Research that underpins teaching and learning strategies
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Context and background to excellent/sector-leading practice
LWNW has been at the forefront of Welsh for Adults providers in Wales in its continuous emphasis on research that underpins developments in the field. A further strength of this work is that it is based on working with various academic schools within Bangor University and bringing expertise from different disciplines together for the benefit of the field.
Description of nature of strategy or activity identified as excellent/sector-leading practice
Recent academic research that has been conducted includes the following:
Changing behaviour
PhD research in co-operation with the School of Psychology on changing the behaviour of passive Welsh speakers. From this research, LWNW has been able to apply the findings to ‘Confidence Building’ courses with the public in Bangor, in co-operation with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, and more recently with Menter Iaith Bangor with businesses in the city. This led to producing a guide on running confidence building courses for the other Welsh for Adults providers. At the National Centre’s request, national pilot confidence building sessions are being held at Gwynedd Council.
e-Learning
PhD research into e-Learning and the effectiveness of e-Learning in comparison with face-to-face approaches when acquiring language. The research includes measuring the effects of Welsh learning apps developed by LWNW. The findings are intended to be used to feed into LWNW’s online offer in 2022/2023.
Difficulties with pronunciation
PhD research into Linguistics that focuses on the main difficulties faced by Welsh learners. The National Centre contributed to sponsoring this scholarship. The evidence from this research will be able to contribute to changes to the content of coursebooks/guidance for tutors, in addition to the content of national training for tutors.
Strategic management of language training in the workplace
PhD research initially, which has led to further studies (as can be seen below). The findings of this
research have led to changes to the way in which LWNW discusses and plans language training with workplaces (including staff at Bangor University), so that there is a much greater strategic element to the way in which learners are ‘selected’, but also to the way in which training is managed to assure active users of the Welsh language.
Other applied research projects include the following:
- A European grant was obtained from NPLD (Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity) to lead a project with partners in Italy, Spain, and Scotland, paying particular attention to online learning. The work will be completed in the autumn term 2022, with an international symposium being organised to share findings and good practice, in addition to lessons that different counties in Europe can learn from each other. This study also includes a comparison of arrangements and quality management techniques, training tutors and producing learning materials. As part of this study, LWNW is working closely with Conwy County Borough Council to research the effectiveness of its staff’s language training (as part of the Work Welsh scheme).
- A similar study to the one conducted with Conwy County Borough Council is also being conducted with Gwynedd County Council, which is looking at the effectiveness of planning and application from the perspective of staff and managers.
The importance of this work with workplaces is to provide a toolkit to the National Centre and its providers, and the Welsh Language Commissioner, in order to ensure that language training in the workplace is as effective as it can be for the organisations, new learners and the public who receive a service from them through the medium of Welsh.
Sharing research findings
LWNW is very keen to share its findings with the field in Wales and beyond. To this end, in addition to the symposium that was held in 2019/2020 and the international conference that will be held in 2022, the following recent / ongoing publications also share detailed information and findings about Welsh in the workplace:
- An article in Current Issues in Language Planning
- An article in Gwerddon
- A chapter in Y Gymraeg a Gweithle’r Gymru Gyfoes, a volume published by University of Wales Press
LWNW has also published a chapter (‘Addysgu dysgwyr ail-iaith’ – Teaching second language learners) in the volume published by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (2020) entitled Cyflwyniad i ieithyddiaeth (Introduction to linguistics).
What impact has this work had on the quality of provision and learners’ standards
A notable feature of the research is that it is applied research. This means that the findings are applied and used to underpin teaching and learning strategies in the day-to-day work of LWNW and the sector and, as a result, have a direct, positive effect on learners’ standards.