwynedd, Welshspeaking single parent 73.4%, couple homes with one adult speaking Welsh 55.7% and homes with no adults speaking Welsh 34.6%. All homes 70.9%. Highest rate in Wales.

• In couple families (married or cohabiting):

- Where only the male partner speaks Welsh 49.6% of children aged 315 speak Welsh;

- Where only the female partner speaks Welsh 58.8% of children aged 315 speak Welsh.

(ii) Findings from facetoface meetings at each school

The following meetings were held at each school:

10 Arfon • Cwm y Glo x 6 (Deputy Head, Teachers, 3 Assistants) • Glan Cegin Bangor x 7 (Headteacher and Deputy, 2 Teachers, 4 Assistants) • Gwaun Gynfi Deiniolen x 1 (Headteacher) • Y Garnedd Bangor x 3 (Headteacher, Deputy and Nursery Assistant)

Dwyfor • Cymerau Pwllheli x 6 (Headteacher, 3 Teachers, All Teachers, Assistant) • Llanbedrog x 3 (Headteacher and 2 Teachers)

Meirionnydd • Bro Cynfal x 4 (Headteacher, Teachers a 2 Assistants) • Edmwnd Prys x 2 (Headteacher and Teachers)

Tywyn Catchment Area • Aberdyfi x 3 (Headteacher, Teachers and Assistant) • Abergynolwyn x 2 (Headteacher and Teachers) • Bryncrug x 3 (Headteacher, Catchment Area Language Co ordinator and Nursery Assistant) • Dyffryn Dulas Corris x 3 (Headteacher and 2 Teachers) • Llanegryn x 3 (Headteacher, Teachers and Cook) • Llwyngwril x 1 (Headteacher) • Pennal x 2 (Headteacher and Teachers) • Penybryn Tywyn x 3 (Headteacher and Secretary, All Teachers , Classroom and Playtime Assistants).

These were the main findings:

Factors influencing language use: • Home language influences, community language and school language are key factors. • Influences of English and American entertainment adversely affects Welsh. • Parental attitude vary from apathy among the majority, with some being negative, and occasionally, the attitude of newcomers is better than that of established residents. • Children’s attitides towards Welsh – many believe that Welsh is a language to be used in school and not the community. As they get older, they are more reluctant to speak Welsh.

Innovative steps • A third of the schools welcomed language policy/guidance to confirm what the school does to encourage Welsh among pupils. • Employing more playtime and class assistants (key stage) would be a means of promoting Welsh among some pupils.

11 • Innovative proposals to increase the use of Welsh should be in a specific area, e.g. Bangor. • A welcome to Gwynedd pack for newcomers and a short Welsh course should be provided in order to integrate people. • A pamphlet or booklet explaining the advantages of Welshmedium (bilingual) education would be valuable. • Health Visitors have a role in promoting the language rather than having it all come from the school. • More community and family activities are needed through the medium of Welsh. Call for a Welsh Language Initiative in the Tywyn area to create opportunities to use the language socially. • The present definition of language categories is vague – some need to be redefined and language coordinators need training in this area.

Current practice • Several schools remind children sometimes to speak Welsh in class. • Primary linguistic investment and continuity is lost by the Secondary phase. • Pride among parents that the children speak Welsh therefore what is the problem if they speak English at playtime. • It is counterproductive to scold children for not using Welsh. Better to refer to it in a light, relaxed and sensitive manner. • Welsh songs and games are successful methods of promoting Welsh. • It is importnat to have parental support in encouraging children to use Welsh. • One parttime headteacher for two schools – adopts the same language promotion techniques in both schools, who also co operate as regards sharing staff, swimming, use of the gym and school trips. Has embedded language motivation techniques in one school over ten years, after visiting a Welsh school in south wales. • Gwynedd’s schools are bilingual therefore it is not possible to insist on the social use of Welsh. • Problems in recruiting bilingual ancillary staff affects the linguistic continuity of children’s school experience. • Reluctance at the centre in the past to designate school ancillary posts as Welsh essential. • The service at the county’s Leisure Centres is English in nature.

(iii) Observation finding in school

• 47 and 811 year old focus groups (questionnaires) The results below are based on the responses of 145 children, 72 boys and 73 girls, to a series of questions in a questionnaire for focus groups of up to 5 pupils aged 7 11. 48 of the pupils came from the Arfon area, 20 from the Dwyfor area, and 77 from the Tywyn, Meirionnydd area. In the case of the 47 year old focus groups, a

12 sheet with a series of questions was completed by the researcher (Appendix 3).

