St. Rynagh’s N.S.

The Primary Language Curriculum for Gaeilge

Rationale:  

The curriculum called the P.L.C. determines what we teach and how we teach.  As there will be new initiatives and programmes recommended to us by diverse advocates it is imperative to be always cognizant of the P.L.C. to ensure we deliver a complete and balanced Irish language programme.

Vision:

We intend to encourage a positive, can do attitude in our pupils, to oral communicating in Irish. We intend to enable our pupils to read and write in Irish.

Aims:

Ba chóir go gcuirfí ar chumas gach pháiste;

• Gaeilge neamh fhoirmiúl a chloisint agus a thuscint mar theanga sa scoil.
• Labhairt as Gaeilge le caidreamh sóisialta, cumarsáid simplí cluiche a imirt nó rólghlacadh a dhéanamh.
• Taithí a fháil ar ghramadach na Gaeilge a chloisint.
• An múnteoir a chloisint ag léamh le rithim, fonn agus fuaim ceart.
• Léamh iad féin le rithim fonn agus fuaim ceart.
• Léitheoireacht a thuiscint.
• Cleachtaí scríbhneoireachta a dhéanamh.
• Eolas ar litriú agus gramadach na Gaeilge a úsáid.
• Páistí eile a chloisint ag labhairt nó ag léamh as Gaeilge.

The Primary Language Curriculum Strands:

Strands                                   Snáitheanna

Oral Language                         Teanga ó Bhéal

Reading                                   Léitheoireacht

Writing                                    Scríbhneoireacht

Elements                                 Gnéithe

The elements of essential language learning are common to first and second language learning.

• Communicating – Caidreamh cumarsáideach a fhorbairt trí Ghaeilge.
• Understanding – Ábhar agus structúr na teanga a thuiscint.
• Exploring and using – Teanga a fhiosrú agus a úsáid.

Communicating, understanding, exploring and using language are the elements of all language.  The elements are naturally interconnected.  The P.L.C.  expounds further on these elements on pages 16 and 17.  The P.L.C. then guides us to develop competence in all the elements in the Learning Outcomes section.

Learning Outcomes – Torthaí Foghlama

Learning Outcomes describe the competencies in the different strands of Teanga ó Bhéal, Léitheoireacht and Scríbhneoireacht that children should achieve.  Page 19 of the P.L.C. gives an overview of the learning outcomes that facilitates the teacher cross referencing the elements and the strands.

Section 5 (i.e. Torthaí Foghlama), facilitates the teachers looking at a strand for example; Teanga ó Bhéal and checking what the pupils in their class should be learning.  The torthaí foghlama should be read, considered and used in concert with the teachers’ experience and expertise to decide “what children learn, the sequence in which they learn, the pace at which they learn and the activities and experiences through which they learn.” Circular 45/2019.

Blue chain links are at the end of each of the torthaí foghlama.  These link to the English or first language learning outcome that pupils should be achieving highlighting the links between all language acquisition.  Teachers may find these links useful in clarifying a particular outcome.  The teacher may also choose to alert the children to the connection between the languages or simply to note the connection themselves.

The Torthaí Foghlama support the teacher to “select what to teach and the best order in which to teach it.” (P.L.C. 5)

The Primary Language Curriculum in Practice – Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoíle ibhfeidhm

This chapter of the P.L.C. outlines the principles on which learning of a language is based.  A good knowledge of these principles is important for all teachers in order to support the “greater decision making at school and classroom levels”, (Circular 26/2019) required to implement the P.L.C.

The key principles of children’s second language learning on page 35 should be studied at least annually in order to stay focused on what our priorities are in second language learning.

“If the new language is acquired in a familiar setting they (children learning Irish) will learn words and phrases that are regularly used throughout the day.” (P.L.C. 6)  Our pupils will not encounter Irish in any familiar setting in the course of their daily lives.  We therefore need to model and reuse Irish throughout the day.

We encourage our teachers to use Irish throughout the day as a language of communication and management, for example to follow instruction, send a message or ask a question.  This communicative approach is expounded on further on pages 38 and 39 of the P.L.C.

We do not think it effective to prescribe what phrases and words each class become familiar with.  We think it is far more effective to direct each teacher to the functions of language mentioned on page 40 of the P.L.C. and even more usefully to appendix 2 on pages 66 to 67 which categorises the functions of language or feidhmeanna teanga clearly.  Teachers can use this information in concert with their own expertise and experience to decide in a natural yet structured or scaffolded way what phrases and words to focus on.  This approach uses the P.L.C. to support “teachers as skilled professionals with the autonomy to make key decisions about teaching and learning.”  (Circular 45/2019)

Content and Language Integrated learning or CLIL is referred to on page 41 of the P.L.C.   We encourage teachers to use CLIL to cover one subject in the school year.  P.E. is an obvious choice, but music, art or drama should also be considered.  Rather than the school dictating what subject to choose each teacher should choose a subject they want to teach through Irish as this provides for individual teachers to choose “a subject in which they are comfortable communicating through Irish, that lends itself to CLIL.”  (P.L.C. 6)

We are fortunate in St. Rynagh’s N.S. to have pupils in every class from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.  Children can compare and contrast languages and cultures which raises awareness of Irish culture and language while supporting linguistic diversity.

