The Foundation Phase (FP) is a statutory curriculum in each state school in Wales since 2008. The curriculum follows a developmentally appropriate pedagogy, and encourages children to engage by learning through experiences. The paper that follows is taken from a wider evaluation of the FP, commissioned by Welsh Government in 2012 and considers one of the seven areas of learning; Welsh language development. Results indicated no significant difference between how the Foundation Phase was implemented in Welsh and English medium schools. But, Welsh language development usually took place in whole-class morning activities (e.g. circle time) which doesn’t pair with the Welsh Government’s vision of intertwining the language in every aspect of the FP. The paper considers how schools and settings go about developing bilingual individuals, according to Welsh Government policy aspirations.

Forty years of research into reading has elucidated many of the psychological processes underpinning the reading process, but until recently, the cognitive underpinnings of fluency have been relatively unknown. In this review, a description is provided of reading fluency as a cognitive and neurobiological phenomenon, including the research that has gone into understanding this process. My own and my colleagues’ work has focused heavily on this area, and I outline our main findings to date. I end by outlining the implications of this work for our understanding of reading fluency in normally developed and dyslexic adults.

Datblygwyd y llawlyfr ar-lein yma gan Brifysgol Cymru: Y Drindod Dewi Sant. Mae’n cyflwyno a thrafod prif elfennau creadigrwydd yn yr ysgol gynradd ar gyfer ymarferwyr y Cyfnod Sylfaen a Chyfnod Allweddol 2. Mae’r llawlyfr yn ymateb i ddatblygiadau polisi Llywodraeth Cynlluniad Cymru ac yn cynnig arweiniad ar sut i baratoi, creu, cynllunio, datblygu, trefnu ac asesu gweithgareddau dysgu ‘creadigedd’ o ansawdd uchel.

The literature contains many studies on code-switching. The socio-cultural method of studying networking in the classroom as described by Mercer (2000) is based on a detailed analysis of the discourse of language classes. Mercer noted a number of linguistic techniques used by teachers. This article analyses the views of trainee-teachers on code-switching as a practice in the classroom. In the study, the class practice of two trainee teachers, bilingual in Welsh and English, was examined. The two were observed and their teaching recorded. Interviews were also held with the trainee teachers to ask them about their attitudes to the use of the first language in a secondary-school class where English is a second language. The collected data is analysed using Critical Discourse analysis methods. Specific consideration is given to what extent the trainee teachers succeeded in teaching in a way that was within the attainment of the bilingual pupils under their care. The occasions when the teachers switched from English to Welsh for a minute could be seen to correspond to the code-switching functions noted by Camilleri. The code-switching suggests a legitimate way of using common linguistic resources as a teaching support in the classroom.

Aitchison and Carter’s analyses of the Census over the last decades have succeeded in making the main trends concerning the spatial distribution of Welsh known to everyone with an interest in the future of the language. Even so, some aspects remain unexamined. This paper is an attempt to give a different view of the trends by presenting a number of new analyses. In the first part, language production between 1991 and 2001 that is the effect of the education system, is examined. It is shown that the introduction of the National Curriculum in Gwent led to the biggest changes. In the second part, the geographical distribution of Welsh-speakers is looked at, especially those areas where more than 70% could speak Welsh. Some indices are introduced in order to quantify the situation and to explain the significance of those areas. Lastly, the implications of spatial distribution (or social network) to the use of Welsh is discussed by consideration of a little probability theory.

Cyfres o adnoddau hylaw i loywi iaith ar gyrsiau hyfforddi cychwynnol athrawon. Gall y deunydd gael ei ddefnyddio gan athrawon newydd gymhwyso ac athrawon profiadol i wirio adnoddau a chynlluniau gwersi.