These were the main findings:

Use of language in school: There were significant statistical differences among pupils’ responses to questions regarding the use of Welsh, for instance, 70% of the pupils used Welsh with the teacher in class, compared with 56% at break time the playground. Language between children in class – 37% speak Welsh and 33% speak Welsh and English. Playground language between children – 27% Welsh, 25% Welsh and English, English almost always 19%, English mostly 15%, Welsh mostly 11%, No reply 3%.

Use of language in the community: There were no community contexts (in the street, shop, cafe, sports or with friends) which were typically Welsh, which reduces pupils’ opportunities to hear and use Welsh outside school, and reduce the need to use it in those contexts. For example, language when speaking in the street – Welsh and English 35% and English mostly 24%, Welsh almost always 18%; language in a shop 34% Welsh and English, 25% English mostly and Welsh almost always 19%. Neither is Welsh the main language in a place of worship (20%). Sports –Welsh and English 25% and English mostly 24%; language between friends – 29% Welsh and English, 26% English mostly and 20% Welsh almost always.

Language use according to area: 75% and 88% of children in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd schools chose to fill the questionnaire in Welsh compared with 56% of the Arfon children. More children from the Meirionnydd area noted the use of Welsh and English in the street, shop and sports (36% 47% across all three) than pupils from other areas. As regards language use among friends in class, the majority of Arfon children noted the use of Welsh either all the time or most of the time (60% of responses), a large number of Dwyfor and Meirionnydd children noted the use of both languages (58% and 39%). However, it may also be seen that the Arfon area pupils were most likely to note the use of English all the time with friends in class (19%, with Meirionnydd pupils noting this 12% of the time); this seems to reflect the obvious differences between schools in these areas.

Attitudes towards the language: pupils’ attitudes towards their language skills were very positive. Most of the pupils agreed they were more comfortable speaking Welsh than English (44%) and could speak Welsh better than English (43%). As

13 regards pupils’ attitudes towards their proficiency in both languages in future, the majority of pupils hoped to be able to speak Welsh and English ‘equally well’ (62%), with 22% hoping to be able to speak English ‘better’ than Welsh, and 15% hoping to be able to speak Welsh ‘better’ than English.

Language of the home. The language of the home was one of the most influential factors in pupils’ responses. All factors which were influenced by the home language were language in the community (street, shop, etc), language in school (teacher in class, friends in class and in the playground but with no teacher in the playground), ease, linguistic skills and future language skills.

The general language of the school is probably a natural extension of the language experiences of the home, the wider community, and reflects the critical mass of English first language children attending the school, whatever the language of instruction. It is apparent that many children make extensive use of English not only in the playground, but also in class, and even with the teacher in some cases. We cannot establish what percentage of this derives from teaching any subject through the medium of English in accordance with the 60:40 threshold in the language policy or in teaching English more generally. But neither can we ignore the observations where examples were noted of children using English directly with the teacher in a Welshmedium lesson. Although these observations were not frequent, it must be stated that their appearance was in a context where the pupils (and staff) were obviously responding to the presence of the researcher, and attempting to make extensive use of Welsh. This use of English in class needs to be dealt with before attempting to change the pupils’ language behaviours and habits in the playground and in the community.

From talking with the pupils, it became apparent also that many formed a linguistic impression of their fellowpupils from the very beginning in school, and retain the practice of conversing in English with children who have, in the pupils’ estimation, a very weak grasp of Welsh all through primary school.

Percentage of pupils from a Welsh background: Generally, pupils attending schools where over 65% were from Welsh speaking homes tended to note more use of Welsh o in school and outside, o were more comfortable speaking Welsh, o were more favourable about their skills and enthusiasm for being able to speak Welsh well, and

14 o were more likely to fill in the questionnaire in Welsh than pupils attending schools which had less than 65% of natural Welsh speakers (first language).

Therefore, it is clear that the internal linguistic nature of the school – in respect of the linguistic background of the pupils – is a major influence on the response and behaviour of the pupils. This figure is significant when considering the plans to reorganise education and conduct lingustic impact assessments. It is also very close to the threshold of 70% used by the Welsh Assembly Government for sustainable linguistic communities.