Further support for the communicative approach can be provided by the principal.  Public announcements can be given in Irish, certain instructions can be communicated in Irish and the school stationery shop can be managed as Gaeilge.

The P.L.C. Toolkit and Support Materials:

The P.L.C. toolkit can be found at www.curriculumonline.ie/primarycurriculumareas/primarylanguages/primarylanguagetoolkit.

Having read and studied  the curriculum to this point the P.L.C. toolkit is a great source of the curriculum in action.

Examples of Children’s Language Learning:

This is a good source of demonstrations for newly qualified teachers in particular of the P.L.C. in action.  Observations of these print, audio and video examples reveal how teachers “make decisions about what they teach, the type of activities, experiences and pedagogies they use and the information they gather on how well children are doing in their language learning.”  (P.L.C. 7.1)    We regularly revisit the examples as the number of examples is increased.

Progression Continua – Contanam Dul Chun Cinn:  Gaeilge

The Mórchéimeanna Dul Chun Cinn  “describe in broad terms children’s language learning and development.”  (P.L.C. 6.2 version 1).  The Mórchéimeanna Dul Chun Cinn “describe what children’s learning and development look like,” (P.L.C. 6.2 version 1).

There are separate continua for Teanga ó Bhéal, léitheoireacht and Scríbhneoireacht. These are reference guides that can be accessed to clarify how children acquire language.  Teachers can read and consider the progression continua to support planning cognizant that “it is not expected that class teachers would assess the progress of individual children using progression milestones.” (Mórchéimeanna Dul Chun Cinn  P.L.C. 7.2)

Support Material for Teachers including Webinars and Oide:

These support materials are practical examples of how to deliver a language lesson.  We recommend that all teachers read and consider these support materials as they demonstrate the P.L.C. in action.  We particularly recommend that newly qualified teachers spend considerable time considering these materials to see language teaching in action.   As the “toolkit will continue to be populated over time.”  (P.L.C. 7.3), the support material should be reviewed each term. We will watch, discuss and consider the PLC webinars as they are published.  The webinars can be reviewed when needed.

Teachers Individual Planning:

Teachers write long-term and short-term plans.  Classroom teachers write fortnightly short-term plans.  St. Rynagh’s N.S. respects the professionalism of its teachers to write these plans in a format that meets their planning requirements.  We are conscious that, “the process of planning varies from teacher to teacher,” and that “teachers should use a template or planning rubric that best suits their needs.”  (Circular 45/2019) Insisting that all teachers in a school use only one prescribed template for all their respective planning regardless of experience, expertise or training indicates a lack of confidence in all teachers’ professional judgements and over simplifies the many instructional decisions an effective teacher makes throughout every lesson.  In our efforts as a school to keep our teachers effective we are conscious that “tendencies in some countries for a strong, top-down specification of the way things are to be done and this trend, coupled with much greater demands for paperwork returns, tend to foster feelings among teachers of being more functionaries than professionals.”  (D.E.S. International Section, O.E.C.D. Attracting Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers).  We have agreed the common features to be included in planning.  They are;

• New learning (content objectives, learning outcomes or content).
• Learning experiences (methodologies, skills used).
• Assessment (monitoring or demonstration of learning). Preparation for teaching and learning (2021).

We are conscious that; “It may be more practical to record the focus of new learning in your own words.”  Preparation for teaching and learning p17.

Assessment:

Assessment is provided for in our assessment policy and in our special Education Policy.  We are conscious in assessing language acquisition and use of Irish that “Children’s language progression is assessed through independently produced language as well as teacher led assessments.”  (P.L.C. 6)

With this in mind rubrics such as W.A.L.T. and W.I.I.F. can be particularly useful when encouraging communication in an additional language in our case Irish, or a European language.

Assessment and special education policies were reviewed having engaged with webinar 3 on the PLC.

Drama:

We have a separate Drama Policy.  Drama, however, should not be separated from language learning.  We advocate that our teachers use the Drama Policy and the P.L.C. for Gaeilge in tandem.

Conclusion:

The P.L.C. is both a live document and a reference book.  Teachers refer to it to assess the merit of programmes or initiatives and to direct their own planning.  The support materials on line will be added to by the N.C.C.A. making the P.L.C. a live document.  We believe that the P.L.C. for Irish used on a whole school basis as we have provided for in this policy “supports teachers as skilled professionals with the autonomy to make key decisions about teaching and learning,” (Circular 45/2019) in St. Rynagh’s N.S.

This policy should be read with our Primary Language Curriculum for English document.  The P.L.C. covers all language acquisition.  While we have chosen to highlight certain aspects of language acquisitions in each policy what is true for learning a second language is either true or relevant to learning a first language.   Both policies need to be read to gain a full understanding of how we implement the P.L.C.