Research on the acquisition of grammatical gender has shown that in many languages children gain an early command of gender. Often in these languages gender marking is quite overt and provides a clear one-to-one correspondence between a marker and the gender encoded. In Welsh, however, gender marking is more complex. It is marked by mutations, a set of morpho-phonological changes that affect the initial consonants of words, and the mapping between mutation and gender is quite opaque.  Two mutation types are used to mark feminine gender: both feminine nouns modified by the definite article and adjectives following feminine nouns undergo soft mutation, and the feminine gender of the possessive adjective ‘ei’ is marked by aspirate mutation of the modified noun. This paper presents two studies that examine children’s and adults’ productive command of gender as expressed in the mutation of nouns modified by the definite article, and adjectives modifying nouns. Children, between the ages of 4½ and 9 years old, and adults were invited to take part in the studies. First, a semi-naturalistic study was conducted to obtain knowledge about speakers’ usage of gender marking. A Cloze procedure was then used to elicit speakers’ production of masculine and feminine forms, with both real words and nonsense forms, in a variety of linguistic contexts. Some of these contexts provided cues to gender status, some did not. The data obtained indicated that the acquisition of the Welsh gender system is a long drawn-out process, and children have not mastered the system even by 9 years of age. Welsh speakers, even in adulthood, pay little or no attention to the possible cues present in the input. Results suggest that when a language has a complex gender system that is marked by opaque morpho-phonological processes the course of development is protracted and variable.  

Nod y gyfrol hon yw cyflwyno rhai pynciau perthnasol mewn cyd-destun Cymraeg a Chymreig i fyfyrwyr sydd yn astudio Graddau Sylfaen yn y maes addysg a gofal. Nid canllaw arfer dda a geir yma ond yn hytrach fraslun o bolisïau, athroniaeth ac ymarfer cyfredol. Caiff pynciau penodol eu trafod ym mhob pennod ac mae’r rhain yn amrywio o ddatblygiad, hawliau, lles a diogelu plant i gynhwysiant, Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol, a chwarae a chreadigrwydd.

Bilingual education (i.e. Welsh and English) occurs widely in Wales. By now, considerable variation exists in the provision of bilingual education and, as in the case of minority languages in other European regions, bilingual education in Wales is a combination of education in language heritage/ maintenance (1st Language Welsh) and immersion education (2nd Language Welsh). Because the bilingual education throughout Wales is characterised by “kaleidoscopic variation” (Baker 1993:15), teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods and bilingual teaching. Following interviews / observations at bilingual secondary and primary schools throughout Wales during 2007-2009, this paper will explain the aims and methodology of the research project in question, before moving on to discuss some initial findings. Specific reference is made to purposeful concurrent use of language, as teachers use both languages concurrently during the lesson. The conclusion is reached that further research is necessary into the 'kaleidoscopic variation' of bilingual educational practice in schools in Wales, as well as the analysis and evaluation of the bilingual teaching modules which were observed.

Bwriad y ddau becyn yma yw rhoi cymorth i athrawon i gyflwyno’r elfen Cymru, Ewrop a’r Byd o Fagloriaeth Cymru. Trefnwyd y pecynau o gwmpas themâu gwahanol, a phob un yn edrych ar le Cymru yn Ewrop ac yn y byd mewn modd bywiog a chyffrous.

Dyma adroddiad sy'n deillio o waith Prifysgol Abertawe ar brosiect Swan-Linx, prosiect iechyd a ffitrwydd sydd â'r nod o ymchwilio i iechyd a lles plant ysgol ym mlynyddoedd 5 a 6 (9-11 oed). Mae'r adroddiad yn seiliedig ar ddata a gasglwyd drwy gyfrwng: Arolwg iechyd ar y we o'r enw CHAT (Child Health and Activity Tool) sy'n gofyn cwestiynau am ymddygiadau iechyd gwahanol gan gynnwys diet, gweithgaredd corfforol, cwsg a lles. Diwrnod Hwyl Ffitrwydd, lle cafodd BMI (Mynegai Màs y Corff), ffitrwydd aerobig, cyflymder, cryfder, ystwythder, p?er, a hyblygrwydd yn cael eu mesur. Ariannwyd y gwaith cyfrwng Cymraeg gyda chymorth grant bach gan y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

This  resource contains a series of interactive tasks and are suitable for anyone who would like to develop their Welsh language skills for the classroom. To get a feel for the resources, the app can be downloaded from your mobile device or you can complete all the tasks in the full online version.