There is not much difference between the linguistic behaviours of pupils from Welsh homes when speaking with their friends in class and out in the playground. Generally, Welsh is the medium they use in both contexts. However, there is an obvious increase in the use of English among pupils from mixed and English backgrounds, with slightly more use of English in the playground. It is apparent, therefore, that any lingusitic planning needs to differentiate between different types of childreb, aiming to maintain the use of Welsh among the first language pupils, while encouraging its use among ’second language’ pupils.

It is apparent also that a number of pupils from backgrounds where English is used in the home are not very confident in Welsh. If the language of communication amongst each other in class and outside is not Welsh, pupils are not sufficiently immersed in Welsh. There is a difference between hearing a language and using language for confidence and proficiency. The support necessary for teachers to formulate their lessons effectively needs to be increased so as to monitor pupils’s use of Welsh, and to promote the use of Welsh among ‘second language’ pupils.

Area’s language percentage: The lingusitic nature of the area where the school is located had some effect on the use of Welsh among pupils in the community (on the street, in shops, cafe, when pursuing sports and meeting friends outside school). There was a difference also as to how comfortable pupils from different areas were when speaking Welsh vs. English, and as regards their aspirations to be able to speak Welsh in future.

Interestingly, although pupils from areas where less than 70% of the population speak Welsh were much less comfortable using Welsh than children from areas where Welsh speakers were in a majority, there appears to be very positive attitudes towards bilingualism among all pupils. In those areas where

15 Welsh speakers are in the majority, there was great support for possessing good skills in Welsh, either at the expense of similar skills in English, or on a par with their skills in English, while a large number of pupils from less Welsh backgrounds favoured having similar skills in both.

Gender: Generally, there was a tendency for boys to state that they used more English in class than girls (and the use of language with friends). Added to this, there was a tendency for the girls to be more favourable to the ability to speak Welsh well in future. There was a greater tendency among the boys to be able to speak better English than Welsh than there was among the girls. Also, more girls than boys were of the opinion that they could speak Welsh better than English.

These tendencies reflect years of research which has identified differences in the nature of language between boys and girls (e.g., Sachs, 1987; Killen & Naigles, 1995; Burman, Bitan, & Booth, 2008), and these differences should be better recognised if we are to provide opportunities to foster confidence in Welsh among boys in class, with the teacher and with friends. It may be argued that some educational activities favour girls over boys (e.g. singing at the eisteddfod), and there are undoubtedly more female than male teachers. By increasing activities for boys (sports particularly) and attracting more male trainee teachers, the tendency among boys to want to speak English better than Welsh when older might be reversed: it is a direct reflection of their attitudes towards the importance of the respective languages.

Pupils’ ideas as to how to increase the use of Welsh among pupils at the school: Four clear themes arise from the responses, namely rewarding attempts to use Welsh (30% of the responses), developing Welsh games which encourage Welsh conversation (23% of the responses), mixing older and younger pupils so that the older pupils can “teach” the young pupils about Welsh in the playground (16% of the responses), and developing more leisure materials in Welsh, such as films and computer programs (13% of the responses).

Obviously, some of these proposals entail financial investment in areas outside education (e.g. Welsh computer games). However, several proposals already seem to be working well in similar ways in some schools (e.g. the “Rwtsipwts” scheme at Ysgol Edmwnd Prys and Bro Cynfal; “Bwrdd Aur” at Ysgol Llwyngwril). It would be useful if each school had all the Welsh computer resources available for pupils, and that games requiring a considerable use of language were to be created and used in class and in the

16 playground when appropriate. There is a role here for Gwynedd Council’s Leisure Department to secure Welsh medium activities and thus provide key role models.

Certainly, very many school children in Gwynedd are very supportive of Welsh, and it is usual practice for those who are first language English speakers to turn to it from choice. If we are to increase pupils’ confidence, need and enthusiasm to be comfortable in Welsh occasionally, pupils’ comments as to how to do this should be listened to.

There is a comprehensive analysis in Appendix 4.

(iv) Findings of the community questionnaire Because of the emphasis on community use beyond schools, a public consultation process was held in the catchment areas of the 16 schools, and officials and individuals working/active in the local community were targeted (such as voluntary and charitable bodies, leaders of sports clubs and social activities, Town and Community Councils and County Councillors, by means of a short questionnaire (Appendix 6). The response to the consultation was very disappointing, with one response by an Area Regeneration Officer in the Llŷn Peninsula. As regards activities in school, the regeneration officer commended attractive board games and enjoyable traditional games to encourage the use of Welsh. In the community he offered activities / workshops with artists and performers, e.g., a workshop with Dyl Mei and cooperating with the whole community to create a piece of art using the the language, e.g. poems. Regarding the role of the regeneration officer and promoting steps to influence positively on the use of primary school children’s social use of Welsh, he stated that a package of easytouse ideas for developing and implementing various activities would be a great help for community groups and individuals in the community. Should these resources be available on a website, they could be updated to meet changes in requirements and needs. He saw also that the County Council, school governors, parent teachers associations, organisations to promote the Welsh language, providers of community activities and community leaders have a general or specific role in promoting Welsh in school and the wider community. He would like to see more cultural events in local schools, and smaller local, rather than central, translation facilities. Need to add value to social activities across various areas, e.g. leisure, history, art, so as to encourage people to use Welsh. A resource / ideas package of simple ideas to support individuals / community groups to plan their activities. He said “the Pen Llŷn and South Pwllheli Communities First officers have specific plans to support social use of Welsh and have strong links with services for children and their families and individuals / groups in the community.”

It was not possible to use the incomplete results of the public consultation as a valid part of the survey.

(v) Language Units/Language Advisor Findings

Because of the role and functions of the 4 Gwynedd Language Units in relation to this survey, they were invited to fill in a questionnaire on “Children’s social use of Welsh”. A questionnaire was filled in by the Cefn Coch Penrhyndeudraeth Language Centre and the Llangybi Language Unit . The main findings were:

• Main ethnic backgrounds of pupils attending the Language Unit

- In the past, the majority of children attending the Language Unit were incomers from England, but in these last few years we have received children from other countries, e.g. Canada, America, Italy, Poland, the Philippines, Lithuania, Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa and also from south Wales. Some of these children could not speak English.

- Incomers from England mostly although we have three from Poland this term.

• Pupils’ attitudes

- On the whole, pupils’ attitude towards the Welsh language is very positive at the beginning of their period at the Language Unit. On very rare occasions, we see negative attitudes, but this usually changes very early on in the term.

- Very many of the children have a very healthy attitude, and these are the ones who succeed best, since they make more of an effort with patterns and take every opportunity to practice the language. There is a small percentage who answered our questions only, with the lack of effort/practice leading to incorrect and uncertain language. Obviously, a postive attitude is a great advantage. A negative child may be led through the whole course – but cannot be persuaded to begin conversations in Welsh – that must come from the pupil.

• The main barriers to pupils who come to the Language Unit from using Welsh in the school, community and home

- There is a tendency for pupils returning (after a term in the Language Unit) to Welsh communities to become fluent earlier. We have no evidence that the rest place less value on the language.

- We are fortunate enough here to teach children belonging to schools where the majority of pupils are Welsh/ the language of the playground is Welsh – this encourages success. Where children return to schools where many of the pupils come from

18 English homes/ the language of the playground may be English – then it is difficult.

• The main problem preventing pupils coming to the Language Unit from using Welsh in the school, community and the home is the failure to realise that the children have learnt Welsh. They feel fairly confident at the end of the course, but they need help and support in unfamiliar situations. It is necessary therefore to depend on the support of children and teachers.

• We encourage pupils to use the language in local shops, with friends and at home if this is possible. We encourage the parents at the beginning of term to ensure the children have opportunities to mix with Welsh children outside the Language Unit.

• An assimilation course was held for parents as a pilot in the Language Unit during the 2009 summer term so as to give them a taste of learning the language and to introduce them to activities to use at home to encourage their children to learn the language and use it outside the Unit. 5 parents came to these sessions parents of 3 of the children. As a result, we feel the parents realise that learning a new language is no small matter and they were more willing to support their children. The children were not present at these sessions. Following the pilot scheme, the Living in Wales scheme will run every term at all Gwynedd’s primary Language Units from September 2010 onwards.

• Many parents encourage their children to use Welsh in the community and with their friends, and they feel proud listening to them speaking the language.

• We accept that the pupils will speak English with each other and with teachers during the early weeks of the course, since they have neither the language patterns or the vocabulary to hold a conversation in Welsh. Gradually during the term, the children gain in confidence and learn sufficient vocabulary to enable them to hold a conversation in Welsh, but they need constant encouragement, help and support in order to succeed.

• We encourage the pupils to speak Welsh with their fellow pupils and also encourage the class teachers to encourage and support the children after their return to the schools.

• Tracking former pupils - We track former pupils of the Unit at the end of Years 6 and 9 in the schools and convey the information to the Language Adviser. - Yes – we track the children in Yrs. 6, 9 and GCSE. We have a close relationship with the feeder schools, reporting back to their teachers on their development at the Unit, and invite them to the

19 Unit during term time. By now, we have designed an aftercare file which will be presented to the schools at the end of this term. The file is full of activities for the children’s ‘Next Step’. There are also resources to accord with the activities contained there. We hope that the file will be of use to the teachers.

• As part of the Gwynedd and Môn Athrawon Bro team, we are preparing an aftercare package for the schools feeding the Language Units. The package will include all types of activities. These might be suitable for use during break at the schools.

• We are very concerned that the Welsh language is not used at break times in some schools in Welsh areas.

6. Good Practice

(i) One primary school in Arfon was visited where it is considered that they follow current good linguistic practice. Meetings were held with the teaching staff, focus groups and breaktime observations and in school corridors and at dinnertime. Evidence was also checked regarding creating a Welsh image and identity.

Conclusions as to good practice:

• The Headteacher and teaching staff at the school are very enthusiastic towards Welsh and wish to create a Welsh school. A challenge to a ‘Welsh’ institution in an Anglicised city. • Parents of prospective pupils are informed of this enthusiasm and the fact that pupils will become completely bilingual at 7 years of age (at an open evening). • Pupils are informed of the status given to Welsh by means of - posters on the school walls stating that Welsh is the language of communication at the school, - continuing and constant use of Welsh among staff and between staff and pupils - a Welsh ethos promoted through membership of the Urdd and taking part in Eisteddfodau, art competitions and sports through the medium of Welsh. • The above viewpoint is supported by the majority of parents although about 40% of the pupils come from nonWelsh homes. • Pupils are rewarded for speaking Welsh with learners, and Welsh is the main language of the playground (observation). Otherwise, rewards are holitic (behaviour). • Pupils in class are mixed on the basis of linguistic ability so as to assist others. • Very few children of newcomers attend the school (Headteacher). • If pupils do not transfer to a specific Secondary School in year 7, the school feels they have failed in their mission.

20 • Linguistic continuum since the early years with creche and nursery school on the same site. Infants’ unit with 8 members of staff in 3 classes which is a good ratio for immersing and setting language models. Early influence leads to setting a language which will not change. If pupils are immersed in class they will not need encouragement in the playground. • Educational standards are very important. Contributes to raising the school’s profile and status? • Does not creating a Welsh image attract pupils of parents who wish for a Welsh education with other primary schools in the catchment area offering a more bilingual education?

(iii) Good practice found in schools in the wake of this research. We note below a sample of good practice among the 16 schools in the survey.

• Cwm y Glo: uses reward stickers for work on healthy lunchbox, clean plates, and speaking Welsh in the playground – ceremony every Friday. Recent scheme since September 2009 with the coming of a new headteacher.

• Dyffryn Dulas Corris: Subjects through the medium of Welsh with the option to encourage pupils to enter the Welsh stream. Additional adult in class to assist the teacher – for every subject. Recent development by Bro Ddyfi.

• Dyffryn Dulas Corris: A soft toy – bear in a Wales shirt comes to listen to children who speak Welsh with their friends. Pupils can take the bear home on Friday over the weekend. Popular because everyone wants the bear.

• Glan Cegin Bangor: Praise and reward. Sticker for using Welsh – assistants hear as well as teachers in class. Part of wider values. This is done throughout the school year – maintains the momentum at the beginning and it has worked. Accords with the Reading a Million Words, etc. Competitions between different classes to read in class and home and to use in sentences. This was the school’s idea. Variety needed – rewards of pencils and ruler. Bigger reward for the older pupils.

• Glan Cegin Bangor: Infants – hurting ears groups when they hear English and then switch to Welsh. If using English and the pupils turn to Welsh, this was positive. Emphasise the positive – stickers, praise. If they use the wrong word, praise for effort but never scold.

• Llanbedrog: Reward with stickers. Certificate for using Welsh. Dragon Sports through the medium of Welsh. Welsh flags in the children’s books. One teacher splits the children into small groups in class according to the home linguistic background and appoint a

21 Chair for each group with good Welsh skills. Raising the standard and level of achievement in Welsh.

• Llanegryn: What worked was a Welsh week and an English week. Mark for correcting each other and marking each other’s work (pupils). Transfer to playground and the school bus. Reward for good work.

• Llwyngwril: Certificate and reward service – star certificates in Welsh. Green stickers for different reasons every day. Effect throughout the school. Children want to win.

• Bro Cynfal and Edmwnd Prys: rwtsipwts scheme where a pupil or teacher highlights an English word in a Welsh sentence, in a fun and relaxed manner. Also a golden opportunity for pupils to correct teachers! Further details in Appendix 5.

7. Conclusions

There is no one simple solution to encourage primary school pupils to use Welsh socially in the school and beyond. If so, it would have been adopted and implemented effectively years ago, and there would have been no need for this survey or similar work by bodies such as the Welsh Language Board. Rather, we conclude that a series of central and local measures are needed to create an environment likely to lead to progress in the use of Welsh and a change in pupils’ linguistic pattern and habits. Setting a policy context and central support by the Education Authority is necessary, but guidance is also needed on a local level, which includes the enthusiasm and vision of the headteacher and teachers. Welsh and bilingualism must be set in a progressive and contemporary context which belongs to the modern, twentyfirst century world, with bilingualism in families among 60% to 70% of the world’s citizens. This is no small feat, and teachers and ancillary staff need specific training to implement the vision at the grass roots. Furthermore, a community and social infrastructure needs to be created which elevates the practicality and use of Welsh in order to change negative or apathetic attitudes towards the language. This is easier to achieve with a generation of young children, bearing in mind that the influences and linguistic aspects around them steer and contribute towards their way of thinking and their own actions. Doubtless, therefore, the intervention of the language agencies is necessary, working in partnership and aiming for the same objectives – increasingly so at a period of financial stringency. Finally, there is a need to monitor implementation and report on performance so as to measure outcomes which will, we hope, lead to progress and change in the pattern of children’s language use. There is a role for the school, the governors and also Gwynedd Education Authority, hunan iaith and the Welsh Language Board/ Language Commissioner.

Following observation in 16 schools, we come to the conclusion that it is necessary to seek to identify the true linguistic nature of the school day from the child’s viewpoint. By calculating the frequency of receiving Welsh, the need to use it and the frequency of opportunities to receive and use the language, it would be possible to draw up a better picture of the needs of the young learner and the effect of the use of English/lack of use of Welsh on their potential to acquire the confidence to use and learn the language to their maximum ability where there is competition with a socially stronger language.

Because home language is a very strong influence on pupils’ linguistic responses and behaviour, more research should be carried out to identify the exact nature of the influence of home language in the context of Gwynedd’s primary pupils, whether the influence derives from frequency of using Welsh and the home language as a natural and strong native language for communication, or from family attitudes towards Welsh.

It would be interesting to research further into pupils’ attitudes to the need to use Welsh vs. English at school and in the community. If pupils feel there is no need to use Welsh at all outside school, or there are no opportunities to use it beyond the school, why bother to learn it for social purposes? If we are to change the impression that Welsh is an educational medium (leading to “CognitiveAcademic Language Proficiency” rather than “Basic Interpersonal Communication Strategy” – see Cummins, 1979) we must increase the need to use Welsh, and subsequently, pupils’ awareness of that need.

Further study is needed into this differential pattern between boys and girls since there are implications here for (i) setting good practice among boys from the very beginning, (ii) ensuring better opportunities for boys to respond orally in class, and (iii) class organisation (group work, etc.).

Gwynedd Education Authority, hunan iaith and the Welsh Language Board are to be congratulated for commissioning this research work. The findings and recommendations should be given serious consideration, and be turned into a practical programme of work. The social lingusitic situation in a number of the county’s schools demonstrate the need to introduce measures to promote the use of Welsh among pupils so as to realise the education language policy in full and create confident bilingual citizens for the future. Unless these

23 situations are tackled, there will most probably be a continued deterioration over time – particularly in view of the decline of those communities in Gwynedd where the percentage of Welsh speakers is over 70%, and in turn, those schools where 65% of the pupils come from Welshspeaking homes.